national association of certified professional midwives
NACPM eAlert
  August 29, 2013
Greetings!

 

In alignment with our mission to contribute to a transformed maternity care system in the U.S. and increased access for all women to high-quality care and normal, physiologic birth options, NACPM is pleased to announce the release of a new report:  The History and Future of the United States Midwifery Education, Regulation and Association (US MERA) Joint Project. NACPM has contributed leadership to this initiative along with all of the Project partners:  the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM), the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB), Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC), Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM) and North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).  

MERA group
US MERA Summit Delegates - April 2013
Airlie Center, Virginia
Together, these organizations and agencies hold responsibility for the U.S. national midwifery credentials:  Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Certified Midwife (CM), and Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). Together we have been inspired by the 2011 release of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Competencies and Global Standards for Midwifery to join in the world-wide effort to strengthen midwifery across the globe and right here at home in the United States. Supported by the ICM Global Standards, our 7 organizations formed a task force in November 2011 to work toward a more aligned and cohesive midwifery profession for our country, with expertise facilitation by Managance Consulting and Coaching and a generous grant from the Transforming Birth Fund. In April 2013, representatives of all of the organizations met for a two-day work session at Airlie Center in Warrenton, Virginia, and the task force continues to meet by conference call to move this important work forward.  

NACPM celebrates the progress made by this partnership to date, and remains committed to the work still left to be done for the sake of women, babies and families in our country. Please read the full report, or the Executive Summary, for information about this historic initiative, and send us your questions, feedback and thoughts for the future to [email protected].    

We wish you a joyous Labor Day Weekend finale to the summer,

Suzy Myers, CPM
President

Mary Lawlor, CPM
Executive Director

Center banner photo credit: Walter Zamojski
Thank you, Colleen Donovan-Batson, for sharing MANA photos