Fall 2010 - Association of Ontario 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