City of Sarasota, State of Florida Proclaim October 4-8 Licensed Midwives Week

At next week’s City Commission meeting (Monday, October 4, 6:00pm), Sarasota Mayor Kelly Kirschner will proclaim October 4th through 8th as Sarasota Licensed Midwives Week. Mayor Kirschner’s recognition will pay tribute to the skilled, individualized care that Sarasota’s licensed midwives offer women and their families throughout the childbearing cycle. It will signify the strong contribution licensed midwives make to the health and well-being of our community's mothers and babies through appropriate care and treatment in all phases of childbirth.

The week has also been proclaimed Florida Licensed Midwives Week by the office of Florida Governor Charlie Crist, coinciding with National Midwifery Week, a time to recognize the contributions of Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), Certified Midwives (CMs) and Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) nationwide. The American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) publicly announces the week with an introduction to midwifery. "The heart of midwifery care for women and newborns lies more in the nature of that care than in its specific components. Midwifery practice has a firm foundation in the critical thought process and is focused on the prevention of disease and the promotion of health, taking the best from the disciplines of midwifery, nursing, public health and medicine to provide safe, holistic care."

HISTORY OF MIDWIFERY IN FLORIDA: Midwives have a long and valued history in Florida. The state first passed legislation to license direct-entry midwives in 1931. In the 79 years since, Florida’s licensed midwives have continued to tirelessly serve the families of Florida and to ensure the continued availability of safe, evidence-based birthing options for Florida’s families. In 1992, Governor Lawton Chiles declared the first-ever Licensed Midwives Week. More women than ever before are seeking out licensed midwives for maternity care.

ABOUT MIDWIFERY IN FLORIDA: In Florida, two types of midwives are allowed to practice: Certified Nurse-Midwives and Licensed Midwives (a Florida state licensure), also known as direct-entry midwives. Throughout the state, about 11.2 percent of births are estimated to be managed by midwives, rather than by OB-GYNs. Many birth centers and midwives have reported a significant increase in business in the past year. This increase is believed to be a result of various factors, primarily a greater number of women seeking alternative birthing choices due to an unhealthy increase in caesarean sections and other unnecessary interventions that frequently occur in hospital settings. In a 2006 report on Florida Licensed Midwives, midwives had a caesarean section rate of 6.3 percent compared to a 36.64 percent statewide average in hospitals the same year.

In honor of this week, Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM), a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida, will be hosting various community events throughout the state this week and during October to celebrate the more than 110 currently practicing licensed midwives. For more information of midwifery in Florida, please visit www.flmidwifery.org.

“We are humbled by the dedication of the mothers who worked so hard to have this week declared licensed midwifery week,” says licensed midwife Miriam Pearson-Martinez. “We hope that the events happening all over the state this week serve to raise awareness regarding the benefits of midwifery care.”

The proclamation in Sarasota will be read by Mayor Kirschner at the beginning of the City Commission meeting, Monday, October 4th, at 6:00 pm in Sarasota’s City Hall. Florida Friends of Midwives encourages all families who have benefited from the care of licensed midwives to attend this special recognition.

About Florida Friends of Midwives: Florida Friends of Midwives is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida. Florida Friends of Midwives was formed to support midwives who offer safe, cost-effective, evidence based care to Florida's families. For more information, please visit www.flmidwifery.org.

Announcing: Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery

(from Executive Director Jennie Joseph, LM, CPM)

Thank you for your interest in Florida's newly licensed direct-entry midwifery program. I am proud to offer the Three-year Midwifery Program and the Four Month Pre-licensure Program for foreign-trained midwives only (midwives licensed/certified in another country).

Both programs will lead to a Diploma in Midwifery and, after passing the NARM (North American Registry of Midwives) exam, an opportunity to become a Florida Licensed Midwife (LM) affording practice in Florida under Chapter 467 FS and the ability to provide prenatal. labor and delivery and postpartum services for Florida families. Candidates may also apply for the nationally accredited credential Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) after passing the NARM.

I am excited to be able to direct a midwifery school (for the second time) and look forward to bringing a unique approach to midwifery education.My focus will be on the clinical aspects of midwifery training and I will apply my international and individual experiences to a very strong and clinically sound format.

I welcome the renowned Justine Clegg MS, LM, CPM as our Academic Director. Justine is a Florida Licensed Midwife and Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Involved in maternal and child health since 1973 as a La Leche League leader, childbirth educator, founding member of the Midwives Association of Florida, homebirth midwife and political activist, she earned her M.S. in counseling in 1991 and has served as Director of the Midwifery Program at Miami Dade College since 1994. She was a founding Board member of MEAC (Midwifery Education Accreditation Council) and helped develop the NARM (North American Registry of Midwives) certification process, as well as being the current Board Secretary of the Association of Midwifery Educators. She will join me in presenting an academic program crafted to produce confident, accomplished midwives, ready and able to serve their community with heart and passion.

As we begin classes in January 2010 we will be operating under the initial Provisional License # 4052 as issued by Florida Department of Education. Please note: we have been informed that we cannot start the 'distance learning' component of our program until we have completed the first year. At that time we will need to re-apply to the state of Florida for the ability to add 'distance learning'. After one year the state will issue our 'full' license. To that end we will proceed in January 2010 with an ON-SITE PROGRAM only.

Classes will be held on Fridays at 1150 E. Plant St. Winter Garden. I will only be seating a very small class initially with a view to expanding the following year. Tuition for the Three-year Program is $19,320 and $5,250 for the Four Month Program. Our upcoming Orientation is scheduled for October 9, 2009 at The Birth Place, Winter Garden. Please email docsophie@gmail.com for more details or to rsvp.

Thank you!

Jennie Joseph LM, CPM
Executive Director

ACTION ALERT: Health Care Reform

Dear Midwifery Supporters,

Florida Friends of Midwives supports The Big Push for Midwives in their current federal legislative efforts. They have been hard at work presenting evidence in Washington that access to Certified Professional Midwives and out-of-hospital maternity care would save billions of US healthcare dollars while simultaneously improving birth outcomes.

Now, it's Florida's turn to show our support. Please read the following ACTION ALERT carefully, and take few moments to let our current administration know that this issue is important to you and your family.

Thank you,
Board of Directors
Florida Friends of Midwives
_____________________________________________________________________________________

As many of you may know, the White House issued a call this week asking citizens from across the country to send emails about what they would like to see in health care reform. Not long afterwards, the server accepting the emails crashed.

Why? Because it got flooded with emails about the President's birth certificate!

Now the press is reporting about it, just as they did when grassroots organizers for the legalization of marijuana set the record for the most number of emails sent during the transition-a mere 6000. We can top that!

It turns out there is another, lesser-known online form for submitting comments about health care reform. Let's use it!

If we top 6000 emails-and I know we can-we will set a new record and get the White House's attention on how strong support for out-of-hospital maternity care and Certified Professional Midwives is.

So please go to the following link and fill out the form with a short, simple message about why you want all women, including those on Medicaid, to have access to out-of-hospital maternity care and Certified Professional Midwives who are specially trained to provide it.

http://www.healthreform.gov/communityreports/comments.html

Pick one or two points to include in your own words: And always use the title, Certified Professional Midwives, spelled out.

Certified Professional Midwives are specially trained as experts in out-of-hospital maternity care and deliver babies in private homes and in freestanding birth centers.

Research consistently shows that low-risk women planning to deliver their babies at home under the care of Certified Professional Midwives experience outcomes equal to low-risk women who deliver in the hospital, but with far fewer costly and preventable interventions, including a five-fold decrease in cesarean section.

Babies delivered under the care of Certified Professional Midwives have significantly reduced rates of prematurity and low-birth weight, two of the leading contributing factors to racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes and to the costs associated with long-term care.

David Anderson, Professor of Economics at Center College with a specialization in the costs of out-of-hospital maternity care, calculates that increasing use of Certified Professional Midwives and of out-of-hospital maternity care by less than 10% would result in savings of $9.1 billion annually, while actually improving outcomes.

The state of Washington reports a savings of $3.1 million dollars over a period of two years to the state Medicaid system when women experiencing healthy, low-risk pregnancies give birth with licensed midwives instead of in the hospital.

The recent Milbank Report conservatively estimates savings of $2.5 billion dollars a year if the cesarean surgery rate is brought down to 15% in the U.S.

Certified Professional Midwives are the only providers specially trained in out-of-hospital birth in the event that hospitals become unsafe for healthy pregnant women during a disaster.

Thank you to everyone who is reaching out-it only takes a few minutes but it is so very helpful. We are making amazing progress in DC and now is not the time to let up! So please forward this to family and friends who can help, and thank you for doing your part to get Certified Professional Midwives and out-of-hospital maternity care included in health care reform.

ATTENTION MIDWIVES! Yes, we are shouting at you! Please send this action alert with a personal appeal to your networks of clients-it only takes a few minutes, and people are especially motivated to act when they get a personal request from their midwife.

STATE GROUPS! Please be sure to post this alert to your state lists!

Katherine Prown, PhD
Campaign Manager
TheBigPushForMidwives.org
414.550.8025
Envisioning a safer, less-costly model of maternity care in the United States.

ACTION ALERT: Congressional Briefing this Thursday, 5/21

This Thursday, May 21st, at 8 am, a Congressional briefing will convene at the Sewall-Belmont House, 144 Constitution Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C. The topic of this briefing is the critical role that out-of-hospital maternity care (and the Certified Professional Midwives who are trained to provide it) can play in health care reform by reducing costs and improving outcomes.

Background: A recent study commissioned by the Washington State Department of Health found that Licensed Midwives saved taxpayers and private insurers approximately $2.7 million per year. A similar study conducted for Florida would prove that number much higher. In 2007, we welcomed 239,143 babies into the Sunshine State, as opposed to 88,958 in Washington. Medicaid currently covers about 49.6% of all Florida births (37.2% of which are cesarean sections) vs. 45.6% in Washington (29% c-section rate). Using these statistics, mathematics tells me that Licensed Midwives in Florida save taxpayers and private insurers over $10 million ANNUALLY.

A joint Milbank report released last year conservatively estimates that if the national cesarean section rate were reduced from its current 31.8% to the 15% World Health Organization recommended maximum, we would save at least $2.5 billion dollars per year in government-subsidized health care alone (not including private insurance companies). As currently only 26 states license midwives, this dollar amount will only increase with greater access to midwifery care, resulting in fewer interventions.

Studies show that low-risk women who plan out-of-hospital births with Licensed Midwives have outcomes equal to low-risk women who deliver in the hospital, but with far fewer preventable, costly interventions.

• Do you believe that Licensed and Certified Professional Midwives play an important role in our health care system?
• Do you believe that out-of-hospital births are safe for low-risk, healthy women attended by Licensed Midwives?
• Do you believe that our current cesarean section rates (37.2% in Florida) are too high?
• Do you believe that our government should support an initiative that would simultaneously save taxpayers money and improve birth outcomes?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please consider taking a moment over the next couple of days to contact our federal legislators (contact links below). Ask them to consider officially co-sponsoring the briefing on Thursday. Suggest that they send a 'Dear Colleague' letter to encourage Congressional attendance. Most importantly, invite them to attend the briefing, as their doing so would represent your interest as their constituent.

Please read this Call to Action from The Big Push for Midwives, including talking points and tips for speaking with legislators. Remember, they work for you. Your voice will be heard.


US Senator Mel Martinez
US Senator Bill Nelson

Bilirakis, Gus M., Florida, 9th (*note:he's the one that co-sponsored the bill for medicaid reimbursement of birth centers)
Boyd, Allen, Florida, 2nd
Brown, Corrine, Florida, 3rd
Brown-Waite, Virginia, Florida, 5th
Buchanan, Vern, Florida, 13th
Crenshaw, Ander, Florida, 4th
Castor, Kathy, Florida, 11th
Diaz-Balart, Lincoln, Florida, 21st
Diaz-Balart, Mario, Florida, 25th
Hastings, Alcee L., Florida, 23rd
Grayson, Alan, Florida, 8th
Klein, Ron , Florida, 22nd
Kosmas, Suzanne M., Florida, 24th
Mack, Connie, Florida, 14th
Meek, Kendrick, Florida, 17th
Mica, John, Florida, 7th
Miller, Jeff, Florida, 1st
Posey, Bill, Florida, 15th
Putnam, Adam, Florida, 12th
Rooney, Tom, Florida, 16th
Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana, Florida, 18th
Stearns, Cliff, Florida, 6th
Wasserman Schultz, Debbie, Florida, 20th
Wexler, Robert, Florida, 19th
Young, C.W. Bill, Florida, 10th

Jana Borino: A Retrospective

In Memoriam ::
Jana Borino
December 5, 1964 -
February 13, 2009

This biograpohy was reproduced from the program to Jana's memorial service, with permission from the collaborative authors. The service was held at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville, Florida. Guests were encouraged to wear bright colors, children were invited to speak, and the service closed with all present joining in song.

Jana Borino was born on December 5, 1964 to parents Carl and Sue Borino in Belleville, NJ, and was raised in Pompano Beach and Plantation, FL. Jana was an independent spirit who, from an early age, enjoyed music and dancing. Jana grew up along side her brother Carl Borino and her sister Terri Borino-Gordon. At the young age of 11, Jana valiantly braved Hodgkin's disease. During these early years, Jana was greatly influenced by her paternal grandmother, Tessie Borino, who gave her a respect for the birth process and the rearing of a child. At age 18, Jana packed her car and moved to Gainesville, Florida where she met her husband of over 26 years, Keith Gretter. When Jana became pregnant with their first daughter Chelsea, she became a client of the Birth Center of Gainesville, and delivered Chelsea at home with the assistance of a Midwife and some of her closest friends. This personal experience at the age of 19 ignited a passion in Jana for the field of midwifery.

After such an incredible birth herself, Jana knew that she wanted to become a Midwife so that she could be of assistance to other families looking for an alternative to a hospital birth. Jana attempted to enroll in Midwifery school, but her dreams were quickly halted when an amendment was added to the Midwifery bill in the state of Florida. This amendment prohibited any new students from gaining licensure, or allowing them to legally practice Midwifery in the state of Florida. Jana believed strongly in the values that midwives bring to communities and began a crusade to once again legalize the practice of direct-entry midwives. In 1992, the hard work of many individuals across the state, including Jana, paid off when Florida Statue 467, The Midwifery Practice Act, that allowed for the licensing of direct-entry midwives in Florida was once again opened. Jana felt deeply that Gainesville needed a Midwifery school that would allow students to become Licensed Midwives upon completion. Jana's vision came to fruition with community outreach and education, trips to Tallahassee, and many fundraising events. Jana met with numerous state officials to develop a curriculum framework for educational programs under the new law. During this time in Jana's life she also gave birth to their second daughter, Emma. Emma's homebirth assisted by a Midwife only strengthened Jana's commitment to her vision of a Midwifery school in Gainesville. Jana's many roles in her community and in her home were supported directly by the love and compassion of her husband Keith. His continued support allowed Jana to reach each and every goal she set for herself, her community, and her family.

Once the law was passed, Jana brought together a group of strong and intelligent women to form the founding Board of Directors of the Florida School of Traditional Midwifery (FSTM), and soon after these women accepted their first class. Jana was the founding mother and Executive Director of the FSTM for over 13 years. Jana made many contributions to the school with her incredible teaching, fundraising, grant-writing and public-speaking skills. Not only did Jana fight for the advancement of Midwifery in the state of Florida as well as nationally, she attended numerous births as a Midwife's Assistant for over 20 years. Jana also served on many boards and committees of national, state and local midwifery organizations, including as a board member of the Foundation for the Advancement of Midwifery. This foundation recently created a grant called "The Jana Borino Award for Community Development," to honor Jana's numerous contributions to the field of Midwifery.

Almost 13 years ago, during a beautiful homebirth, Jana and Keith brought their third daughter, Tessie into the world. Shortly after that, Jana was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she battled and braved for the past 10 years. After a long and valiant fight, Jana passed away peacefully in her home in Gainesville, FL on February 13, 2009, surrounded by her loving family. Although many of us remember Jana as a pioneer, visionary and powerhouse in the field of Midwifery, Jana herself was most proud of her role as mother to her three beautiful daughters, Chelsea, Emma and Tessie. Even though she was tireless in her work in our community, she always kept the girls close to her heart and encouraged their growth into strong and healthy women.

Jana was passionately committed to her friends. They would all laugh in a heartfelt way when each of them would say they were Jana's best friend...and they were. Jana had the special gift of making each person feel loved, special and worthy. She insisted that each live their dream and find the commitment within themselves to make a difference in our world. Her determination to be a voice for women, children, and families came through time and again in her role as a community leader, mother and friend.

As Jana's spirit leaves her physical body and begins its new journey, we know we will never be the same. Left behind is a legacy of families whose lives have been forever touched by the mission of this extraordinary woman. All of us in Jana's life know that this world is a better place because of her.

Florida Friends of Midwives Responds to the Closure of Miami Dade College's Midwifery Program

Despite strong opposition from the community, Miami Dade College's Midwifery Program to close indefinitely

MIAMI, FL (August 14, 2008) – Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM), a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida is disappointed and concerned with the indefinite closure of Miami Dade College's Midwifery Program, a vital program to the local community and to communities statewide. Despite strong opposition expressed by students, mothers, midwives and concerned members of the community, the College cited tough economic times as the reason for their decision.

On Friday August 8, 2008, the College held a meeting at the Medical Campus to formally announce the closure of the program and return prepaid tuition to currently enrolled students. At that meeting, members of the public showed up to express their disappointment and dissatisfaction with the closure of the program. The College claims tough economic times have caused them to close programs with low enrollment and high costs. However, Midwifery is the first and only one out of over 200 degree-granting programs offered at Miami-Dade College to be eliminated as a result of those cuts.

Students, who had already completed all course requirements to be admitted into the program, were devastated. Some students had relocated to South Florida, and many had already taken out loans to cover tuition costs. "Miami Dade College doesn't understand that we didn't choose to be in this career program just to have any degree – this is our passion," said Melissa Chin Casey, who was set to start the Midwifery Program in the Fall 2008 semester. "It's insulting and cruel for the administrators to say the program was cut because of low enrollment, when we are practically beating down the door for them to let us in. As a public education institution, they have failed this community."

MDC's accredited Direct-Entry Midwifery Program was the first in the country to be offered at a public institution, offering students a more affordable option compared to the programs offered at private colleges and universities. Since it's inception in 1994, over 80 midwives have been trained and graduated the program.

"This community has endured a great loss with the closing of this program," said Tamara Taitt, president for Florida Friends of Midwives. "Many of the women who have graduated from this program have become indispensable to our community by providing quality and personalized pre- and post-natal care."

Obstetrical care in South Florida has come under scrutiny in recent years as the rate of caesarean sections in the state of Florida has increased to an all-time high of 36.6% in 2006 which is well above the World Health Organization and Healthy People 2010's recommendations of 15%. Specifically, Palm Beach County had a cesarean section rate of 39.3%, Broward was 41.2%, and Miami-Dade was 45.5%. According to the Florida Council of Licensed Midwives, Florida Licensed Midwives had a cesarean section rate of 6.3% in 2006. There is also expected to be a significant shortage of Obstetricians in the tri-county area within the next three years.

Miami Dade College is a public institution and has an obligation to the public it serves. FFOM believes it is unjust to close a program that is crucial on a number of levels. To take away this program is to take away one of the only affordable opportunities in this country for women to become Licensed Midwives through an accredited program.

FFOM urges the College to reconsider the closure of the Midwifery Program and also ask for continued support from the community in our efforts to keep this program open.

About Florida Friends of Midwives
Florida Friends of Midwives is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida. Florida Friends of Midwives was formed to support midwives who offer safe, cost-effective, evidence based care to Florida's families. For more information, please visit www.flmidwifery.org.

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