Oregon Revised Statutes Public Health and Safety § 442.600

(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.