OHCA Policies and Rules
317:30-5-1216. Eligible providers
[Revised 09-01-25]
(a) Provider requirements. At minimum, providers must:
(1) Be eighteen (18) years of age;
(2) Obtain and maintain a National Provider Identifier (NPI); and
(3) Use the taxonomy number required by the State.
(b) Certifications. At minimum, providers must possess one of the following certifications:
(1) Birth doula;
(2) Postpartum doula;
(3) Full-spectrum doula; or
(4) Community-based doula.
(c) Certifying organization. Providers must be certified by one of the State's recognized certifying organizations found at www.oklahoma.gov/ohca/. Certifying organizations must meet the criteria in this subsection to be a recognized certifying organization. Certifying organizations interested in becoming a recognized certifying organization should complete the Doula Certifying Organization Application, Form DCOA, (found at https://oklahoma.gov/ohca/providers/ forms.html) and follow the instructions on the form for submission.
(1) Records. The certifying organization must maintain a registry of all doulas it has certified, including those who are not practicing or whose certifications have expired. The certifying organization must have a process for prospective clients to verify the certification of a doula.
(2) Certification Discipline. The certifying organization must offer certification in at least one of the following disciplines:
(A) Birth doula;
(B) Postpartum doula;
(C) Full-spectrum doula; or
(D) Community-based doula.
(3) Training. The certifying organization may provide training online, in-person, or a combination of both.
(A)The certifying organization must require a minimum of two in-person birth supports and two postpartum visits with a certified doula from the organization.
(B) The certifying organization must require a prospective doula to complete all training requirements within one (1) year of training initiation.
(C) The certifying organization must require and verify that prospective doulas are CPR-certified.
(D) The certifying organization must provide HIPAA training to prospective doulas.
(4) References. The certifying organization must require prospective doulas to obtain at least two professional references for certification. At least one reference must be from a client.
(5) Continuing Education. The certifying organization must provide Continuing Education (C.E.) training in birth support and postpartum support. The certifying organization may also approve C.E. experiences offered by other organizations for credit towards recertification.
(6) Recertification. The certifying organization must require all doulas to be recertified at least every three (3) years. Lifetime certifications are not permissible. Certifying organizations may require recertification more frequently than every three (3) years. The certifying organization must implement the following minimum requirements for recertification.
(A) Certifying organizations must require that all doulas complete a minimum of three (3) C.E. experiences to be eligible for recertification. The C.E. experiences may contain any combination of birth support and postpartum support education. The minimum three (3) C.E. experiences must be completed within the doula’s current certification period to be eligible for recertification.
(B) Certifying organizations must require and reverify that doulas maintain CPR certification to be eligible for recertification.
(C) Certifying organizations must require that doulas complete HIPAA training during each certification period to be eligible for recertification.
(7) Practice Guidelines. The certifying organization must have the following policies. A copy of each must be submitted along with the application.
(A) Standards of practice;
(B) Code of ethics and conduct;
(C) Social media policy; and
(D) Grievance and disciplinary policy.
Disclaimer. The OHCA rules found on this Web site are unofficial. The official rules are published by the Oklahoma Secretary of State Office of Administrative Rules as Title 317 of the Oklahoma Administrative Code. To order an official copy of these rules, contact the Office of Administrative Rules at (405) 521-4911.
