(1) Maternity care is the cornerstone of health care delivery in the state. It provides a proven, cost-effective foundation for improving the health of all Oregonians, and a healthy start in life allows our future citizens to achieve their full potential.

(2) Although great strides have been made to improve maternity care, barriers continue to exist as indicated by high rates of inadequate prenatal care and lack of coordination between prenatal and delivery services.

(3) Individual communities have unique combinations of barriers and resources. Therefore, planning and solutions must be developed at the local level whenever possible, with the state providing guidelines, standards and support.

(4) Local resources are strained and communities need a structure and technical assistance to assure development of access to a coordinated system of maternity care.

(5) There is a need for a system to assure coordination of all maternity service providers to develop a comprehensive service system for Oregon that addresses all barriers to guide the state’s action in this area.

(6)(a) Therefore, it is the intent of this state that there shall be a comprehensive system of maternity care based on the plan that includes prenatal, delivery and postpartum care and that meets the unique needs of the individual pregnant woman, available to all pregnant women in this state.

(b) As used in this subsection, "plan" means the Maternity Care Access Planning Commission’s comprehensive statewide plan for a maternity care system dated March 1993 and titled "Comprehensive Perinatal Health Services: A Strategy Toward Universal Access to Care in Oregon." [Formerly 442.600]

Note: 442.860 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS chapter 442 by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.