Fall 2010 - Association of Ontario Midwives

Association of Ontario Midwives Fall 2010: Vol. 3 No. 3
02
Midwife wins
race relations
award
04
New midwifery
program attracts
nurses
05
Interprofessional
collaboration -
St. Joseph’s
07
OHA promotes
interprofessional
collaboration
09
Midwife accepts
international
research post
Association of Ontario Midwives
Interprofessional Care
Ontario Hospital Association CEO Tom Closson and Association of Ontario Midwives
President Katrina Kilroy present the new Resource Manual for Sustaining Quality Midwifery
Services in Hospitals at the recent OHA full-day conference titled Maternal and Newborn
Care: Meeting Community Needs and Integrating Midwives

Welcome AOM News new AOM & Updates
members!
Welcome new AOM
members!
Kathleen Babe Midwives Collective
of Toronto
Kathy Balazs Kawartha
Community Midwives
Terri Barlow Community Care
Midwives
Heike Berger Family Midwifery
Care of Guelph
Kimberly Brown Gentle Beginnings
Midwifery/Sages-femmes
premières tendresses
Shâdé Chatrath West End
Midwives
Yvonne Davis Midwives of York
Region
Sabina Fella Riverdale Community
Midwives
Kelly Graff Kenora Midwives
Masoudeh Kazemiashtiani The
Midwives’ Clinic of East York-Don
Mills
Jacquie Klan Midwifery Care of Peel
& Halton Hills - Georgetown Site
Jenna Konkle Midwifery Services of
Lambton-Kent
Jessica Kraitberg Community
Midwives of Toronto
Tiffany Kyer Midwifery Services of
Lambton-Kent
Mojgan Naminiasl Caring Hands
Midwifery Services
Frances Philpott Womancare
Midwives
Lyanne Pinto Midwives of Muskoka
Lindsay Sanderson Midwifery Care
of Peel & Halton Hills - Georgetown
Site
Naomi Wolfe Midwives of Sudbury
/ Sages-femmes de Sudbury
(As of October 5, 2010)
Midwife Wins
Race Relations Award
Throughout her career as a Torontoarea
midwife, Manavi Handa has
provided excellent maternity care for
women and newborns while striving
for equality in the health care system.
In September, she was awarded an
Urban Alliance 2010 Race Relations
Award in recognition of her work with
new immigrants, women with no
OHIP coverage and women without
documented status in Ontario.
As a child of immigrant parents and a
woman of colour, Manavi is only too
aware of the social determinants of
health and health inequities that exist.
An outspoken advocate for women’s
health, Manavi has devoted the last 10
years of her career as a midwife to not
only providing optimal maternal care,
but also striving for equality in the
health care system.
“I’m incredibly humbled,” Manavi said
in an interview with The Toronto Star.
“I speak a bit more publicly about the
issue and have made a little bit more
noise, but there are a lot of midwives
doing similar work so I really feel like
I’m winning the award in recognition
of all of us.”
Manavi has worked tirelessly with
different agencies, such as community
health centres, to provide uninsured
clients with valuable lab tests such as
ultrasound and access to obstetrical
consultants. As chair of the Diversity
Work Group at the Association of
Ontario Midwives (AOM), Manavi
has helped develop the association’s
diversity statement, a tip sheet for
other midwives working with undocumented
and uninsured clients and
is providing input into an ongoing
project at the AOM to translate client
documents into numerous languages.
A passionate public speaker, Manavi
has addressed the needs of underserved
clients at numerous community
and health forum lectures and events.
In recent years, Manavi has been
appointed as assistant professor
to Ryerson University’s Midwifery
Education Program. She brings an
anti-oppression perspective to her
TORONTO: Manavi Handa, RM, winner of the
Urban Alliance 2010 Race Relations Award
teaching and is exploring research
in the areas of maternity care and
uninsured women, youth pregnancy in
the Caribbean community and using
various models of prenatal care to
empower women. Her dedication to
sharing her knowledge and improving
access to health care for others has
also seen her mentor medical students
and nurse practitioners interested in
care for marginalized communities.
The Urban Alliance on Race Relations
honoured four winners, including
Manavi, at the 35th anniversary gala
dinner on September 30.
The Urban Alliance on Race Relations
is a non-profit organization that
promotes a stable and healthy multiracial
and multi-ethnic environment
in Toronto through public education,
research and advocacy. The Race
Relations Award is aimed at honouring
those who are committed to fighting
racism within the community.
02 ontario midwife • Fall 2010

Friends of Muskoka Midwives BIRTHday annual client picnic
BRACEBRIDGE: Clients and supporters
enjoy the annual BIRTHday Family Picnic
hosted by Friends of Muskoka Midwives.
Throughout the year, this active consumer
group also hosts midwifery information sessions,
movie nights, produces a calendar
and coordinates midwifery birth announcements
in the local papers. Their next big
project is a production of “Birth, A Play by
Karen Brody” in March, 2011.
TOP PHOTO: Approximately 50 families
enjoyed the day with their midwives
at Annie Williams Memorial Park on
September 19.
LEFT: Midwives of Muskoka cut the
birthday cakes courtesy of Ambrosial Art
of Huntsville. (Left to right) Sarah Jean
Smith, Barbara Borland, Lyanne Pinto,
Dianne Smith
RIGHT: A list of the day’s fun activities
Photos: Sarah Chaloux,
www.mchaloux.com
“Ontario Midwife” wins
national award for Best
Newsletter
The Canadian Society of Association
Executives (CSAE) presented Kelly
Stadelbauer, the AOM’s Executive
Director, with their annual award
for Best Newsletter at the CSAE
conference in Quebec City in
September.
“I’m delighted and proud that
the AOM has been recognized
for excellence in member
communication,” she said. “The
newsletter is a valuable service for
AOM members and others who
work in maternity care in Ontario.”
To add someone to the newsletter
mailing list, e-mail comms@aom.
on.ca
www.aom.on.ca
03

Interprofessional Care
Family Health Team
welcomes midwife
As the first midwife in Ontario to
formally have clinic space within a
Family Health Team (FHT), Andrea
Cassidy is able to informally consult
with physicians, nurses and social
workers whenever she needs.
Although the arrangement is still in
the early stages – Cassidy has only
had space within the Family Health
Team for a couple of months – she
says it has been an extremely positive
experience.
“Being a new midwife coming into
this community, this arrangement has
made the relationships really good,”
she says.
And it’s obviously a popular set up
that works for the other providers as
well – this is the second Family Health
Team to approach Cassidy. Though the
first team was too remote, Cassidy has
found a great fit with the Leamington
and Area Family Health Team.
Although she is not an employee of
the FHT, the arrangement provides
Cassidy’s clients enhanced care
because she has lots of support and
resources at her fingertips.
If a client is having trouble with her
partner or at home, Cassidy refers
her to the social worker. If a baby is
struggling with jaundice a little longer
than they should, she consults with
one of the physicians right in the
clinic.
“The other thing I find beneficial is
seamless care – clients go from their
family doctor or nurse practitioner
to me, then back again. If there’s
something going on with their care we
can work together,” she says.
She’s not the only one who benefits
from knowledge sharing – new nurses
or nurse practitioners who are hired
into the FHT shadow Cassidy to learn
about midwifery and she currently
has a fourth-year nursing student
completing a placement with her.
“Ultimately, physicians, nurses,
midwives – we all want to provide
excellent care,” she says.
Nadia Bellio, RM, and Natalie Tregaskiss, former L&D nurse and current student midwife, hold newborn Isabella Liut.
Shorter midwifery education program ideal for nurses
Deciding to go back to school once you’ve
already completed an undergraduate
degree in order to move your career in
a new direction is a daunting decision,
especially when you think about having to
put in another four years.
But that doesn’t always have to be the
case. For those with a health professional
degree, such as nursing or medicine, the
Midwifery Education Program (MEP)
offers the Post-Baccalaureate Program for
Health Professionals, allowing those who
already have a background in health care
to complete their midwifery degree in
only two years.
Dr. Susan James, Director, MEP of
Laurentian University said when the MEP
was expanded in 2007, the Ministry of
Health and Long-Term Care asked if it
would make sense to add a stream for
nurses. James had already helped one
student receive a combined nursing and
midwifery degree in a five-year program
and knew she could make it work.
“If we could get a student to finish a
nursing and midwifery degree together
in five years, then surely someone who
has graduated and has maternity care
experience could complete a midwifery
degree in two intense years,” James said.
Nurses are a logical fit because so many
of the courses they take in nursing school
overlap with courses midwifery students
take: anatomy, physiology, biology,
chemistry and a social/cultural course –
but anyone with a degree in health care,
including physicians and pharmacists, is
eligible.
Laurentian has set up its program so that
it works as a transfer credit system: any
credits already earned are transferred to
count toward the midwifery degree.
There are currently two students enrolled
at Laurentian who will graduate in two
years – the spring of 2012. Ryerson also
currently has two students enrolled – a
new student who started this fall like her
colleagues at Laurentian, and one who
started the program last year and will be
graduating from the post-baccalaureate
program this coming spring: Natalie
Tregaskiss.
Though interested in pursuing a career
in midwifery, Tregaskiss had already
completed two bachelor degrees and had
worked as a labour and delivery nurse in
Toronto for five years.
At this stage of her career, “the thought
of another four-year degree seemed
unfeasible,” she said.
But having worked with a midwife at St.
Michael’s Hospital, Tregaskiss learned of
the condensed program and thought it
was a great fit.
“I am delighted to finally be doing what I
have always wanted to do – it feels right,”
she said.
The “intense” program means students
work straight through six semesters
without summer breaks. While the core
midwifery courses and clinic hours are the
same, Tregaskiss said it helps to get credit
for previous schooling and experience.
“I hope more health professionals become
interested in the program and that the
program makes midwifery education
more accessible to those like myself who
are already working in the field,” she said.
To apply, visit www.ryerson.ca/midwife
or www.midwifery.laurentian.ca
04 ontario midwife • Fall 2010

Midwives, nurses, physicians and hospital administrators cement positive interprofessional relationships when working on projects such as Baby-friendly certification.
Interprofessional team leads to Baby-friendly success
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
has recently had its Baby-friendly
Hospital status re-designated thanks
to interprofessoinal collaboration
and education. This project has led to
increased communication and education
between physicians, nurses, midwives
and lactation consultants.
Despite having first become a
Baby-friendly Hospital in 2003, getting
re-designated was not a walk in the
park, according to
Shirin Aghili, RM, head
midwife at St. Joseph’s. “Being part
Because many
of the whole
mothers coming into
interprofessional
St. Joseph’s are from
communities that
meeting process
routinely unnecessarily and being the head
supplement with
midwife is hugely
formula at birth until
eye-opening,”
the breast milk comes
in, it was quite easy for - Shirin Aghili, RM,
rates of breastfeeding
Head Midwife
initiation to slip below
desirable levels.
In addition, St. Joseph’s
nursery is in some ways working against
it. Though categorized as a level one
nursery, Aghili says it is capable and often
does handle more complicated cases and
infants with more serious issues who may
require supplementation in the initial
days due to medical issues.
“There was a need for regrouping
and re-teaching the hospital staff,”
Aghili said with regard to getting the
designation back. For example, proper
documentation for babies coming into
the nursery is essential to show cases
where supplementation is needed, such
as hyperbilirubinemia.
“The hospital has implemented new
forms that say the baby must be on the
breast for 14 minutes while in the delivery
room,” Aghili said. “Skin to skin is highly
encouraged.”
Patients also needed some
education. For example, if
patients indicate they plan
to formula-feed when they
register at the hospital, they
are told not to be disappointed
if staff ask again or promote
breastfeeding.
In addition to encouraging
those who would normally
supplement at birth until the
milk comes in to breastfeed
earlier on and be patient with
the process, Aghili said they
also recommend patients take
advantage of on-call help as needed.
Aghili said the process was spearheaded
by a very dedicated Dr. Tamar Packer,
Medical Director of Newborn Services at
St. Joseph’s, but also successful thanks to
a great interprofessional environment.
“The hospital is so proud they have
midwives (because they) know about our
good breastfeeding rates,” she said.
As head midwife, Aghili sits on
multidisciplinary steering committees
for maternal, child and newborn health.
Another midwife at her Hamilton practice
sits on the regional lactation committee.
The meetings provide a great avenue
for discussion and troubleshooting
among professional colleagues who have
different backgrounds and skill sets.
“Being part of the whole meeting process
and being the head midwife is hugely
eye-opening,” she said. “It allows us, as
midwives, to see what an institution
has to face in order to increase the
breastfeeding rates. It is so easy to
just say ‘everybody breastfeed’ but to
actually put it into practice and put it into
education is challenging.”
Another positive outcome from the
process was that the hospital’s lactation
consultant approached Aghili and asked
if the practice would like additional
breastfeeding education for its students
and new registrants. Because the
Hamilton Midwives takes on many
students, Aghili said they now routinely
send students to the breastfeeding clinic
– which is available to clients through
self-referral seven days a week – for
additional breastfeeding education.
The hospital’s Baby-friendly designation is
reassessed every five years.
www.aom.on.ca
05

Interprofessional Care
New resource manual and conference launched to support hospital integration for midwives
A partnership between the Ontario Hospital
Association (OHA), the Association of
Ontario Midwives and the College of
Midwives of Ontario (CMO) is helping
midwives, doctors and nurses work together
to deliver better client care.
A full-day conference on
Tuesday September 28,
2010 and a reference “The OHA supports
guide - Resource
integrating midwives
Manual for Sustaining
into Ontario’s hospitals,
Quality Midwifery
Services in Hospitals -
and believes that
have been developed midwives are an
to assist midwives,
important part of the
doctors and nurses
maternity care system.”
in interprofessional
collaborative
- Tom Closson,
relationships.
OHA President and CEO
Designed for both
hospital leaders looking
to integrate midwives
for the first time, as well as those who
already have midwifery at their institution,
the manual provides examples of existing
integration models and lessons learned.
“Mothers and their newborns will definitely
benefit from having more, and better,
interprofessional collaboration among their
caregivers. That’s why the OHA supports
integrating midwives into Ontario’s
hospitals, and believes that midwives are
an important part of the maternity care
system, alongside their physician and nurse
colleagues. This manual can help maternity
care teams improve and sustain positive
working relationships, which will promote
safer, high-quality care,” said Tom Closson,
President and CEO, OHA.
On September 28, the conference, titled
Maternal and Newborn Care: Meeting
Community Needs and Integrating
Midwives, not only highlighted hospitals
leading in maternity care integration, but
also offered tips to maximize provider
competencies and information on liability
issues associated with integration.
Speakers included Ministry of Health and
Long-Term Care lead on maternal and
newborn care Dr. Charlotte Moore, College
of Midwives of Ontario President Andrea
Lennox, RM, and Association of Ontario
Midwives President Katrina Kilroy, RM.
“Whenever I give
a presentation on
interprofessional collaboration,
be it at hospital rounds or at
interprofessional events like
this, it is always well received.
Learning about one another’s
roles and responsibilities
creates better understanding
amongst disciplines and opens
the door to improving the way
we all provide care to women
and newborns,” said Kilroy.
Another well-received speaker
was Dr. Douglas Bell of the
Canadian Medical Protective
Association (CMPA), the insurance group
that covers physicians. Though physicians
may claim they fear liability issues
with midwifery integration, that fear is
unwarranted, Dr. Bell says.
“In terms of whether there are lawsuits
where doctors are brought in, it’s rare,”
he says. “If a hospital is interested in
integrating midwives into their program,
the hospital should have the doctors sit
down and discuss what the issues are
and address those concerns. Physicians
shouldn’t be supervising midwives.”
The OHA has sent the 63-page resource
manual binder to every hospital in Ontario.
Because it is brand new and therefore
topical, many head midwives are reviewing
the document with their maternity care
colleagues at unit meetings, MAC, and
other hospital committees this fall.
The resource manual is available for free
download from the OHA website at:
www.oha.com/KnowledgeCentre/Library/
Pages/Manuals.aspx
AOM toolkit aims at
hospital integration
In addition
to the new
resource
manual
published by
the Ontario
Hospital
Association,
the AOM has
developed
a variety of
resources to Hospital Integration Committee
Chair and AOM board
help members member Jane Somerville, RM
advance their
integration
into communities and hospitals.
They include tip sheets, handouts,
position statements and
presentations.
These have all been gathered
together in one handy “Hospital
Integration Toolkit” for members.
Central to this toolkit is an annotated
list of all the resources. Additional
links, materials and support are
provided to further facilitate the
increase of hospital integration
and growth of collaborative
relationships.
Developed in consultation with
the AOM Hospital Integration
Committee, this toolkit is especially
useful for midwives seeking
guidelines, policies and other
materials that address existing
barriers to collaborative maternal
and newborn care and to establish
strong relationships between
themselves and other health care
professionals at hospitals and in the
wider community.
The toolkit was distributed at
AOM fall regional meetings and is
available on the AOM website.
TORONTO: Maternal and Newborn Care: Meeting Community Needs and Integrating Midwives - OHA Conference September 28, 2010
TOP LEFT: AOM members Andrea Lennox, RM, President of the College of Midwives of Ontario; Elizabeth Brandeis, RM, AOM Board Member; Sharon Swift, RM
TOP RIGHT: Dr. Tony Pattinson, Chief OB/GYN Windsor Regional Hospital; Katrina Kilroy, RM, AOM President
MIDDLE LEFT: Tory Tudor, RM; Janet Skupsky, RN, Halton Healthcare Services; Allan Halls, CEO Halton Healthcare Services
MIDDLE RIGHT: Conference delegates - over 100 people attended the conference
LOWER LEFT: Dr. Charlotte Moore, Provincial Lead for Maternal, Child and Youth Health Strategy, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
LOWER MIDDLE: Dr. Douglas Bell, Associate Executive Director and Managing Director, Risk Management Services, Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA)
LOWER RIGHT: Clinical Nurse Educators Sharon Adams, RN, William Osler Health System; Bridget Mitchell, RN, William Osler Health System
www.aom.on.ca
07

Consumer Resources
New breastfeeding
book, posters
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
is a staple in many
midwifery clinics’ client lending
libraries.
First published over 50 years
ago as a booklet, the publication
has grown with La Leche
League International to be one
of the world’s leading authorities
on breastfeeding.
A brand-new edition is now
available. Written by Canadian
author and breastfeeding
expert Teresa Pitman, the 2010
version includes technical information
along with mothers’
stories and handy tear-sheets.
Ontario government introduces expanded online newborn
registration service
With just a few clicks, Ontario parents
can now apply online for child benefit
programs, including the Ontario Child
Benefit, when they register their
newborns.
In partnership with the Canada Revenue
Agency and Service Canada, the
ServiceOntario website has expanded
its Newborn Registration Service
application. This online service now
provides a quick, easy and secure way for
parents to register their newborn, apply
for a birth certificate, a Social Insurance
Number Card and Canada Child Benefits.
This expanded service lets parents
combine four separate applications into
one easy-to-use online process from the
comfort of their home. No waiting in
line and faster processing times makes
it easier for busy new parents to cross
another thing off their to-do list.
Ligue La Leche, the Quebec
division, has a new series of
breastfeeding posters for sale
in English and French.
Order here: www.allaitement.
ca/produits/affiches.php
Canadian Paediatric
Society calls for milk banks
Pasteurized human milk is a
recommended alternative for
hospitalized sick newborns when their
own mother’s milk is not available,
according to a new statement by the
Canadian Paediatric Society. The
statement, published in the November
issue of Paediatrics & Child Health,
says that human milk banking in
Canada should be encouraged and
promoted.
“The most vulnerable babies should
receive human milk,” said Dr.
Sharon Unger, principal author of
the statement and member of the
CPS Nutrition and Gastroenterology
Committee. “Only about half of the
mothers of these babies will have an
adequate milk supply, sometimes
because they are sick themselves, or
due to the stress of having a very sick
baby or from being separated from
their baby.”
Yet the supply of donor breast
milk in Canada is limited. The only
human milk bank in Canada, based in
Vancouver, can’t meet the needs of all
babies who could benefit.
The statement recommends strict
controls on how and when human
donor milk should be used. It also
recommends continued research into
the benefits of banked human breast
milk for preterm infants in the NICU.
To access the full statement, visit:
www.cps.ca
8 ontario midwife • Fall 2010

Research / Government Initiatives
Eileen Hutton, RM, PhD, recently accepted a five-year, endowed professorship at Vrije University in Amsterdam in the
Midwifery Science Division, the first midwife to ever carry the title “Professor” in the Netherlands.
Midwife-researcher appointed to Dutch professorship
Though Ontario has borrowed much from
the Dutch model of midwifery care, it is
now our turn to give back.
This past summer, Eileen Hutton, RM,
PhD accepted a five-year, endowed
professorship at Vrije University in
Amsterdam in the Midwifery Science
Division. Hutton is the first midwife to
ever hold a professorship role in the
Netherlands, as most midwifery educators
there hold a lecturer title.
“I think someone from Canada is
well-suited to move into that position
since our model is so highly influenced
by their model,” Hutton said. “It is very
fitting that we borrowed from them and
are now contributing to their programs.”
She will continue with her role as
assistant dean of the Midwifery of
Education Program at McMaster
University, where her research
background is already a valuable asset.
In addition to her bachelor in nursing,
master’s in parent child nursing and
midwifery degree, Hutton holds a PhD in
clinical epidemiology – the study of health
patterns amongst populations.
Her research work has garnered her
several awards, including the Michael
Smith Foundation for Health Research
Career Scholar award, the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research New
Investigator Award as well as the Society
of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of
Canada Western Regional Award.
Hutton has been a coauthor in at least 10
academic research papers investigating
topics such as home birth, sterile water
injections to treat pain, external cephalic
version, breech birth and late versus early
cord clamping. Her research focuses on
clinical trial methodology and knowledge
translation.
For the Dutch professorship, Hutton will
be mainly working with other professors
and academics from a research point of
view, rather than in a traditional teaching
position. She sees the role as being
transitional and hopes that after her term
is up, there will be Dutch midwives who
will be able to move into the position.
She currently plans to travel to the
Netherlands several times a year.
Hutton’s new role as the Vrije head of the
midwifery sciences department evolved
over time. Three years ago she visited
the university to learn more about their
research and research units.
Following this came the idea that Hutton
could take on the duties of a visiting
professor, which eventually developed
into the current professorship role. Hutton
thinks it is a good fit for both Canada
and the Netherlands. While the Dutch
institute will make use of her expertise to
develop its research capacity, Hutton and
other researchers will benefit from the
country’s longer history of midwifery care
Midwives support Nurse
Practitioner scope review
This summer, the provincial
government announced
considerations to expand the role
of nurse practitioners by allowing
them to admit, discharge and
transfer patients in-hospital and
announced a public consultation
looking into how patients would
benefit from these changes.
The AOM took the opportunity
to submit a letter of support,
highlighting lessons learned from
the integration of midwives into
hospitals.
When midwives gained hospital
privileges with regulation, it
translated into benefits for both
hospitals and patients – midwifery
clients are known to have
significantly shorter hospital stays
and lower rates of readmission.
Nurse practitioners with a greater
range of responsibility in hospitals
could result in similar benefits.
The government is now reviewing
feedback it received in the
consultation process and plans to
meet with individual stakeholders
throughout the fall.
When Bill 179 was passed last
December, nurse practitioners’ roles
were expanded to allow them to
communicate diagnoses to patients,
to perform procedures below the
dermis and to order X-rays without
restrictions, among other things.
The new push from government
to expand the role of nurse
practitioners is part of the Family
Health Care for All Strategy – which
aims to address patients who do
not have a primary care provider
– and comes in advance of the
expected opening of 25 nurse
practitioner-led clinics in Ontario in
2012.
and rich study population.
“Access to a country where midwifery is
the norm and where large numbers of
women receive midwifery care – along
with building collegial relationships – will
have benefit to us as well,” Hutton said.
www.aom.on.ca
09

National News
EDMONTON: A few Ontario delegates to the Canadian Association of Midwives conference gather at the end of the conference.
Back row: Katrina Kilroy, RM (AOM President); Kathi Wilson, RM; Nicole Bennett, RM; Karline Wilson, RM; Nadya Burton, MEP Assistant Professor; Anne Wilson, RM (CAM President-Elect);
Lisa Weston, RM (AOM Vice-President); Chris Sternberg, RM; Deborah Bonser, RM
Front row: Juana Berinstein (AOM Director of Policy and Communications), Esther Willms, RM (AOM Board Member); Mary Sharpe, RM (MEP Director-Ryerson)
national
The Canadian Association of Midwives hosted its 10th
Annual General Meeting this October in Edmonton, AB,
with a focus on place of birth. The conference hosted many
notable speakers, including AOM President Katrina Kilroy,
who gave a presentation to other midwives about how to
educate physician and nursing colleagues at hospital rounds
about home birth. In addition, it was announced that Ontario
midwife Anne Wilson will take over as CAM president in
January 2011.
ontario
Ontario midwives now number over 500: new graduates
started providing care this summer. This August, Ontario’s
newest group of midwives were registered, pushing the total
number of practitioners to an all-time high of more than 500.
Jackie Klan, RM, is one of the new registrants. “My journey
of receiving care from a midwife for my own daughter’s
birth seven years ago was so profound it made me realize it
was something I wanted to offer back to people,” Klan said.
Association of Ontario Midwives President Katrina Kilroy,
RM, was one of the sixty midwives to be registered when the
profession was regulated in 1994. “It was a privilege to be in
that first group of midwives registered in Ontario,” Kilroy said.
“I’m delighted that we’ve hit this mark and even more families
can access the high quality of care midwives provide.”
New Brunswick
This August, the New Brunswick Midwifery Act was
proclaimed - the final process of integrating midwifery in
the province whereby the provincial government formally
recognizes midwives as health care professionals and
approves the regulations set out by the Midwifery Council of
New Brunswick. The Midwifery Council has been meeting to
develop standards of practice, policies and to determine scope
of practice.
saskatchewan
Health Minister Don McMorris led the launch of the
Cypress Health Region’s Midwifery Program on October 18,
recognizing Swift Current’s first midwife, Maud Addai, as
well as the nurses, physicians and other staff involved in the
development of the innovative and historic program at the
Cypress Regional Hospital. The midwifery program brings an
added dimension to the birthing services currently offered by
the Cypress Health Region, which is only the second health
region in Saskatchewan to offer the service. Maud Addai is
one of just eight midwives in the province, seven of whom
are actively practising, and she brings almost 20 years of
experience gained in the United Kingdom to her role in Swift
Current.
10 ontario midwife • Fall 2010

AOM ESW Workshops
All courses listed are regular Emergency
Skills recertification workshops. Instructor
training will be offered in conjunction
with the AOM annual conference.
To register for ESW courses, visit the AOM
website at www.aom.on.ca/Professional/Emergency_Skills_Workshop/
or contact events@aom.on.ca, 416-425-
9974 x2255.
• Mississauga/Oakville
- December 10, 2010
Plan now for 2011:
• Toronto - February 18, 2011
• Ottawa - March 25, 2011
• Windsor - April 15, 2011
• TBA Conference location May 2011
• Sudbury - August 19, 2011
• Kingston - September 16, 2011
• Barrie - September 23, 2011
• London - November 18, 2011
• Toronto - December 16, 2011
The AOM is proud to announce that the
ESW for Paramedics has been a success
and will become a regular offering
through the Sunnybrook-Osler Centre
for Prehospital Care’s Continuing
Medical Education Program. Members
outside the Toronto area who would
like to see this program offered in their
community should contact Christine
Staley, CPD Director at cpddirector@
aom.on.ca or 416-425-9974 x2224.
Conferences of Interest - more at www.aom.on.ca “Professional Development”
Pregnancy and Birth Current Clinical Issues: Sunnybrook
December 9-10, 2010 in Toronto, ON
cmicr@sunnybrook.ca
7th Annual Obstetrical Malpractice: A Survival Guide for 2011
Mount Sinai Hospital/University of Toronto Dept. of Ob/Gyn
January 15, 2011 in Toronto, ON
www.mountsinai.on.ca/education/staff-professionals/cme
Promoting Health Equity: Action on the Social Determinants of
Health
Ryerson University, Faculty of Community Services
February 11-12, 2011 in Toronto, ON
www.ryerson.ca/fcs/conference/
Best Start Resource Centre 2011 Annual Conference
Best Start Resource Centre
February 22-24, 2011 in Toronto, ON
www.beststart.org/events/detail/bsannualconf11/
HIROC AGM
Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada
May 2, 2011 in Toronto, ON
www.hiroc.com
Consensus Conference: What is the future of Birth and why
does it Matter
Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue - UBC Collaboration for
Maternal and Newborn Health, BC Women’s Hospitals Cesarean
Task Force & The Power to Push Campaign
May 11-13, 2011 in Vancouver, BC
www.cmnh.ca
9th Annual Refresher in Primary Care
Mount Sinai Hospital/University of Toronto Dept. of Ob/Gyn
May 13, 2011 in Toronto, ON
www.mountsinai.on.ca/education/staff-professionals/cme
ICM 29th Triennial Congress
June 19-23, 2011 in Durban, South Africa
Call for Abstracts deadline: September 1, 2010
www.midwives2011.org
Medical Disorders in Pregnancy
Mount Sinai Hospital/University of Toronto Dept. of Ob/Gyn
November 26, 2011
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON
www.mountsinai.on.ca/education/staff-professionals/cme
Canadian Conference on Medical Education (CCME)
Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
May 7-11, 2011 in Toronto, ON
www.mededconference.ca
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 websites listed are
“hotlinked” in the digital copy. Scroll over the website address and click to launch the site.
We welcome all feedback. Please contact Joanna Zuk, Senior Communications Officer:
comms@aom.on.ca, or by phone: 416-425-9974 x2261 or 866-418-3773 x2261.
Association of Ontario Midwives, 365 Bloor St. E., Suite 301, Toronto, ON M4W 3L4
Association of Ontario Midwives
©2010 Association of Ontario Midwives, all rights reserved.

AOM Clinical and Professional
Development Program 2010/2011
Working with Special Client Populations
London, December 3, 2010
This day is designed to assist care
providers in providing prenatal, labour
and postpartum care to women and their
families affected by and coping with
addictions, mental health and settlement
issues.
Providing Perinatal Care for Lesbian,
Bisexual, and Queer (LBQ) Women and
their Families
Toronto, January 21, 2011 (morning)
Providing Perinatal Care for Trans Clients
and their Families
Toronto, January 21, 2011 (afternoon)
These two sessions will take a
multidisciplinary approach to the
promotion of clinically appropriate and
culturally competent perinatal care for LBQ
women and trans-masculine clients who
are pregnant.
Near Misses and Poor Outcomes in
Maternal/Newborn Care: Issues Facing
Care Providers
Hamilton, February 25, 2011
This day will explore the practical and
psycho-social issues facing care providers
when supporting clients and each other
following a near miss or poor outcome.
Webinar Lecture Series
January 12; January 26; February 9;
February 23
These webinars are designed to create
an atmosphere of workplace learning,
communication and collaboration.
Sessions aim to inform participants of new
developments, legislation, topical issues,
and best practices. The webinars are
designed to cover a topic in approximately
60 minutes and can be accessed from the
comfort of your own home or office. They
will also be recorded and posted on our
website for midwives unable to attend.
E-learning
The AOM currently offers a self-paced
e-learning course on informed choice to
all members. An additional course will
be introduced during the 2010/2011
educational year.
Discussion Forums
Discussion Board Forums are being
developed where members can
communicate, collaborate and discuss a
variety of clinical and leadership issues in a
collegial online environment.
Leadership Program
The AOM recently held several wellreceived
Leadership and Media Skills
Workshops in Burlington, Barrie and via
webinar.
The Media Skills webinars will be made
available on the AOM website for all
members who were unable to attend.
Professional Development Fund
The Professional Development Fund is
available to members again this year and
applications are currently being accepted
for this program.
www.aom.on.ca/Members/Professional_
Development_Fund
Registration:
Registration for all events is available
on the AOM website. Register online or
download a form to print and fax or mail
with payment.
To comment on or contribute to the AOM
Clinical and Professional Development
program, contact cpddirector@aom.on.ca