Mesa birthing center failed to properly monitor fetal heartbeat prior to death

MESA, AZ — A Mesa birthing center has promised changes after state regulators found the center failed to ensure staff properly monitored fetal heartbeat in at least one case.

As the ABC15 Investigators previously reported, Willow Midwife Center for Birth & Wellness has faced two wrongful death lawsuits in the last year.

Arizona Department of Health Services regulators inspected Willow in February of this year. They found that Willow failed to ensure its midwives performed fetal heart tone checks at required intervals during a birth in June 2023.

The facility’s policy required the checks to happen every 10-15 minutes during the second stage of labor. ADHS noted administrators did not ensure staff followed Willow’s policy “to protect the health and safety of a patient.”

RELATED: ABC15 creates searchable database to help moms choose quality Arizona midwives

According to ADHS online records, not checking fetal heart tones per the facility’s policy “poses the risk of delaying the identification of fetal distress, leading to potential complications like oxygen deprivation to the baby, which could result in brain damage or other neurological issues if not addressed promptly.”

That baby from the June 2023 birthing incident died days later, according to the family’s lawsuit against Willow. The lawsuit ended in a settlement in December 2024.

The birthing facility had submitted a plan of correction detailing policy and training changes to ensure those vital sign checks occur as required.

Below you will find a first-of-its-kind online tool that families can search,combining information from the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Board of Nursing. Both agencies regulate midwives, although each has different rules for midwife training, scope of practice, and oversight.

Having trouble viewing the database? Click here.

***NOTE: ABC15 is committed to providing up-to-date information about midwives. This dataset is current as of January 30, 2025. Please email [email protected] with questions or comments.

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You can reach Melissa by email at [email protected] or call 602-803-2506. Follow her on X @MelissaBlasius or Facebook.