US MERA: What It Could Mean for CPMs

Register Now for our free webinar on September 15, 2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern Time

We are thrilled to be able to share with you a highly informative webinar on the history, purpose, accomplishments and future of US MERA:

US MERA: What It Could Mean for CPMs.

Join Mary Lawlor, Kaye Kanne, Jamie Eidsath, JoAnne Myers Ciecko and Sandra Stewart to learn more about the US MERA collaboration.

DETAILS IN FULL NEWSLETTER


International Confederation of Midwives Report on the 5th Regional Meeting in Suriname

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Quick links:

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International Confederation of Midwives
Report on the 5th Regional Meeting in Suriname

Midwives traveled from across the Americas Region this summer to participate in a conference sponsored by the International Confederation of Midwives. Midwifery autonomy, advocacy, collaboration, and research were the focus of the ICM Americas Regional Meeting in Paramaribo, Suriname in July. The conference provided a unique venue for knowledge-sharing between midwifery organizations from North America, South America, and the Caribbean. The scientific program featured presentations from Canada, Trinidad, Chile, Jamaica, Argentina, the USA, and many others, addressing the conference theme: “Invest in Healthy Pregnancy: Invest in Midwives.”

NACPM Executive Director, Mary Lawlor, CPM, and board member, Autumn Vergo, CPM, represented NACPM and CPMs at the Regional Conference. NACPM was honored to be accepted as a member of the ICM in 2014 and was privileged to attend our first-ever ICM governing council meeting and the 30th Triennial Congress in Prague in June 2014. NACPM is committed to a robust support for the work of the ICM, and Mary and Autumn were pleased to represent CPMs and visit with midwives from our own hemisphere in the beautiful country of Suriname this summer.

NACPM membership in ICM supports CPM participation in this world-wide community of 121 midwifery associations and over 300,000 midwives from around the world. In our own country, NACPM has led in all aspects of the work of US MERA (link to 2015 US MERA Annual Report). CPMs and CNM/CMs are working together through the US MERA collaboration to strengthen midwifery in our country by aligning with the ICM vision for an autonomous midwifery profession around the globe – for the sake of saving lives and improving the health of women and babies everywhere.

This summer’s Regional ICM meeting featured a discussion based on results from ICM’s first regional survey of the recent challenges and successes of midwifery associations in the Americas. The survey assessed key priorities including advocacy, autonomy, collaboration, research and education. Discussion reviewed challenges and successes in each area, and associations seeking informational or strategic support had the opportunity to learn what had worked for other associations.

We encourage you to explore the vision and work of the ICM and the US MERA collaboration, and to work with NACPM in strengthening midwifery in the U.S. and around the world.

With all best wishes,

Mary Lawlor, CPM NACPM
Executive Director

Midwifery in Suriname

The Republic of Suriname, pop. 566,000, is the smallest sovereign state in South America, and is located on the northeast Atlantic coast. The former Dutch colony opened its first midwifery school in the 1960s, and this year’s regional meeting was attended by many of Suriname’s student midwives. As the host country, Suriname’s midwife-driven successes in the area of maternal-child health were highlighted, including a “zero tolerance” malaria program, a 92% skilled-birth-attendant rate, a significant reduction in mother-to-baby transmission of HIV, and a 35% reduction in infant mortality over the past several years. Challenges in Suriname include care access limited by extremely dense and rugged jungle terrain in the country’s interior, a suboptimal (40%) contraceptive utilization rate, and maternal and infant mortality rates that lag behind the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals

Some of Suriname’s health challenges are shared by countries throughout the Americas region, such as rising rates of chronic disease, like diabetes and hypertension, in women of childbearing age.

About the International Confederation of Midwives

ICM’s global mission is to strengthen midwifery associations and advance professional midwifery worldwide by promoting autonomous midwives as the most appropriate caregivers for childbearing women. The next International Congress and Conference will be held in Toronto, Canada in 2017; the 2020 congress is slated for Bali, Indonesia. Asociación de Obstetras del Paraguay will host the next America’s Regional Meeting and Conference in Asuncion, Paraguay, the first week of October in 2018.

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Important Updates for CPMs — Save these Dates!

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In This Issue:

Upcoming Webinars

  • US MERA 9/15/15

  • US MERA 10/13/15

  • MAMA Campaign 10/29/15

Annual Meeting 11/12/15

Link to Previous Webinars and CEU Info

CPMs have made significant progress in our efforts to expand midwifery’s impact on maternity care and to achieve state licensure, federal recognition, and adequate reimbursement.   But we have so much more to do.

NACPM has been working with other national midwifery organizations in the US MERA collaboration to find a way forward through the many obstacles midwives encounter.  We will host two webinars this fall to describe the work of US MERA in more depth and examine how the results of this work can be put to use to support CPMs.   

New opportunities to move our agenda for federal recognition of CPMs are also on the horizon and we’d like to share the latest from the MAMA Campaign with you.

Finally, plans are in the works for the 2015 NACPM Annual Meeting, and we look forward to your participation.

Registration information for these webinars will be coming soon. Please contact us with any questions about these or other webinar opportunities.

Mary Lawlor
NACPM Executive Director

Save these dates to learn more!

US MERA: What it Could Mean for CPMs 
Tuesday, September 15, 2015, 2:00-3:30 ET
Overview of purpose, history, accomplishments, and next steps for US MERA

US MERA: How to Put it to Use for CPMs
Tuesday, October 13, 20152:00-3:30 ET

  • Consensus Statement on Principles for Model Regulation and Licensure

  • NARM Bridge Certificate for CPMs

  • Innovations in Midwifery Education

  • Coalition and Consensus-Building in State Licensure Efforts

MAMA Campaign: A New Foundation for Federal Recognition of CPMs
Thursday, October 29, 2015, 2:00-3:30 ET
Introducing a new bill, defining CPMs, building bridges, consumer perspectives

NACPM Annual Meeting: Thursday, November 12, 2015
NACPM hosted our first virtual annual meeting last year. Members tell us they really appreciated having the chance learn more about all facets of our work and to hear from everyone on the Board of Directors and Staff. Please join us on Thursday, November 12, 2015 for our second virtual annual meeting. We are excited to bring you news of our activities, accomplishments, challenges , and plans for next year. See you then!








Direct Assessment Webinar Recording Available

Watch for Free, 1.5 MEAC CEUs $15

We are thrilled to be able to share with you a very special webinar, presented by the US MERA Task Force on Direct Assessment:

Leveraging Competency-Based Education and Direct Assessment to Advance Midwifery Education

The Task Force is providing access to the recording for free, and we encourage you to share it widely with colleagues in midwifery and/or education.

DETAILS IN FULL NEWSLETTER







NACPM Responds to Misinformation about CPM Regulation

Dear Members and Friends in the Midwifery Community,

We, on behalf of the NACPM leadership team, are writing to respond to misinformation that has recently been circulating in the CPM community, and to help address the resulting distress and concern among NACPM members and stakeholders.

The ACOG Toolkit,  State Legislative ToolKit: Licensure and Regulation of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), currently being circulated and causing distress and doubt, was published in 2011 and is outdated.   It does not reflect the ICM Global Standards on Regulation which support autonomous midwifery, the regulation of midwives by midwives, and full-scope midwifery practice in all jurisdictions.  It does not reflect ACOG’s own statements over the past year, supporting fully-integrated care for all childbearing women, and the ICM Standards as the basis of education and regulation for midwives.  It does not reflect the current progress that is being made by historic teamwork among maternity care stakeholders and providers.  And it does not reflect the exciting and heartening progress for several CPM licensure bills and regulations that have been passed or that are finally moving forward in many states, including Maryland, Rhode Island and Delaware – after being stalled for many years by the very kind of opposition prescribed in the outdated 2011 ACOG Toolkit.

NACPM, along with our US MERA partners, is fully committed to vigorous support for the midwives model of care, to an autonomous, collaborative midwifery profession in the U.S., and to increasing – not limiting – access to high-quality education that meets international standards for all midwives.  Our deep commitment to increasing affordability and access to education for all aspiring midwives is one of our principle reasons for partnering with US MERA.

NACPM is in the trenches for CPMs and families to do the hard work of resolving issues that have stood in the way of advancing midwifery and women’s access to midwives in the U.S. for far too long.  We are committed to supporting the necessary conversations within the CPM community and shaping partnerships with previous adversaries – for the sake of women, babies, families, communities and the nation.

In support of these commitments, NACPM has been a leader in the historic US MERA collaboration, where midwives who have been at odds for decades now have a 4-year history of resolve and effectiveness that is unprecedented.  NACPM has led in the development and convening of the Home Birth Summits for reaching common ground on our shared responsibility across the entire system for childbearing women in all birth settings.  We are making great strides in a sturdy launch of NACPM chapters, giving midwives in states across the country the opportunity to engage in these critical conversations with national leadership and with each other to promote direct-entry midwifery as a cornerstone for childbearing women in the U.S.

NACPM and our US MERA partners are currently working hard to be able to share the results of our collaboration’s 2015 Annual Meeting this past April.  The power of a coalition lies is in its ability to achieve consensus that all members of the coalition can fully support and stand behind.  As many of you know from experience, consensus – and the power that comes with it – takes time to achieve.  We recognize that this leaves an information gap at a time when our communities need to hear from us.  Please watch soon for a US MERA report and other opportunities to learn and engage.

And please work with us to keep open the dialogue that supports and allows for change and evolution, even in places that have been stuck for decades.  We are committed to creating a system of seamless, integrated, respectful, accountable care that will benefit all.

With great respect and faith,

Mary Lawlor, CPM

Executive Director, NACPM

Ellie Daniels, CPM

President, NACPM

National Association of Certified Professional Midwives







Recording and CEUs Available: State Licensure for CPMs Webinar

You can now access a recording of the first webinar in the State Legislation and Policy series:

An Overview of State Licensure for CPMs

Obtain CEUs
 

Viewing webinar recording is FREE, and 1.5 CEU’s are available at $15.

The State Legislation and Policy Webinar Series, co-sponsored by Citizens for Midwifery (CfM) and the Association of Midwifery Educators (AME), will provide key information to CPMs, advocates, and policy makers as we work together to secure licensing and policy in support of full scope autonomous midwifery for CPMs in all 50 states.

FULL NEWSLETTER

An Overview of State Licensing for CPMs: Webinar

Please join us for the first webinar in the State Legislation and Policy series:

An Overview of State Licensure for CPMs
Thursday April 9, 2-3:30 PM, Eastern Time

Register Now
 

Participation in the webinar series is FREE, and 1.5 CEU’s are available at $15.

CEU Link: An Overview of State Licensing for CPMs

The State Legislation and Policy Webinar Series, co-sponsored by Citizens for Midwifery (CfM) and the Association of Midwifery Educators (AME), will provide key information to CPMs, advocates, and policy makers as we work together to secure licensing and policy in support of full scope autonomous midwifery for CPMs in all 50 states.

DETAILS IN THE FULL NEWSLETTER