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Affiliations and Related Organizations
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS:
- WA State Perinatal Collaborative
MAWS has been a partner on the Washington State Perinatal Collaborative (WSPC) since its creation in 2008. WSPC is a community of public and private organizations, agencies and individuals committed to maternal and child health. The mission of this collaborative is to improve the care and outcomes for pregnant mothers, newborns and infants with the help of families and front line health care providers. The initiatives and projects will be based in quality improvement science. - Foundation for Health Care Quality
MAWS was invited by the Foundation for Health Care Quality to participate in a statewide obstetrical data collection project with hospitals called OB COAP (Obstetrical Outcomes Assessment Program). -
WA State Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives
MAWS works with the WA state Affiliate of the ACNM to organize Miles for Midwives a 2.8 mile Run/Walk event that takes place during National Midwifery Week to raise awareness around the benefits of midwifery and the important work of Washington midwives! - Washington State Department of Health Perinatal Advisory Committee (PAC)
MAWS is represented on the PAC - a statewide committee formed by the Department of Health in December 1985 to: identify and prioritize statewide perinatal concerns, identify needs and make recommendations through specific work groups to address perinatal issues, provide consultation and recommend prioritized solutions to the Department of Health. - Physician-Licensed Midwife Work Group
MAWS is represented on this task force (a cooperative effort of obstetrician–gynecologist physician leaders and licensed midwifery leaders, as well as those with expertise in public health and policy) which was appointed as a subcommittee of the PAC in 2005 to study and improve the process of transferring women and their babies from a planned out-of-hospital birthing location to an acute-care hospital when a higher level of care became necessary. See Planned Out-Of-Hospital Birth Transport Guidelines for more information. Since developing transport guidelines, the work group has concentrated its efforts on developing a quality improvement project, The Planned Out-of-Hospital Birth Transfer Quality Improvement Project. The goal of the project is to facilitate communication between midwives and hospitals in order to improve care in the event of a transfer. In some parts of the state midwives and physicians have begun to meet and discuss implementation of this innovative quality improvement project to help ensure smoother transfers of care and enhance the safety of mothers and babies. Several hospitals have been identified as locations at which to begin piloting this important project. To learn more about the project visit the Washington State Perinatal Collaborative website.
Smooth Transitions: Enhancing the Safety of Planned Out-of-Hospital Birth Transports - A Quality Improvement Initiative of the Washington State Perinatal Collaborative. Download PDF.
- Open Arms Perinatal Services
MAWS and Open Arms have worked side-by-side serving on the PAC and lobbying for the passage of Anti-Shackling Legislation that affects incarcerated women in labor. MAWS also helped to lobby for the passage of Anti-Shackling Legislation that affects incarcerated women in labor. Open Arms staff members have presented at MAWS Conferences offering participants Continuing Education on their important work. - PALS Doulas
Many midwives refer their clients to doulas who are members of PALS. The primary purpose of the doula profession is to positively influence the childbearing experience for women and their families. - Simkin School of Allied Birth Professions at Bastyr University /
Bastyr Site
Many MAWS members work closely with members of the allied birth professionals in their local community. The Simkin Center for Allied Birth Vocations at Bastyr University trains social, practical and clinical care providers for pregnant and new families, including: Birth doulas, Postpartum doulas, Lactation consultants and Childbirth educators. - Bastyr University Department of Midwifery
Many MAWS members completed their training at Bastyr or at Seattle Midwifery School before their recent merger. Bastyr graduates are qualified to become state (or provincially) licensed and nationally certified midwives. - Northwest Birth Assistants (NWBA)
NWBA offers education, skills training, support and networking for those interested in a career in Birth Assisting.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
- Childbirth Connection
In 2011, MAWS brought the authors of the Milbank Report: ‘Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve’ and the two other landmark reports authored by Childbirth Connection: 2020 Vision for a High Quality, High Value Maternity Care System and their Blueprint for Action to present their findings to representatives from WA state government. Their vision for Transforming Maternity Care matches MAWS strategic goals.
Childbirth Connection's recent reports and resources include an evidence-based web site addressing the topic: Choosing a Caregiver. The Milbank Report refers to midwifery care as an underused intervention “suitable for routine use,” and their Transforming Maternity Care Blueprint for Action calls for increased use of midwives and family practice physicians. - International Center for Traditional Childbearing
MAWS firmly believes in the important mission of ICTC to reduce the premature deaths of infants by empowering families to take charge of their prenatal experience, to promote breastfeeding, and to increase the number of maternal and child health care providers, particularly indigenous midwives. - The National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM)
Greater than 50% of LMs also hold a national Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential, so MAWS maintains a positive and mutually beneficial relationship with the national professional association that represents a majority of our members. - Association of Midwifery Edcucators (AME)
MAWS maintains good communication with AME because most MAWS members are also midwifery educators; they are preceptors, course instructors at midwifery schools and some also teach continuing education courses. - MAMA Campaign
MAWS has played an important role in supporting the MAMA Campaign since its inception with fundraising as well as their legislative efforts. The MAMA Campaign advocates for Certified Professional Midwives: A high-value option for quality cost-effective maternity care. - The North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)
NARM sets the standards for competency-based certification for the CPM credential. CPMs are certified by NARM and practice as autonomous health professionals working within a network of relationships with other maternity care professionals who can provide consultation and collaboration when needed. - Citizens for Midwifery (CfM)
MAWS shares the goal of creating public awareness of the Midwives Model of Care with CfM. They are the fiscal sponsor of the MAWS Better Birth Options Public Awareness Campaign. - Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA)
MAWS provides regional updates for the quarterly MANA news so that MANA can help to expand communication and support among North American midwives. Many MAWS members participate in the MANA Statistics Project (MANAstats) which collects data on birth and associated perinatal care and outcomes, focusing on out-of-hospital births attended by midwives.
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
- International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)
A session on the MAWS Quality Management Program was presented at the 2011 ICM Congress in Durban, South Africa by midwife researcher Karen Hays, CNM, PhD.
