Working with hospitals: scope of practice, collaboration and integration

Association of Ontario Midwives Fall 2008
04
New support services
for members
Working with hospitals:
scope of practice,
collaboration
and integration
05
Expand your
clinic space
06
HealthForceOntario
grant success
07
Scope of practice
08
Pandemic
plans include
midwives
Association of Ontario Midwives
ABOVE: Midwife Mahnaz Najafian and Dr. Robert Gruneir speak with
client Angela Lajoie at Leamington District Memorial Hospital

AOM News & Updates
Welcome new AOM
members!
As of September 18, 2008, the AOM has 435
registered midwife members, including the
new members listed below. Welcome!
Kelly Armstrong, Kenora Midwives
Amanda Bertin, Midwifery Collective of
Ottawa
Leslee Blatt, Sudbury Community Midwifery
Practice
Whitney Bonnett, Midwives Grey Bruce
Sarah Bradley, The Hamilton Midwives
Jane Calhoun, Midwives Grey Bruce
Sara Chambers, Womancare Midwives
Hedrey Chu, Midwives Collective of Toronto
Kim Cleland, Countryside Midwifery Services -
Palmerston Clinic
Kathleen Cranfield, Maternity Care Midwives
- Thunder Bay
Erin Croteau, Leeds Grenville Midwives
Bethany Doerksen, Midwives of Algoma
Jackie Droogers, Thames Valley Midwives
Amelia Drydyn, Seventh Generation Midwives
Toronto
Sherene Furnell, Midwifery Services of
Durham
Isabelle Gelineau, Family Midwifery Care of
Guelph
Stephanie Gingerich, Cambridge Midwives
Carly Griffith, Womancare Midwives
Natalie Hicken, Talbot Creek Midwives
Agnieszka Jurkowska, Caring Hands
Midwifery Services
Chantal Leduc, Community Care Midwives
Jessica Ludgate, Midwifery Group of Ottawa
Kathryn McBride, Community Midwives of
Halton
Ali McCallum, Sages-Femmes Renaissance
Midwifery
Salimah Moffett, Access Midwives
Daina Nestick, Talbot Creek Midwives
Cynthia Rebong, Midwifery Care-North Don
River Valley
Holly Ryans, Midwifery Care of Peel & Halton
Hills - Georgetown Site
Kelly Smith, Midwifery Care of Peel and
Halton Hills
Marie Smith-Lutz, Barrie Midwives
Lori Steele, Midwives of East Erie
Mariana Tseitlin, Community Midwives of
Hamilton
Tracey Watts, Quinte Midwives
Li Yan, Community Midwives of Toronto
Grace Zhang, Midwives Collective of Toronto
Congratulations to these new practices:
A Midwives Nottawasaga
Lynne-Marie Culliton, Di Page,
Navjot Gill Lidder 705-446-2511
lculliton@midwivesnottawasaga.org
www.midwivesnottawasaga.org
Hospitals: Collingwood General and
Marine Hospital, Orillia Soldiers
Memorial Hospital
Catchment Area: Bordered on the west
by Highway 124, South along Highway
89 at Shelburne through Angus to
Highway 11 North of Barrie. East side
borders Highway 12 between Orillia and
Waubashene and around Nottawasaga
Bay, incorporating Midland, Penetanguishene
and Huronia
AOM fees lowered for 2009
A
B Midwifery Services of
Haliburton-Bancroft
Rebecca Weeks-Toth
705-457-9992
info@haliburtonbancroftmidwives.ca
www.haliburtonbancroftmidwives.ca
Catchment Area: Haliburton to
Maynooth South past Bancroft to Apsley
and back to Haliburton.
Opening: November 2008
Uxbridge Community Midwives
C
Tiffany Haidon, Mahnaz Najafian
uxbridgemidwives@gmail.com
Catchment Area: Oak Ridges Moraine,
Uxbridge
Opening: November 2008
The AOM Board of Directors is pleased to announce that association
membership fees have decreased again this year. This is the fifth year in a row
that fees have decreased. Membership renewals are due January 12, 2009. Be
an early bird and renew by December 12, 2008 for entry into a
prize draw.
“We’re so pleased that the AOM is able to continue to lower fees for
members,” says Jane Erdman, Board Treasurer.
C
B
02 ontario midwife • Fall 2008

AOM members at the 2008 Conference:
Isabelle Milot, Debbie Smith, Betty Ann Daviss
Enjoying the 2008 Conference: Board Member Tracy
Franklin, members Elizabeth Brandeis and Andrea Lennox
AOM 25th Annual General Meeting & Conference
Joining Hands: Supporting Midwifery in the Second Stage
May 2009 (location TBA)
Plans are well underway for an inspiring conference with sessions on current trends
and hot topics affecting clinical practice and the profession. The conference will
explore how midwives are working together, both intra- and interprofessionally,
to support each other and the profession in this exciting and challenging period of
growth.
Call for abstracts: Speakers are invited to submit papers that relate to this theme, or
to current clinical midwifery topics. Deadline for submissions is October 30. Please
contact programs@aom.on.ca to request an abstracts application.
Welcome AOM staff
The Association is pleased to announce
these staff additions to better serve
members. Welcome to the new
Executive Assistant Maryellen Parker,
Senior Policy Analyst Alisa Simon and
Director of Clinical Practice Guidelines
Tasha MacDonald, R.M.
New office for AOM
The AOM office has moved from Don Mills to downtown Toronto.
The new space is right on the subway line and is ideal for in-person meetings,
including in-house ESW workshops. Feel free to drop in for a tour!
Please update your contacts:
Association of Ontario Midwives
365 Bloor St. East, Suite 301
Toronto, ON M4W 3L4
Telephone, fax and e-mail addresses remain the same:
Main line: 416-425-9974
Toll-free: 1-866-418-3773
Fax: 416-425-6905
www.aom.on.ca
Members needed
Consider joining an AOM committee
or work group to contribute to your
association. For information or to
apply, contact admin@aom.on.ca by
the deadlines below:
Clinical Practice Guidelines
Sub-Committee: November 4
Diversity Work Group: November 4
Audit Committee: November 7
(Top) AOM member Elena Ikonomou with Japanese
midwife Hiroko Kawanobe
(Bottom) MEP student and translator Caitlin Keenan
with Japanese midwife Junko Asahina
Japanese midwives visit
Ontario midwives
This summer, the AOM hosted
two separate visits from Japanese
midwives. Hiroko Kawanobe is a
nurse-midwife with Hamada Hospital.
Junko Asahina is an independent
midwife. Both midwives expressed
a desire to understand the Ontario
system, and said that their ideal would
be to see all women have continuity of
care and a choice of birthplace.
As it is now in Japan, almost all
midwives are employees of hospitals
as nurse-midwives, and women may
never have met the midwife who
delivers their baby. In many hospitals,
nurse-midwives have specialties
(such as breast feeding), and work
only in that area. To learn more about
Japanese midwifery, please visit
http://www.midwife.or.jp/english/
index.html
Thanks to MEP student Caitlin Keelan
for providing simultaneous, in-person
translation for both visits. Caitlin lived
in Japan and her son was born there,
attended by Junko. Thank you to The
Midwives’ Clinic of East York-Don
Mills and to Elena Ikonomou (Diversity
Midwives) who welcomed Hiroko to
their practices.
www.aom.on.ca
03

Association of Ontario Midwives
59078-1 EXCELLENT_11x17.indd 1 10/23/08 9:07:39 AM
AOM News & Updates
EPERTS IN NORMAL PREGNANCY, BIRTH & NEWBORN CARE
New materials promote
Ontario Midwives
New Support Services for members
Two new telephone services provide 24/7 access to risk
management resources, stress reduction
Watch for two new communication
tools coming to practices
this fall.
The AOM is producing a brochure
and a set of posters with basic
information about midwifery
aimed at consumers and health
care professionals. The items
will be launched at the Toronto
OHA Health Achieve show in
November in order to raise
the profile of midwifery with
hospital administrators and
health care colleagues.
Posters will be available in two
sizes: 16x24 and 11x17. Practices
will receive the posters and
brochures in November.
The brochure has a blank area on
the back to allow each practice
to customize it with clinic
information.
Poster distribution will extend
to all Ontario hospitals where
midwives have privileges.
Posters will also be sent to family
doctors along with a letter and
a locator sheet indicating which
midwifery clinics are nearby.
Thanks to members of the Policy
Committee and to midwives
Connie Fetterly and Julie Piggott
who helped to develop these
materials.
The AOM is very pleased to announce
the launch of two new membership
resource programs to be made available
free of charge to midwife members as of
October 15, 2008. Both services operate
all day, every day.
“We all know emergencies don’t just
happen during office hours,” says Bobbi
Soderstrom, R.M., AOM Director of
Insurance and Risk Management. “The
AOM recognizes that members want
and need access to risk management
resources in a timely fashion at all hours,
every day. The new PLEASE service
provides that.”
PLEASE (Professional Liability Emergency
Assistance ServicE) is a new after-hours
phone line for AOM midwife members
to access support for urgent risk
management concerns such as adverse
outcomes and legal emergencies. During
regular business hours, members can
continue to access support for risk
management concerns by contacting the
AOM office.
When a member calls the PLEASE line,
she will be connected to a personal
answering service who will contact
Bobbi Soderstrom or another member
of the Insurance and Risk Management
Program. A committee member will call
back within a few minutes to discuss the
emergency. Calls are confidential.
“Members have also asked for help
dealing with stressful work and life
issues,” says Soderstrom. “Midwifery
is a demanding profession with
unpredictable and unusual working
hours. Midwives may want external
support. The new LifeWorks service
gives members confidential access to
counselors who can help on the phone,
or direct our members to services in their
community for help.”
LifeWorks is a program offered to AOM
midwife members and immediate family
to assist with a variety of different work/
life issues. The service is completely
confidential and is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week. The program is
operated by Ceridian, a well established
service provider of this kind of support
program.
“LifeWorks can help with a wide range
of everyday issues including health and
wellness, emotional well-being and work
issues,” says Diana MacNab, Program
Manager at the AOM. “The service
includes access to short-term, in-person
counselling, as well as assistance over
the phone.”
Information has been distributed to each
member in a personal letter. Watch the
IRMP Bulletin for more details.
Members can attend the LifeWorks
webinars scheduled for November 7 and
28. To register, contact programs@aom.
on.ca.
04 ontario midwife • Fall 2008

Some of the midwives of CMK: MEP student Rachel Sutter, Heather Brechin R.M., Karen McKinley R.M., Jane Somerville R.M., Terri Clark R.M.
The rewards of expanding
your clinic space
As the number of midwives in Ontario
continues to grow, midwives are finding
creative solutions to space needs.
Two practices that grew their physical
space are Kensington Midwives in
Toronto, and Community Midwives of
Kingston. Both practices needed more
room to keep up with additional partners,
students and clients,
and they each found
a different solution.
“Before this, we
were constantly
running out of
space,” says Lindsay the new space.”
MacDougall
of Kensington
Midwives. “We had
an opportunity to
expand into the office space next door
and we took it. It was a long time and a
lot of work, but ultimately it was worth it.
We have more space and better morale.”
Kensington applied for a Major Leasehold
Improvement Grant from the Ontario
Midwifery Program and worked closely
with an architect. The process took about
two years from starting to plan until
renovation completion.
“We had a renovation committee in our
practice who learned all about bids and
contractors,” says MacDougall. “We found
a balance between wanting the reno done
quickly and assessing our immediate and
future needs. Explaining to the architect
what we actually do in the space as
midwives took some time to get right.”
Practices planning on using the Major
“There’s a real opportunity to make it
what you want. Our clients really love
Lindsay MacDougall, Kensington Midwives
Leasehold Improvement Grant process
to renovate and expand can learn from
those who have been through the process
by getting in touch with Kensington
Midwives or calling the AOM office.
“Of course there were some complications.
The reno was supposed to be eight
weeks but it ended up being twelve. At
one point we had no phones for a week.
And we had to have our clinic on one side
of the office, then move everything to the
other side because
you can’t have clinic
in a construction
zone. But when
the wall came
down between
the two sides to
open it up into
one space, it was
wonderful. There’s
a real opportunity
to make it what you want and improve
not just the clinic rooms but the flow of
the entire space,” says MacDougall. “Our
clients really love the new space.”
Community Midwives of Kingston chose
to create a new company (Gaia Group)
and purchase a building.
“I don’t know if we would have made this
move if we had not come across a perfect
space for a midwifery clinic,” says Jane
Somerville. “It used to be a doctor’s office
so it was already divided up well. We now
have a total of 6000 square feet available
to us versus 1800. We have an additional
clinic room, administrative office,
designated student space and room to
renovate.”
Purchasing the new space involved
market research, accounting, legal work
and lots of practice consultations. In the
end, four out of five midwifery partners
formed an additional partnership as the
building owners and managers.
“We drafted a budget of the new building
partnership to determine if we could rent
to the midwives at a competitive rental
cost. To our delight, we discovered that
we could rent to ourselves (Community
Midwives of Kingston) well below market
value. We worked with a lawyer to create
a new building ownership partnership
and a lease,” says Somerville.
Building ownership comes with its own
set of responsibilities. “During our first
week of ownership we had a flood. We
realized very quickly we were responsible
for the building. Luckily the Gaia group
had its own insurance,” says Somerville.
“And it was a bit hectic practicing
midwifery, organizing renovations and a
move at the same time. Before the move,
we worked with a company specializing
in minor improvements and design. They
were invaluable. We felt it was important
that we not expect admin staff to add
to their already busy lives and responsibilities.”
Somerville sees other personal advantage
besides a better space for the practice.
“As a partner who has worked for eight
years, it feels good to invest in a building
that may contribute to my eventual
retirement.”
“We are in the early days but so far it
has been well worth it,” she says. The
practice moved to the space in July. “It
feels advantageous that the owners of
the building (us) have a vested interest in
midwifery services.”
www.aom.on.ca
05

Government Initiatives
AOM President Katrina Kilroy, Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care David Caplan and AOM Executive Director
Kelly Stadelbauer at the announcement of Ontario’s Maternal Newborn Access to Care Strategy on September 19
Representing Midwives to
Government
AOM Board Members and staff
recently attended Minister of Health
and Long-Term Care David Caplan’s
announcement regarding investments for
a new Maternal Newborn Access to Care
Strategy for Ontario.
Over the past few months,the AOM met
with several key Ministry staff, advocating
for the scope of practice review;
presenting our position paper on interprofessional
care and discussing ways to
ensure on-going and effective integration
of midwifery into Ontario’s hospitals with
the following stakeholders at the Ministry
of Health and Long-Term Care:
Dr. Joshua Tepper, Assistant Deputy
Minister; Dr. Charlotte Moore, Provincial
Lead, Maternal, Child and Youth Health
Strategy; Heather Mack, Chief of Staff,
Office of the Minister; Martha Black,
Policy Advisor, Office of the Minister;
Laura Pinkney, Manager, Primary Health
Care and Family Health Teams (PHCFHT),
Health System Accountability and Performance
Division (HSAP); Jody Hendry,
Acting Co-ordinator, Ontario Midwifery
Program.
The AOM will continue to advocate
for legislative changes and work with
stakeholders in ongoing efforts to ensure
midwives are effectively integrated into
Ontario’s health care system.
AOM receives grant from
HealthForceOntario
Optimizing the Use of Midwifery Competencies
in the Provision of Primary Care
for Women and Newborns
The AOM has received Ministry of
Health and Long-Term Care support
through a HealthForceOntario grant to
facilitate educational rounds and birth
unit retreats in ten hospital sites across
the province where midwives face
restrictions in optimizing their role.
The intent of this project is to support
all members of a health care team to
optimize their role in patient-centred
care delivery.
While many obstetricians, family physicians,
nurses and midwives collaborate
well together in birth units, some birth
units experience poor working relationships
between providers. Often, poor
working relationships lead to restrictions
on midwives’ scope of practice
and thus to the under utilization of
midwifery competencies.
This project focuses on those activities
that fall within the current legislative
and regulatory framework,
providing critical support to hospitals
where midwives face restrictions to
maximizing their competencies and
scope.
This project will enable increased
collaboration between providers in
the short term as well as nurture the
potential for new interprofessional
care (IPC) initiatives in the future.
Detailed information, including
information on how to get involved
and project timelines, will be sent to
midwifery practice groups.
Jane Flindall, R.M., and Dr. Vincent Wu confer at Royal
Victoria Hospital in Barrie
06
ontario midwife • Fall 2008

AOM collaborates with
College regarding scope of
practice review
The AOM supports and has collaborated
on the College of Midwives of Ontario’s
(CMO) scope of practice submission to the
Health Professions Regulatory Advisory
Council (HPRAC). Midwives are eager to
see a resolution to a number of longstanding
legislative issues addressed in
the submission that have a direct impact
on a midwife’s ability to provide care in
a collaborative, interprofessional and
timely way.
Midwives have been fully integrated into
Ontario’s health care system since 1994.
Over these fourteen years, midwives
have established themselves as primary
care providers with excellent clinical
outcomes, safe practice and exceptionally
high rates of satisfaction among clients.
However, the past fourteen years of
practice have also revealed a number of
shortcomings in the scope of practice
that was defined in 1994. The changes
proposed in the CMO’s submission seek
to remedy these shortcomings, update
midwifery scope of practice to reflect
current community standards and
needs, ensure continued public safety,
further enhance and enable collaboration
between providers to ensure that
clients continue to have access to high
quality care, and increase flexibility for
members.
If accepted by the Minister of Health and
Long-term Care, the legislative changes
proposed in the submission will expand
the current scope to ensure that midwives
are able to continue providing high
quality primary care for low-risk normal
pregnancies and birth. The proposed
changes will enable the elimination of
clinically unnecessary consults, such as
consults to access antibiotics to treat
mastitis or GBS, improving the effective
and efficient use of health human
resources and contributing to improved
collaborative care.
The midwifery model of care works. In
fact, it is held up nationally and internationally
as a best practice. The proposed
changes in scope of practice will lead to
enhanced interprofessional opportunities
and better integrated client care within
the proven Ontario midwifery model.
Further, the recommended changes
will encourage increased collaboration
Andrea Cassidy, R.M., of the Midwifery Collective of Essex County cares for client Nicole DeCou while partner Tim DeCou
provides support at Leamington District Memorial Hospital.
between providers. Proposed amendments
to the Public Hospitals Act,
for example, are critical in engaging
midwifery participation in hospital structures
that determine credentialing and
scope and to ensuring that midwives are
able to practice to the full extent of their
current scope. Facilitating sustainable
interprofessional care will require a
number of additional initiatives. These
initiatives are outlined in the AOM’s
recent position paper “Midwives and
Interprofessional Care” (June 2008).
The proposed changes to legislation
will need to be accompanied by system
supports, such as funding, before changes
are implemented by the College. In
addition, changes to midwifery scope
of practice must be accompanied and
supported by provincial policy initiatives
that work towards better co-ordination
of the provision of maternal and newborn
care in Ontario. To that end, there is
optimism about recent initiatives at
the Ministry of Health and Long-Term
Care to address the need for a provincial
maternity care strategy.
In September 2008, HPRAC wrapped up
their review by presenting the Minister of
Health and Long-Term Care with recommendations.
The recommendations were
informed by input from stakeholder
groups, including province-wide consultations
held throughout the month of
August. The AOM sent representatives to
each of the consultations. HPRAC’s final
report to the Minister was submitted on
September 15, 2008. The current review
by HPRAC presents a tremendous opportunity
to update the midwifery scope of
practice. This is the first significant and
systemic review of scope of practice for
midwives since the original Midwifery Act
of 1994.
As the voice of the profession, the AOM
eagerly anticipates the Ministry of Health
and Long-Term Care’s announcement
regarding legislative changes to the scope
of practice for midwives. The Ministry
has not, as of yet, made any announcements
regarding legislative changes.
The Association will continue to keep
members posted.
www.aom.on.ca
07

Government Initiatives
Pandemic planner
The 2008 Ontario Health Pandemic
Influenza Planner (OHPIP) has just
been released by The Ministry of
Health and Long-Term Care. This
year’s Planner includes a new
chapter on obstetrical care and
more information on the role of
midwives in pandemic planning.
The planner recognizes that
midwives are experts in normal
birth who are comfortable and
skilled in attending birth outside
of a standard delivery room, and,
as such, are uniquely well prepared
to care for women giving birth
during a disaster situation.
Chapter 18 of the Planner includes
Essex County midwife Andrea Robertson (right) talks with nurse Donna White at Leamington District Memorial Hospital
HNHB LHIN: Moving towards a common hospital
credentialing policy for midwives
The Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant
LHIN (HNHB) has identified maternal and
newborn care as a key regional priority and
has been moving forward with innovative
ideas to encourage and simplify midwifery
integration into hospitals.
To identify the most effective way to
organize maternal and newborn services,
the LHIN invited Dr. Karyn Kaufman, R.M.
and then Assistant Dean in the Faculty
of Health Sciences and Director of the
Midwifery Program, McMaster University,
to chair a Maternal Newborn Steering
Committee in December, 2006. The
Steering Committee published its “Final
Report of the Maternal Newborn Steering
Committee” (available in the Reports &
Publications section on the HNHB LHIN
web site at http://www.hnhblhin.on.ca)
and is now moving into the implementation
phase.
The report recommended the development
of a common credentialing policy
for midwives that would maximize their
contribution within their scope of practice
in all HNHB hospitals. As Kaufmann
explains, the recommendation was
directed at hospitals rather than the LHIN
“because hospital boards have authority
over what goes on in their institutions. And
the LHIN’s point of leverage [in hospitals] is
through CEOs. Knowing [that the recommendation
is] coming from the LHIN it
would be seen as a serious request.”
Board Member and practicing midwife
in the HNHB LHIN, Kelly Gascoigne is
involved and supportive of the process. “A
common credentialing policy that recognizes
a midwife’s full competencies may
result in fewer transfers of care and a more
efficient maternity care system,” she says.
“Pregnant women would benefit in terms
of having greater continuity of care with
their chosen midwife provider. Other issues
that may emerge when we’re talking about
a common credentialing system include
the procedural rules under which midwives
are privileged and the nature of midwifery
representation in hospital structures.”
fact sheets and tools for parents
and health care providers to use
in the event of a pandemic such
as the Pandemic Influenza and
Pregnancy Fact Sheet. The Planner
also provides new information
for midwives regarding early
discharge after delivery and
alternative forms of prenatal care
during a pandemic. Members
can view a copy of the Planner at
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/
pandemic.
For more information on pandemic
planning, sign up for the Ministry’s
free monthly newsletter,
The Pandemic Planner, by sending
an e-mail to: emergencymanagement.moh@ontario.ca.
www.aom.on.ca
09

Consumer Resources
Referrals welcome
for summer babies at
Roots of Empathy
Midwives can refer families
to Roots of Empathy. This
in-school program teaches
children about caring for each
other and their communities as
seen through the eyes of a baby.
The heart of Roots of Empathy is the neighbourhood parent and
infant who join an instructor in the classroom for 30-minute
family visits about every three weeks.
The Roots of Empathy family demonstrates the parent-child
attachment and attunement relationship and the baby’s development
over the year. Families representing diversity by race,
language, culture or religion are invited to participate, demonstrating
that a loving parent-infant relationship transcends differences
and that there is no one right way to be a good parent.
Principles of social inclusion are fundamental to the Roots of
Empathy program:
• All types of families encouraged to join; single parents are as
welcome as dual-parent families.
• Fathers and/or mothers are equally welcome to participate, since
the focus is on the parent-child bond.
• Roots of empathy encourages participation of parents from
marginalized populations.
• Roots of Empathy welcomes babies who have a physical or developmental
challenge and the National Office will provide special
support to the Instructor.
The Roots of Empathy classroom is a participatory program where
all children are encouraged to contribute and ask questions and
parents are asked to share with the students how it feels to be a
parent and to talk about how the baby is growing and learning.
Babies will be loved by every student and be a star in the school
and families will be helping to build caring, peaceful, and civil
societies.
If clients are interested in participating, direct them to contact
Lucy Di Carlo, Ontario Provincial Coordinator, at 416-849-4690,
ldicarlo@rootsofempathy.org www.rootsofempathy.org
Parenting Partnership
Clients may be interested in this free,
comprehensive 14-month prenatal and
parenting program. Promotional notices
are available to midwives on prescription
pads (right).
This program is being offered to couples
who are expecting their first baby, and who
have access to the internet at home. It is
designed for both parents.
The program consists of weekly web-based
sessions, as well as face-to-face classes.
The classes occur weekly for seven consecutive
weeks during the prenatal portion
of the program. After the babies are born,
there is a class about once a month.
The program is being offered for couples
expecting their first baby in late December
2008 through January 2009. Face-to-face
classes begin the week of November 3,
2008.
Confirmed locations are:
• Aurora - Blue Hills Child and Family
Services
• London - Merrymount Children’s Centre
• Pembroke - Family and Child Services of
Renfrew
• Peterborough - Family Resource Centre
• Toronto - Bizzy Bee Play Centre
• Toronto - Marshall McLuhan Catholic
Secondary School
To order prescription pads, or for more
information regarding this pilot program,
call 416.977.1222 or toll free:
1.877.583.5437
www.theparentingpartnership.ca
10
ontario midwife • Fall 2008

CASOT13501_Cloud_Poster_8.5x11_E_2.indd 1
9/5/08 10:38:42 AM
National News
Manitoba
The Manitoba government recently announced more than
$1 million to expand the number of midwifery positions in
the province by 11 to 45. The announcement was made in
conjunction with an announcement regarding the location of a
new women’s hospital in Winnipeg.
Another $1.1 million was earmarked to improve telecommunication
links between physicians across the province and experts
in women and children’s health in Winnipeg and for other health
initiatives.
Ontario bfi
Peterborough County-City Health Unit is the latest Baby Friendly
health service in Canada. The health unit went through an
extensive assessment with the Breast feeding Committee of
Canada to ensure compliance with Baby Friendly practices. The
current tally of Baby-Friendly facilities in Canada stands at 19
– seven hospitals, two birthing centres and ten public health
facilities.
Quebec
Inukjuak midwives Brenda Epoo and Aileen Moorhouse can now
practice anywhere in Quebec, thanks to recent amendments to
Quebec’s Midwifery Act.
The two midwives from Inukjuak, on the eastern shore of
Hudson’s Bay, recently registered with L’Ordre des Sages-
Femmes de Quebec. They are the first Inuit midwives who have
completed the entire registration process and may practice
without any restrictions anywhere in Quebec.
Quebec’s Midwifery Act, passed in 1999, decreed that midwives
must have certain education but the law did not allow for
any equivalencies to university-level diplomas. However, an
amendment which came into force July 30 of this year allows
midwives with qualified aboriginal training to practice.
An earlier amendment allowed midwives with the Inuulitisvik
Health Board to continue to work only in their communities
through a special agreement.
Inuulitsivik has three birthing centres along its Hudson Bay
coast, in Inukjuak, Salluit and Puvirnituq, where midwives have
been attending births since 1986.
Pregnant women from the Ungava Bay communities must
still travel to Montreal to deliver their babies, due to the high
turnover of doctors working in Kuujjuaq.
(Source : Nunatsiaq News Online)
alberta
The Alberta government is improving access to maternity
services by bringing midwives fully into the publicly funded
health system. Effective April 1, 2009, expectant mothers who
choose to have their babies with the assistance of a midwife will
have that service covered.
“This decision will provide better access and more choice for
expectant women and will relieve pressure on doctors, nurses
and hospitals,” said Alberta Health and Wellness Minister Ron
Liepert. “Expanding the use of midwifery services will also help
address the pressures on family physicians and obstetricians
and meet the goal of introducing new service delivery models as
outlined in the Health Workforce Action Plan.”
With this change, expectant mothers will have access to
innovative, publicly funded midwifery services in a variety of
locations including hospitals, community birthing centres, or in
their homes. Services will be accessible across the province, in
accordance with midwifery guidelines.
The Alberta Health Services Board will receive $4 million
for midwifery service implementation across Alberta in the
2009-2010 fiscal year.
The Alberta Health Services Board in conjunction with
Alberta Health and Wellness and the Alberta Association of
Midwives will develop and establish a structure that provides
full midwifery services to all Alberta women with low-risk
pregnancies. This service will emphasize various options for
expectant mothers; foster collaboration between midwives,
physicians, nurses and other health care professionals; and
create a sustainable model for the future.
Use herbs and remedies in your practice?
CAS launches “useyourvoice” web site
Bill C-51, which proposes amendments to the Food and
Drugs Act, was introduced in Parliament in April. This
bill would classify herbs and vitamins as “therapeutic
products,” putting them in the same category as drugs.
C-51 would also have defined a health practitioner such
that midwives and naturopathic doctors could have been
excluded. In addition, definitions in Bill C-51 were very
broad leaving some midwives concerned, particularly
if they grow and/or dispense herbs as a part of their
practice. Because of the dissolution of parliament for the
federal election, Bill C-51 died on the order table, but the
content may be re-introduced in a new bill once the new
government is formed.
The AOM office would like to hear from members who
utilize herbs and naturopathic remedies in their practices
to better understand the impact of a law like Bill C-51 on
midwives. Send comments to: policy@aom.on.ca.
October is Child Abuse Prevention Month
416.924.4646
www.TorontoCAS.ca
During October’s
Child Abuse
Prevention Campaign,
Ontario’s Children’s
Aid Societies remind
health professionals
that everyone has an
obligation to report
suspected or actual
child abuse and
neglect. Abuse can be
reported to your local
child welfare agency
at useyourvoice.ca.
www.aom.on.ca
11

AOM Programs
AOM Emergency Skills Workshop
December 5, 2008 in London, ON
Venue: Womancare Midwives
Type: Recertification
AOM Emergency Skills Workshop
February 13, 2009 in Guelph, ON
Venue: Loyola House
Type: Recertification
To register for ESW courses, or request
one for your area, visit the AOM web site
or contact programadmin@aom.on.ca,
416-425-9974 x2225
Practice Management Webinars
October 31, 2008 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
(Fully-booked)
November 10, 2008 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
LifeWorks Webinars
November 7, 2008 10:00 am – 11:00 am
November 28, 2008 10:00 am – 11:00 am
To register for webinars, please contact
programs@aom.on.ca, 416-425-9974
x2232.
ESW instructors Esther Willms and Kerstin Helen-Thompson
Announcements
Midwifery Today Conference:
The Epic Journey of Midwifery and Birth
October 22 - 26, 2008 in Bad Wildbad, Germany
www.midwiferytoday.com/conferences/Germany2008/
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
AWHONN National Conference
October 23 - 25, 2008 in Ottawa, ON
www.awhonn.org
Crisis Intervention Skills
October 27 - 29, 2008 at Queen’s University, Donald Gordon
Conference Centre in Kingston, ON
(613) 533-6000 x78533
www.crisisinstitute.com
Health Achieve OHA Conference
November 3 - 5, 2008 in Toronto, ON
The AOM will have a booth at this year’s conference. Members
interested in helping to staff the booth, please contact
cpadmin@aom.on.ca, 416-425-9974 x257.
International Stillbirth Conference
November 5 - 7, 2008 in Oslo, Norway
www.stillbirthalliance.org/conference/2008
Challenges in Intrapartum Care
November 8, 2008, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, U of T
and Mount Sinai Hospital
Contact Elizabeth Gan: egan@mtsinai.on.ca
www.mtsinai.on.ca/seminars/ce
Canadian Association of Midwives Conference: Sages-femmes:
Présence & Leadership
November 12 - 14, 2008 in Quebec City, QC
www.canadianmidwives.org/conference.htm
Interdisciplinary Conference Addressing Trends & Transitions in
Maternal and Newborn Health and Health Care
November 28-29, in Halifax, NS
Contact: Marilyn Muise at marilyn.muise@iwk.nshealth.ca
rcp.nshealth.ca
5th Annual Obstetrical Malpractice: A Survival Guide for 2009
January 19, 2009, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, U of T
and Mount Sinai Hospital
Contact Elizabeth Gan: egan@mtsinai.on.ca
www.mtsinai.on.ca/seminars/ce
OVLC 2009 Annual Conference: The Wonder of Human Milk
April 30 and May 1, 2009 in Ottawa, ON
Contact Sheryl Hamilton: Sheryl@hamiltoncrew.com
www.ovlc.net
Medications in Mothers’ Milk
Breastfeeding Education Update with Dr. Thomas W. Hale
May 8, 2009 in North Bay, ON
Contact: Anne Marie Westenenk 705-474-1400 x2285
amw@nbdhu.on.ca
7th Annual Refresher in Primary Maternity Care
May 22, 2009, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, U of T
and Mount Sinai Hospital
Contact Elizabeth Gan: egan@mtsinai.on.ca
www.mtsinai.on.ca/seminars/ce
Ontario Midwife is a quarterly publication of the Association of Ontario Midwives. This publication
is available online at www.aom.on.ca, or you may request a printed copy. All web sites listed are
“hotlinked” in the digital copy. Scroll over the web site address and click to launch the site.
Association of Ontario Midwives
All feedback welcome. Please contact Joanna Zuk, Senior Communications Officer: comms@aom.
on.ca, or by phone: 416-425-9974 x261 or 866-418-3773 x2261.
Association of Ontario Midwives 365 Bloor St. East, Suite 301, Toronto, ON M5W 3L4