Greetings from the remarkable Region II! This is where love abounds, both the “loving” and the “brotherly” kind. Like everyone else, we have been dealing with COVID-19, legislative issues, and our lives as midwives. Through it all some amazing things have happened!
In the nation’s capital, Washington, DC, the DC Affiliate has:
• Released press releases regarding doulas as essential workers and the affiliate’s support for Black Lives Matter, including action steps to be taken as an affiliate
• Hosted weekly virtual happy hours for the DC midwives to check in with each other
• Hosted an end of year celebration and bingo game
• Hosted Zoom yoga for affiliate members (see the attached picture)
• Begun planning for the second year of their mentorship program
Heading east, the Delaware Affiliate is organizing with Sister Song, a reproductive justice organization, to host a workshop focused on making meaningful and sustainable practice changes to end racism.
Moving a little further south, the Virginia Affiliate has:
• Formed a Diversity and Inclusion Committee to work on planning education for midwives and community members to increase workforce diversity
• Plans to introduce legislation for full practice authority for CNMs and introduce CM licensure in the state with equivalent practice
• Begun planning a virtual fall education workshop
Finally, circling back up, the Pennsylvania Affiliate has:
• Hosted a PA-ACNM conference online this year titled “Midwifery Forward,” and it did very well despite the last-minute change to a virtual format
• Partnered with PA-ACOG to work on Midwifery Modernization Legislation to ensure we have their support
• Continued to hold monthly meetings via Zoom and have had lots of interest from students. The students and new midwives meetings are regularly attended and continue to grow
• Worked on their next newsletter, which will hopefully be out by mid-September
Region II Representative