Health Officials Back Birth Centers

Responding to a recent Orange County Grand Jury report on maternity services for indigent women, county health officials Thursday concurred that expanded services are needed and said they might consider providing surplus county land for low-cost birthing centers.

The grand jury had suggested the surplus land idea in a critical April report. That report also noted that 2,500 poor, pregnant women were turned away last year from county clinics because there was not enough for money to care for them.

Health officials could not be reached for a detailed explanation of how the surplus-land idea might be used for birthing centers, which offer low-cost, out-of-hospital care to indigent women.

But according to the county’s brief, written response to the grand jury, local health officials “will be evaluating various proposed uses for surplus land for a variety of county purposes,” and “birthing centers would be one potential use,” although such an idea “must compete with other county priorities.”

County officials said they had already taken to heart the grand jury’s suggestion that they “lobby strenuously” in Sacramento to improve the state’s contracting system for indigent patients. County supervisors have “directly and personally taken steps” to make improvements in the system, their response said.

However, county officials rejected a grand jury suggestion that they provide malpractice insurance coverage for staff members of new birthing centers or consider using “contract or regular” county employees at birthing centers.