Lawmakers say the new law could help address Florida's maternity care deserts. However, doctors worry that the law endangers patients, as advanced birth centers aren’t equipped for serious C-section complications.. Under the new law, SB 7016, certified OB-GYNs working in authorized advanced birth centers can perform planned C-sections for patients who are deemed low-risk for complications.
Cole Greves, MD, Florida district chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists , told Jezebel in a statement that SB 7016 probably won’t help address the maternity care desert crisis and will just endanger patients. Dr. Alice Abernathy, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology of the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, told Jezebel she questions “who will ultimately be served” by SB 7016.