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Our Timeline

January, 2020

HBC is Born

Inspired to address the harrowing reality of disproportionate maternal and infant outcomes for Black families August and Jaress founded HBC to legislatively combat these issues.

January, 2020

February 25th, 2021

House Bill 1041 Filed

HBC authored and filed HB1041 which initiates a state plan amendment to add licensed Certified Professional Midwives to the Illinois Medicaid program that is eligible for federal-matching dollars.

February 25th, 2021

July 27th, 2021

ICCPM Presidency

Star August becomes First Black President of Illinois Council of Certified Professional Midwives

July 27th, 2021

December 14th, 2021

HB 3401 Passed

Illinois becomes the 37th State to licensure Certified Professional Midwives during Star August’s Presidency of the Illinois Council of Certified Professional Midwives

December 14th, 2021

February 22nd, 2022

HBC granted 501(c)3 status

HBC authored and filed HB 5012 which Provides that a “licensed certified professional midwife” means a person who has successfully met the requirements in the provisions concerning licensure and has been licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

February 22nd, 2022

May 27th, 2022

HB 5012 Passed

HBC authored and filed HB 5012 which Provides that a “licensed certified professional midwife” means a person who has successfully met the requirements in the provisions concerning licensure and has been licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

May 27th, 2022

May 27th, 2022

HB 5013 Passed

HBC and Black Girls Break Bread authored and filed HB 5013 which requires managed care organizations to pay for prenatal and perinatal healthcare, no matter if it’s from a contracted provider or not. House Billl 5013 adds Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) as Primary providers in freestanding birth centers.

May 27th, 2022

June - October 2022

HFS State Amendment Plan

HBC convened the first meeting of the state-wide Illinois Coalition for Equitable Access to Community Midwifery Carre to recommend real-world, practical and operational particulars of Medicaid reimbursement for Illinois Midwives i.e. which midwifery services should be covered by Medicaid and how much should be paid for each service.

June - October 2022

August 12th, 2022

HB 5787 Filed

HBC authors and files HB5787, The The Reproductive Liberty and Dignity Act, which requires the DPH to establish reproductive health clinics meeting specified requirements throughout the State. Provides that a Licensed CPM can provide out-of-hospital care for a childbearing individual who has had a previous cesarean section. Ensures that a patient has the right for a physician, healthcare provider, health services corporation, or insurance company to administer specified medical tests without disclosing the results of the test to a law enforcement agency or to the Department of Children and Family Services.

August 12th, 2022

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Study Approved / Funded

Study Approved / Funded by State of Illinois’ Exploring Alternative Healthcare Delivery Models for Birthing Persons Grant.

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August 26th, 2022

Community Birth Survey is Launched

Online survey in Spanish and English for 1,000 people who have given birth on the South Side of Chicago. To give a more complete understanding of the unmet needs from the perspective of the people directly impacted, to identify opportunities for improvement, to inform the design of a more equitable, effective, and person-centered maternal healthcare system in this region.

August 26th, 2022

August-September 2022

Focus Groups are Held

Focus Groups are held with Birth Workers and Families on the South Side of Chicago to elicit their lived experience of being a birthing person and/or working with birthing persons in a maternity health desert.

August-September 2022

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Secondary Data Set is Purchased

A secondary data set is purchased by HBC from the Division of Patient Safety and Quality at the Illinois Department of Public Health. These patient-level data cover all hospital inpatient and outpatient discharges relating to pregnancy, abortion, childbirth, neonatal complications, and perinatal complications.

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Licensed Midwife Education Program

Licensed Midwife Education in Perinatal Desert with highest Illinois MMR

Establishing a new Career Technical Education (CTE) Associate of Applied Science program within the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) system Established partnership with CCC partner and location for program

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