The American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) is the national certifying body which administers the National Certification Examination in Midwifery and Nurse-Midwifery and awards the Certified Midwife (CM®) and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM®) credentials. The AMCB is the owner of the CM® and CNM® trademarks and therefore controls their use.
In accordance with Article III.E of the American Midwifery Certification Board bylaws, we must maintain professional discipline of all CNMs/CMs in order to fulfill the corporation’s mission and vision. A process for handling professional discipline has been created and is outlined fully in our Discipline Policy which can be found in the Discipline Policy & Procedures document.
Purpose of Discipline
The purpose of the AMCB Discipline Policy is to provide guidelines and procedures for reviewing alleged violations. These violations should focus on misconduct relating to the certification examination, misuse of the credential, or unethical conduct within professional practice. The AMCB Discipline Policy does not cover unethical behavior that is unrelated to the activities of the American Midwifery Certification Board.
Examples of Discipline
A midwife can be disciplined for many reasons including, but not limited to:
- Fraud and deceit in application or reapplication to obtain certification
- Iirregularity regarding an exam prior, during or after completion
- Misrepresentation of certification status
- Habitual use of alcohol or substance abuse
- Gross negligence
- Sanction by any state or private licensing board, agency, association or health care organization relating to public health and safety or midwifery practice
- Conviction of a crime directly relating to midwifery practice and/or public health and safety
- Engaging in conduct which is inconsistent with professional standards that creates unnecessary danger to a patient’s life, health or safety; is contrary to the ethical conduct appropriate to the profession that results in termination or suspension from practice.
Outcomes of Discipline
Possible outcomes of a Discipline Case include but are not limited to:
- Reprimand
- Censure
- Suspension or revocation of certification. If revocation occurs, the midwife involved will no longer have permission to use the CM or CNM credential and will no longer be eligible to be licensed as such to practice midwifery.
Official Complaint
If you feel that a violation has occurred and would like to file an official complaint against a midwife, please complete the AMCB Disciplinary Complaint Form and submit it to Denise Smith, Discipline Director/Chief Operating Officer, at dsmith@amcbmidwife.org. We do not accept third party complaints.
If a Discipline Review Case is opened against a CNM or CM, the official complaint will be shared with them in its entirety.
It is AMCB’s practice to act on a complaint upon the conclusion of the state licensing board discipline case except in exceptional cases.
The American Midwifery Certification Board does not have the authority or jurisdiction to handle the following issues:
- Interpersonal conflicts
- Rudeness and impolite behavior
- Fee, billing, insurance or contractual disputes
- HIPAA violations
- Complaints against any health care provider that is not a Certified Midwife (CM) or Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
Disciplinary Fees
Discipline Appeals Fee: Fee to appeal against a disciplinary action
$500.00
If you have any questions, please contact:
Denise Smith
Discipline Director/Chief Operating Officer