Return to Consumers > Responding to COVID-19

With rising public health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, the health and safety of our members, and stakeholders is our priority. We have compiled the following resources to help ACNM members and consumers stay informed on this rapidly evolving situation.

This page will be updated continuously, so check back for updates. Resources in each section are sorted by date published; those without dates listed are either updated continuously or did not provide a publication date.

ACNM Members, join the conversation on the COVID-19 Connect Community

Upcoming ACNM Webinars

ACNM Town Hall: Midwives and Telehealth

Wednesday, April 8, 2020 | 8:00 - 9:00 PM EST

The social distancing required by the COVID-19 pandemic could have caused havoc in midwives' ability to provide prenatal and postpartum care. Instead, midwives are quickly adopting telehealth as an efficient and effective method of caring for their clients for these visits. Come and hear about the benefits and challenges that midwives have encountered as they have rapidly adopted telehealth within their services. Register here.

Panelists:
Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN
Frontier Nursing University
Berea, KY

Abigail Eaves, CNM
Dar a Luz Birth and Health Center
Albuquerque, NM

Dolores (Dee) Polito, CNM, MSN
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY

Megan Danielson, CNM
Bronson Healthcare
Kalamazoo, MI

Click here to view past webinar descriptions. Recordings linked below:

• 4/2/20: Meet the Presidents Listening Session
• 3/31/20: Connecting from Afar: What Did You Have for Breakfast?
• 3/30/20: ACNM Town Hall: Perspectives on home and birth center birth during the COVID-19 pandemic
• 3/29/20: Update on Federal and State Regulatory Landscape for Midwives During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• 3/26/20: ACNM Town Hall: Midwifery education and student well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic
• 3/21/20: ACNM Town Hall: Clinical practice challenges and solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic

General Guidance

• Coronavirus Global Tracker (Johns Hopkins University)
• Latest information from the CDC (updated continuously with resources for health care professionals and consumers)
• Ensure collectively-used spaces follow Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations (CDC)
• 3/18/20: Coronavirus Update with Anthony Fauci, MD (JAMA) - video; run time 31:38
• 2/27/20: Rational use of personal protective equipment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (WHO)
  

Guidance for Clinical Practice

• PRIORITY (Pregnancy CoRonavIrus Outcomes RegIsTrY) Study (UCSF) - nationwide study of pregnant or recently pregnant women who are either under investigation for or have been confirmed to have COVID-19. This study aims to help patients and doctors better understand how COVID-19 impacts pregnant women and their newborns.
• COVID-19 FAQs for Obstetrician-Gynecologists, Obstetrics (ACOG)
• 3/23/20: Covid-19: doctors in final trimester of pregnancy should avoid direct patient contact (BMJ)
• 3/21/20: COVID-19: protecting health-care workers (The Lancet)
• 3/20/20: Covid-19: control measures must be equitable and inclusive (BMJ)
• 3/20/20: Conserving Supply of Personal Protective Equipment—A Call for Ideas (JAMA)
• 3/20/20: Expert consensus for managing pregnant women and neonates born to mothers with suspected or confirmed novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) infection (IJGO)
• 3/19/20: Audio Interview: New Research on Possible Treatments for Covid-19 (NEJM) - Audio; run time 15:37)
• 3/19/20: COVID-19: What implications for sexual and reproductive health and rights globally? (Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters)
• 3/19/20: COVID‐2019 and Pregnancy: A plea for transparent reporting of all cases (AOGS)
• 3/19/20: MFM Guidance for COVID-19 (AJOG MFM)
• 3/17/20: Patient Management and Clinical Recommendations During The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic (ASRM) - Provides a good overview of COVID-19 and specific recommendations for practitioners caring for people utilizing assisted reproductive technologies.
• 3/16/20: Coronavirus Pandemic and Worries during Pregnancy; a Letter to Editor (AAEM)
  
• 3/12/20 CDC COCA Call recording: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Update—Information for Clinicians Caring for Children and Pregnant Women (CDC)
• 3/12/20: Making Decisions about Covid-19 Testing and Treatment for Your Patients (NEJM) - Audio interview with hypothetical cases; recorded 3/10/20; run time 19:52
  
• 3/10/20: Anthony Fauci - Talking with Patients about COVID-19 (NEJM Journal Watch) - Podcast; run time 13 minutes
• 3/9/20: Evaluating and Testing Persons for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (CDC)
• 3/7/20: Interim Clinical Guidance for Management of Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (CDC)
  
• 3/5/20 CDC COCA Call recording: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Update—What Clinicians Need to Know to Prepare for COVID-19 in the United States (CDC)
• 2/26/20: Telemedicine and Pregnancy Care (KFF)
• Outpatient Assessment and Management for Pregnant Women With Suspected or Confirmed Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) (ACOG)

Guidance for Healthcare Institutions and Clinical Practice Sites

• Health Worker Exposure and Assessment Toolkit (WHO)
• 3/4/20: Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention Concerning Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): FAQs and Considerations for Patient Triage, Placement and Hospital Discharge (CMS)
  
• 2/18/20: Interim Considerations for Infection Prevention and Control of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Inpatient Obstetric Healthcare Settings (CDC)
• 3/28/18: Recommended Guidance for Extended Use and Limited Reuse of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators in Healthcare Settings (CDC)
  
  

Government Affairs, Reimbursement, and Policy Resources

• FAQs on Telehealth and HIPAA during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency (HHS)
• State-Specific Telehealth Information (CCHPCA)
• 4/2/20: HHS COVID-19 April 2, 2020 Update (HHS)
• 3/31/20: HHS COVID-19 March 31, 2020 Update (HHS)
• 3/30/20: HHS COVID-19 March 30, 2020 Update (HHS)
• 3/24/20: Guidance to Governors on Waiving Scope of Practice Requirements (HHS)
• 3/24/20: Letter to Governors on Extending Capacity of Healthcare Workforce (HHS)
• 3/24/20: Resources on Slowing the Spread of COVID-19 (HHS)
• Find Out What Steps the States Have Taken to Address COVID-19 (NGA)
  
• Map: Emergency State Licensure During COVID-19 Response (AANP)
• Map: Temporarily Suspended and Waived Practice Agreement Requirements in Reduced and Restricted States (AANP)
  
• 3/23/20: Coverage and Payment Related to COVID-19: Medicare (CMS)
  
• 3/20/20: Letter to Congress from Health Care Organizations Addressing Shortage of PPE
• 3/19/20: Securing the Safety Net and Protecting Public Health During a Pandemic: Medicaid’s Response to COVID-19 (JAMA)
• 3/18/20: Covid-19 — The Law and Limits of Quarantine (NEJM)
• 3/17/20: Medicare and Telemedicine Health Care Provider Fact Sheet (CMS)
  
• 3/17/20: General Provider Telehealth and Telemedicine Tool Kit (CMS)
  
• 3/17/20: OIG Policy Statement Regarding Physicians and Other Practitioners That Reduce or Waive Amounts Owed by Federal Health Care Program Beneficiaries for Telehealth Services During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak (Office of Inspector General)
  
• 3/17/20: Notification of Enforcement Discretion for telehealth remote communications during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency (HHS)
• 3/13/20: COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Health Care Providers Fact Sheet (CMS)
• 3/5/20: Information Related to COVID–19: Individual and Small Group Market Insurance Coverage (CMS)
  
• 3/5/20: Coverage and Benefits Related to COVID-19: Medicaid and CHIP (CMS)
• March 2020: How Can Medicaid Enhance State Capacity to Respond to COVID-19? (KFF)

Guidance for Consumers

• 3/17/20: Novel Coronavirus “COVID-19”: Special Considerations for Pregnant Women (KFF)
• 3/17/20: COVID-19 Fact Sheet (MothertoBaby)
• 3/17/20: COVID-19 in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding (MothertoBaby Podcast)
  
• 3/17/20: CMS Expands Telehealth Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries (CMS)
• 3/17/20: Guidance on Pregnancy and Breastfeeding (CDC)
• 3/17/20: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) and Children (CDC)
• Expecting Health Instagram posts:
• 3/13/20: What to Know About Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Pregnancy
• 3/16/20: Breastfeeding and Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• 3/12/20: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): What You Need to Know About its Impact on Moms and Babies (March of Dimes)
• 2/26/20: Telemedicine and Pregnancy Care (KFF) 
  

Guidance for Home and Birth Center Births

• 3/19/20: Coronavirus: Midwives on the Front Line (NACPM) - webinar recording; run time; 2:41:36; provides basics about the virus and how it behaves in pregnancy and breastfeeding and guidance for midwives working in birth centers and homes to protect themselves, their clients, and their practice environments

Equity Considerations

• Ten Equity Implications of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak in the United States (NAACP)
• 3/23/20: The COVID-19 DEI Crisis Action Strategy Guide (National Inclusive Excellence Leadership Academy)
• 3/18/20: Equity and Inclusion during COVID-19 (University of California)

Guidance on the Use of Nitrous Oxide

• 3/23/20: Interim Considerations for Obstetric Anesthesia Care related to COVID19 (Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology)
  • Industry response to SOAP's Interim Guidelines:
    • 3/27/20: Response from Porter Instruments (maker, distributor and seller of commonly used nitrous oxide and oxygen machines such as Nitronox)
    • 3/25/20: Response from CareStream (distributor of Pro-Nox Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen Analgesia System)

Global Guidance

• Official Statements on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Pregnancy (ICM)
• 4/3/20: REGISTER FOR LIVE WEBINAR: COVID-19 Global Response Coordination Call (CORE Group)
• 3/31/20: Health Systems in Low-Income Countries Will Struggle to Protect Health Workers from COVID-19 (Center for Global Development)
• 3/31/20: U.S. Support for ASEAN in Fighting COVID-19 (US Department of State)
• 3/29/20: Women’s Rights in Childbirth Must be Upheld During the Coronavirus Pandemic (ICM)
• 3/27/20: Call for Governments to Provide Personal Protective Equipment for Midwives (ICM)
• March 2020: Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 (United Nations)
  

ACNM News and Resources

• 3/27/20: Checking In - Message from ACNM's CEO
  
• 3/26/20: Statement on Support for People in Labor During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• 3/23/20: Assisting Members During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Message from ACNM's CEO
  
• 3/20/20: Letter to President Trump Urging the Administration to Lift Restrictive Licensure Requirements that Limit Access to the Midwifery Workforce
• ACNM Sample Template Requesting State Regulatory Relief from Restrictive Practice Requirements for Midwives
• 3/20/20: Press Release - ACNM Board Treasurer Cara Krulewitch Attends White House Briefing on COVID-19
• 3/17/20: Message from ACNM President, Sue Stone

Impact on ACNM Events
Annual Meeting
4/3/20 Update: Thank you for your patience and support during this unforeseeable pandemic. As we navigate uncharted waters, we remain committed to supporting our members and advancing the profession of midwifery. We would like to inform you that we are making contingency plans to hold the 65th ACNM Annual Meeting & Exhibition scheduled for May 29 – June 2, 2020 as a virtual, if not an in-person, conference. Read the full statement and FAQ.

Other Events
We will evaluate our other upcoming meetings over the next few months to determine whether any changes are needed.

Impact on ACME-Accredited Midwifery Programs
The Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) will continue to offer up-to-date information as it becomes available from the U.S. Department of Education and the ACME Board of Review. Below are current announcements.

• 4/1/20: Distance instruction and education plan during COVID-19 Pandemic
• 3/19/20: Memo to Midwifery Program Directors: Distance instruction and education plan during COVID-19 Pandemic (Update #2)
• 3/12/20: Distance instruction and education plan during COVID-19 Pandemic Memo to Program Directors
• 3/11/20: COVID-19 Announcement Concerning Spring 2020 Site Visits
  

• ACNM COVID-19 Webinars