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Oregon Health Authority

Birth Information Specialists

icons8-news-96.pngKey Resources

Birth Worksheets

All facilities are required to use the below versions of the information worksheets. If you would like to create versions that display your facility's logo, they must be preapproved by the State Registrar.

Email CHS Partner Services for information about this process.
REALD Resources (Handouts and Videos)

Paternity Information

Instructions and Forms

OVERS Resources

icons8-people-96 (1).png Training Resources

All birth information specialists and midwives are required to complete both the Center for Health Statistics Training and the National Training. Certificates verifying completion of these trainings will be required before a new OVERS account can be created.

To complete the required training complete the following steps.

1. Review the presentation and print the certificate: BIS Training 2024: Oregon laws and policies for reporting births and fetal deaths​​

​​​

2. Watch and listen to a prerecorded demonstration of entering a report into the OVERS system. To view the demonstration, you must view it in​​​ either Microsoft Edge or Chrome.

3. ​​Complete the course, take the assessment, and print the certificate for “Applying Best Practices for Reporting Medical Health Information on Birth Certificates". This course is offered by the CDC and must be taken using either Chrome or the Microsoft Edge internet browser. Click here to access the course. Step-by-step directions on how to create a CDC account launch the training and print the required certificate can be found here​​​​.

The Health Licensing Office of Oregon approved the "Applying Best Practices for Reporting Medical and Health Information on Birth Certificates" training as acceptable Continuing Education (CEUs) for Licensed Direct Entry Midwives (LDMs).

If you are having difficulty accessing the training or final documents once you have completed the training, please contact CHS.PartnerServices@oha.oregon.gov. 

Date: March-April 2024

Topic: BIS Data Quality

Date: October 2021
Topic: REALD Part 1

Date: December 2021
Topic: REALD Part 2

Date: June 2020

Topic: Paternity Acknowledgment

Date: March 2020

Topic: Fetal Death Reporting

​Date: February 2017
Topic: Monthly Birth Report

icons8-news-96.png BIS Information

​For Children Under the Age of One

If you had an unassisted birth at home without a midwife or other licensed medical professional and your child is currently under the age of one (1) or if you are planning to have a home birth in the near future, complete the Home Birth Packet Request Form  and email it to CHS.Amendments@oha.oregon.gov.
These individually assigned packets contain information and forms needed to complete the registration of the child's birth with the State and instructions on how to obtain a birth certificate.

 

For Children/Adults Over the Age of One

​If more than one (1) year has passed since a child (or adult) was born in a home birth, a different process called Delayed Registration of Birth must be completed. Email CHS.Amendments@oha.oregon.gov for instructions on this process. ​

​REALD was passed into Oregon law and is a new type of demographic information that is collected by health care providers. Collecting this information helps to identify health inequities for populations within Oregon. Having this data allows the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to better understand the different populations we work with and serve and will help us move toward the goal of ending health inequities by 2030. 

The Center for Health Statistics (CHS) immplemented REALD in January of 2022 for birth records. New questions that cover Race, Ethnicity, Language and Disability were added to the Birth Parent Worksheet and the paper Certificate of Live Birth. These questions were also added as new fields in the Oregon Vital Events Registration System (OVERS).
​

IMPORTANT:​​

The most recent version of the updated Parent Birth Worksheet must be used for all births that occur on or after January 1, 2022.

Any remaining copies of older versions of the worksheets should be recycled/destroyed. The date of can be found on the bottom right of the worksheet.

REALD Training for Partners


Birth Information Specialists and Midwives were provided training on REALD. A recording and slides of the trainings are available below.

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Overview of REALD​​
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Entering REALD data into OVERS

The sex designation on the birth record includes the following categories:


  • Female

  • Male

  • Undetermined

  • Unknown (Not used for birth records.)

  • X​

​​Undetermined: is used in cases where the sex cannot be determined due to a medical condition.​

Unknown: While this category is an option in OVERS, it is rarely, if ever, used for birth records. A sex that is unknown is assigned as Undetermined.

X (non-binary): individuals whose gender identity is not exclusively male of female.

​Frequently Asked Questions About Sex Designation in OVERS​
​​

Q: How does a child get the X (non-binary) sex designation on their birth certificate?
Parents can make the decision to have their child's sex be X on the birth record. They would select this option when completing the Parent Birth Worksheet.

Q: Will federal agencies accept the child's birth certificate with the sex designation as X?

Other agencies may accept X on a birth certificate. These processes are still being developed, however. Parents who choose X currently have to go directly to a Social Security office to get a Social Security card for their baby. Automatic generation of a Social Security Number by registering the birth will not occur because only Male and Female are accepted by the Social Security Administration electronically. The Social Security Administration announced that they hope to offer people the choice to self-select their sex on their Social Security number record in the future. It is unknown if this is only for adults or will be available for babies as well. Visit the Social Security Website for updates on this announcement.
You can select the gender marker you would like printed on your U.S. passport. The gender you select does not need to match the gender on your supporting documentation such as a birth certificate, previous passport, or state ID. Visit Travel.State.Gov for more information.

Q: Why is this information collected on the birth record?

The sex designation of the baby is collected for two primary purposes. First, the establishment of identity and relationships. This includes not only the child's name, date of birth, sex and place of birth, but also the parents' names, dates of birth and places of birth. Second, data from birth records are used to generate statistics, analyze health trends, guide program planning and direct policy development. X, indicating non-binary, is an option to include individuals who are not exclusively male or female.

Please see the Quick Reference Guide for Sex Designation on Birth Records for additional information.

​​Enumeration at Birth is the procedure for completion and storage of forms authorizing a Social Security N​umber for a child at birth. This page provides more in​​formation on this process for our hospital, birthing center, and midwife partners filing birth records in Oregon.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Submission

​

Whether a family requests a Social Security number for their new baby or not, hospital facility staff or birth attendants should:


  1. Use most recent state birth worksheets exclusively unless permission to use a custom version has been given and recycle any older versions you may have at your facility.

  2. Ensure the portion of the birth worksheet titled 'Authorization to Establish Social Security Number at Birth' is completed for every live birth.​​
    • Always have the mother complete and sign the form whether or not they request a Social Security number.

    ​

  3. On birth record, indicate “yes" or “no" for question asking if a Social Security number (SSN) is requested, whether using OVERS or paper form.​
    • In OVERS, the SSN question appears on the Child page. On the paper Certificate of Live Birth, the question appears as item 14.

  4. Fax forms titled 'Authorization to Establish Social Security Number at Birth' at least once a week to the Center for Health Statistics at 971-673-3122.​​​​
    • Forms can be faxed singly or in a batch as long as they are sent within the same week as completed. The Center for Health Statistics will receive your faxed forms as electronic documents on a secure server and will store the faxed forms indefinitely. Do not use this fax number for any other purpose. Staff are unlikely to review documents and respond in a timely manner.

  5. ​​Hold the original forms no less than one year and shred them no more than two years from the date of birth.

    • ​You may store the original 'Authorization to Establish Social Security Number at Birth' at your facility with the birth worksheets. Do not keep with the medical record.

  6. Direct inquiries by parents regarding the social security form to the Center for Health Statistics Registration Unit.​​​

  7. Provide parents with a Social Security Administration (SSA) receipt if requested, form SSA-2853 OP2 (English) or SSA-2853 OP2 SP (Spanish).​
    • ​​This form (available in English and Spanish) serves as a receipt for the SSN application. The SSA can supply sufficient quantities of this form upon faxed request for distribution to all parents who indicate “yes" to the SSN question on the birth registration form for their newborn.

If you would like to receive a bulk quantity of forms or publications, send your request to the following:

​

Social Security Administration

Office of Supply and Warehouse Management

Attn: Requisition and Quality Control Team

239 Supply Building

6301 Security Boulevard

Baltimore, MD 21235


The phone number for the Public Information Distribution Center is 401-965-2039. You can also reach them via fax at 410-965-2037 or email them a OFSM.OSWM.RQCT.Orders@ssa.gov​​.

When you order, please provide a complete mailing address, your name, your telephone number ​and the material requested (publications name, ​publication number and quantity).​​​​

​​​For a list of frequently asked questions about social security enumeration at birth, type in “EAB” in the search box of the Partners FAQ database​. 

icons8-news-96.png Fetal Death

In Oregon, fetal deaths occur infrequently compared to the number of live births each year. Since fetal death is relatively rare and requires different information than reporting a birth, procedures can be confusing and difficult to remember. This web page provides the tools you need to comply with law and ensure the accurate reporting of the event.


Fetal Death Instructions & Worksheets

​

Instructions:


Worksheets:



Fetal Death FAQ​s


What is a fetal death?

Determining whether a delivery is a fetal death or a live birth is a medical determination made by the birth attendant based on the legal definitions. The legal definition in Oregon law (ORS 432.005) states that “fetal death" means death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy.

The death is indicated by the fact that after such expulsion or extraction the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of the voluntary muscles.


What documentation is needed before releasing the remains?

Before the remains are removed from the hospital campus for disposition, hospital staff must complete a disposition permit and give it to the individual who takes the remains from the facility (including the funeral director or parents). The disposition permit is always required regardless of whether a fetal death report is filed if the remains are removed from the hospital.

The disposition permit gives permission to transport the remains to the location of burial or cremation. A cemetery or crematory cannot perform final disposition without the permit. It is available to hospital staff on the OVERS website. See the following picture for its location. 


​ dispositionpermit_1.jpg

When must a fetal death be reported?


Use the 350/20 rule. Many early events of fetal death need not be reported, but according to Oregon law, it is mandatory to report a fetal death if the weight of the fetus is greater than 350 grams. If the delivery weight of the fetus is unknown, a fetal death report must be filed if the gestation period is 20 weeks or greater.

Although it is not mandatory to report a fetal death in instances where the delivery weight is less than 350 grams or, if the weight is unknown, the gestation period is less than 20 weeks, you may file a fetal death report when the fetus does not meet the mandatory reporting criteria.

The Fetal Death Reporting Quick Reference Guide ​provides a decision tree to help you determine whether to report a fetal death.


Who reports the fetal death?

Hospital facility staff report fetal deaths that occurs in a hospital facility. Hospital staff can only file a fetal death report for events that occur on the hospital premises or en route to the hospital.

If the delivery occurred anywhere other than a licensed facility, the fetal death report must be completed by either a physician who attended the delivery or the Medical Examiner if the delivery was not attended by a licensed physician. If the family has brought the fetus to your facility, the facility should contact the Medical Examiner. If the family is contacting your facility by telephone, refer them to the county Medical Examiner.


How are fetal deaths reported?

Hospitals and all persons reporting a fetal death are required to report electronically using the ​Oregon Vital Events Registration System (OVERS).

To collect the medical and personal information needed for the report, use the facility and parent worksheets linked above.​​

icons8-people-96 (1).pngMidwives

If you are an unlicensed Traditional Midwife, you must FIRST complete the enrollment process to ensure your name is filed with the state BEFORE attending or assisting with any births.
Failure to do so will result in the family having to complete the entire process of the Home Birth Packet instead of you submitting the birth information as the attendant on record.

Contact CHS.PartnerServices@oha.oregon.gov​ for information about registering as a traditional midwife in the state of Oregon.

 

icons8-people-96 (1).pngHome Births

​Home Births

 

For Children Under the Age of One

  • If you had an unassisted birth at home without a midwife or other licensed medical professional and your child is currently under the age of one (1).

  • If you are planning to have a home birth in the near future, complete the Home Birth Packet Request Form  and email it to CHS.Amendments@oha.oregon.gov. These individually assigned packets contain information and forms needed to complete the registration of the child's birth with the State and instructions on how to obtain a birth certificate.

 

For Children/Adults Over the Age of One

  • If more than one (1) year has passed since a child (or adult) was born in a home birth, a different process called Delayed Registration of Birth must be completed.

Email ​CHS.Amendments@oha.oregon.gov for instructions on this process.