Keynote Speaker

Monday, May 6, 2024 – 1200h EST

Dr. Cecilia Jevitt

Professor, Midwifery Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.

Kiley Ketchum

Registered Dietician and 4^th year midwifery student, University of British Columbia

Using Motivational Interviewing to Apply the Latest Evidence to Optimize Nutrition and Weight Gain in Pregnancy

Keynote Description: Because eating, nutrition, and weight management patterns adopted during pregnancy may persist beyond the postpartum period, pregnancy provides an opportunity for health education that affects the future health of the pregnant person, the fetus, and the family. We conducted a systematic review from to find nutrition and weight management behaviors that could be used safely during pregnancy to optimize gestational weight gain. Studies in those 10 areas were reviewed for nutrition and eating behaviors that are safe to use during pregnancy and could be used along with motivational interviewing. This presentation will focus on how clinicians can discuss these behaviors using motivational interviewing techniques to assist clients in optimizing gestational weight gain.

Pairing Evidence-Based Strategies With Motivational Intervie… : The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing (lww.com)

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 – 1200h EST

Continuity of Care In Midwifery: Perspectives From Around The Globe

Panel Topic Description: Midwives from different countries (Ethiopia, Indonesia, Netherlands, and Canada) will discuss midwifery-led continuity of care models. They will explore implementation of these models, challenges, and the impact on clinical outcomes. Service user experiences and strategies for promoting relational continuity will also be addressed. Panelists will share insights on global learnings and challenges faced in midwifery-led care.

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 – 1200h EST

Collaborative Models Of Midwifery Care In Canada

Monday, May 6, 2024 – 1245h EST

Dr. Kathrin Stoll

Senior Research Associate, Birth Place Lab, Midwifery Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia.

Clinical And Experiential Outcomes Of Midwife-Led Care In British Columbia And The Future Of The Caseload Model

Showcase Description: I will present and triangulate results from several studies, including provincial perinatal data on midwifery outcomes, and surveys of BC midwives and their clients.

Perinatal outcomes of midwife-led care in British Columbia: I will present provincial maternal and newborn outcomes for over 400,000 births in BC over a ten-year period. Our team separated births into low, moderate and high pregnancy risk, using a validated scoring system from Alberta. We then looked to see if the outcomes of childbearing people who had a midwife as their lead provider were different to those who were cared for by physicians.

Experiential outcomes: I will present how midwifery clients differ from physician clients in terms of their characteristics, attitudes and preferences and how that might impact perinatal outcomes and midwifery practise. For example, midwifery clients were more likely to want to lead decisions about their care, and more likely to decline care recommended by a health care provider, compared to physician clients.

Midwifery Workforce surveys: I will present key findings from three midwifery workforce surveys between 2017-2020 and show how midwives’ occupational stress, intentions to leave the professions and attitudes towards the case load model have changed over time.

The discussion will include how the changing profile of midwifery clients in the province impacts midwives and outcomes of care, emergence of alternate practise arrangements, and enablers and barriers to sustainable midwifery practise in BC, as identified by midwives.

Thursday, May 9, 2024 – 1200h EST

Dr. Ginny Brunton

Associate Professor, Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences
Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario

Abigail Corbin

Patient Care Manager, Diabetes Programs, Alongside Midwifery Unit, and Midwifery Led Postpartum Programs, Oak Valley Health, Markham, Ontario

Implementing Group Postnatal Care At Oak Valley Health AMU: Evidence and Involvement

Showcase Description: Childbearing people in the postnatal period struggle to access health care. In Ontario, 10.7% of women aged 18 to 34 years do not have a regular healthcare practitioner. Traditional models of postnatal care are outdated, costly and may not support socially disadvantaged parents at higher risk of poor health outcomes.

In order to increase access to postnatal care amongst its ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population, the Oak Valley Health Alongside Midwifery Unit (AMU) in Markham-Stouffville Ontario is using an evidence-informed approach to develop and implement a group postnatal care program. Group postnatal care is an alternative to one-to-one care, providing health assessment by a health care professional with collective information sharing, education and peer social support. To support this program planning, we aimed to understand the nature and extent of evidence outlining the implementation, effectiveness and appropriateness of group postnatal care models. This was achieved by conducting a rapid scoping review using an integrated knowledge translation approach.

In this presentation, we will share the findings of the scoping review, describe the integrated knowledge translation approach and outline the plans for knowledge translation with key interest holders.

Thursday, May 9, 2024 – 1230h EST

Rebecca Hautala

Master’s Student, Midwifery Graduate Program, McMaster University
McMaster Midwifery Research Centre, Hamilton, Ontario
Norwest Community Health Centre, Expanded Midwifery CARE Program, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Experiences Of Midwifery-Led Medical Abortion Through Ontario’s Expanded Midwifery Care Models

Showcase Description: This presentation will explore and describe experiences of midwifery-led medical abortion within three Expanded Midwifery Care Models across Ontario.  In addition, the role of evidence-based models of comprehensive medical abortion care from the World Health Organization, the National Abortion Federation of Canada, and Ontario’s Expanded Midwifery Care Models will be highlighted.

Thursday, May 9, 2024 – 1255h EST

Dr. Beth Murray-Davis

Scientific Director, McMaster Midwifery Research Centre, and Associate Professor, Midwifery Education Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University

Beth summarizes the symposium week’s presentations, presenters, and purpose.

Panelist

Master of Midwifery, Senior Lecturer Midwifery Study Programme, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia

Secretary of Study Programme, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia

Division of Education Development, Association of Indonesian Midwifery Education, Indonesia

Financial officer of Southeast Asia Midwifery Education Association, Indonesia

Bio: Dwi Izzati has been qualified as a midwife since 2007 and has more than 13 years of experience as a full-time lecturer at the Midwifery Study Programme, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. She has a bachelor’s degree in professional midwifery from Universitas Airlangga and completed an MSc in Midwifery from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. She has been actively involved in national projects under the auspices of the Association of Indonesian Midwifery Education (AIPKIND), which has worked with the government to establish various standards for midwifery education since 2011. She is a consultant for midwifery education curriculum development and a national trainer for midwife preceptorship and mentorship. Dwi has contributed to initiating and maintaining various international collaborations between midwifery in Indonesia (specifically at Airlangga and Indonesia through AIPKIND) and other countries, including Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Japan. In addition to her current role as Faculty Ambassador for the US continent. She has recently been elected as the financial officer of the Southeast Asia Midwifery Education Association (SEAMEA). She is working on several collaborative research project with colleagues at Western Sydney University. Her areas of interest include the concept of normality in childbirth, the philosophy of midwifery care, and optimizing normal birth.

Continuity of care is not something new in Indonesia; however, reflecting on the model applied, it seems that a more fragmented model is performing better. For many years, what is called continuity of care has never been a priority in the healthcare system. Regulations have focused heavily on preventing maternal and neonatal mortality but have paid less attention to the overall journey of women.

Panelist

Full Professor, Department of Midwifery Science, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Midwifery Academy Amsterdam Groningen, Amsterdam Public Health, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Primary Care Medicine and Long Term Care, The Netherlands

Bio: Ank de Jonge is the first midwife in the Netherlands who became professor in Midwifery Science. A prestigious career grant (VENI) was awarded to her for studies into the safety of primary care and home birth. She was the project leader of one of the largest randomised controlled trials into the usefulness of routine ultrasound in the third trimester of pregnancy (the IRIS study) and of two studies into integrated maternity care; the INCAS project and the SWING study. Currently, she is project leader of a study into variations in the organisation of integrated care (the VOICE study) and into the implementation of continuity of midwifery care (the COMIC (Continuity of Midwifery Care) study). She is head of the department of Midwifery Science which has four research lines: 1. Organisation of midwifery care, 2. Mental health before, during and after pregnancy, 3. Quality of midwifery care and 4. Short and long term consequences of interventions and care during pregnancy and birth. On behalf of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), she is a member of the WHO Technical Working Group on Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response. Contact: Ank.dejonge@amsterdamumc.nl. More info: Ank de Jonge — Amsterdam UMC – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vumc.nl).

Ank was the project leader of INCAS which was aimed at the implementation of integrated maternity care. Currently she is the project leader of the Conitinuity of Midwifery Care (COMIC) project in which a realist approach is used to facilitate implementation of continuity of care.

Panelist

Clinical Research Lead, Department of Midwifery, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada

Adjunct Research Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario

Bio: Meagan Furnivall, MSc, is a Registered Midwife practising in London, Ontario, Canada. Meagan is focusing on building Midwifery Research Capacity as the Clinical Research Lead at London Health Sciences Centre. Meagan’s research interests include how midwifery students and obstetrical residents learn and understand shared decision making, the safety and implementation of skin-to-skin contact in cesarean section, interprofessional collaboration, and sustainable midwifery.

Panelist

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Asrat Woldeyes Health Science Campus, Debre Berhan University, Ethiopia

Bio: Solomon completed his PhD in Midwifery and Women’s Health on the effect of a midwife-led continuity of care model on maternal and neonatal health outcomes in Ethiopia, a MSc in Maternity and Reproductive Health, and a BSc in Midwifery.

At Debre Berhan University, Solomon provides research advice for postgraduate and PhD students, initiates and implements midwife-led evidence-based quality improvement projects, supervises and mentors postgraduate students, supervises postgraduate students, and co-supervises PhD students. He has participated in various research projects related to maternal and child health, contributed to studies on midwifery workforce assessment, performance evaluation, and determinants of maternal health, and was involved in the MIDWIZE capacity-building program for public health officials in maternal and child health that was implemented in the last four years in four African countries. Solomon has served as President of the Ethiopian Midwives Association, led quality improvement projects, and is a member of the university hospital senior management and senate. He has led and contributed to various research projects funded by organizations such as the Laerdal Foundation and the Swedish Institute. Three key publications on midwife-led continuity of care include:

1. Hailemeskel S, Alemu K, Christensson K, Tesfahun E, Lindgren H. Midwife-led continuity of care increases women’s satisfaction with antenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care: North Shoa, Amhara regional state, Ethiopia: A quasi-experimental study. Women and Birth. 2022 January 20.
2. Hailemeskel S, Alemu K, Christensson K, Tesfahun E, Lindgren H (2021) Health care providers’ perceptions and experiences related to Midwife-led continuity of care–A qualitative study. PLoS ONE 16(10): e0258248 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258248
3. Hailemeskel S, Alemu K, Christensson K, Tesfahun E, Lindgren H. Midwife-led continuity of care improved maternal and neonatal health outcomes in north Shoa zone, Amhara regional state, Ethiopia: A quasi-experimental study. Women and Birth. 2021 Sep 3.

Panelist

Academic Practice Lead, Department of Midwifery London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario

Registered Midwife, T.I.M.E. Program (Midwifery/MFM), OBs/Gyn Ambulatory Care

Adjunct Clinical Professor (Research), Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry

Bio: Lauren Columbus is the Academic Practice Lead with the Department of Midwifery and a Registered Midwife with the T.I.M.E. Program Expanded Midwifery Care Model at London Health Sciences Centre. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, as well as McMaster University. She holds a Masters in Health Professions Education from Maastricht University. Her areas of research and academic interest include quality assurance and quality improvement, simulation, collaborative models of perinatal care delivery, team dynamics in birthing units, and psychological safety in interprofessional teams.

Panelist

Assistant Professor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, Residency Program Director, MFM
Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Western University, London, Ontario

Bio: Dr. Harrison Banner is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist at London Health Sciences Centre and an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Schulich School of Medicine at Western University. Dr. Banner is the Residency Program Director for Maternal Fetal Medicine at Western University and the Physician Lead for the T.I.M.E Program, an innovative collaborative care program between Maternal Fetal Medicine and Midwifery, which seeks to increase access and care to pregnant and postpartum people in London, Ontario. Dr. Banner completed his residency training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at McMaster University followed by fellowship training in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto.

Dr. Banner’s primary academic interests are in postgraduate medical education and interprofessional simulation, interprofessional care and team dynamics in the birthing room, exploring models of collaborative obstetrical care delivery, and promoting an individualized approach to person-centred shared decision-making.

Panelist

Registered Midwife, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Bio: Lisa Bishop is Anishinbe from Wikwemikong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island. She completed a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Health Sciences in Midwifery at Laurentian University and Masters of Public Health at Lakehead University. She has practiced as a Registered Midwife since 2007, working in Peterborough with Kawartha Community Midwives and Thunder Bay with the Maternity Care Midwives.  Her current practice is at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care where she does outreach midwifery to families with complex social backgrounds and/or substance misuse.

Panelist

Indigenous Midwife and Registered Nurse, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Bio: Suzanne Fitzpatrick is an Anishnawbe Kwe from Anemki Wajiw, Fort William First Nation. She graduated from Lakehead University Nursing Program in 1997 and went on to gain a certificate from the Northern Nursing Clinical Outpost Program from Lakehead University in 1998. Suzanne has worked in nursing throughout her career in northern Ontario with Health Canada, Shibogama First Nations Council – Health Authority and finally returning to work in her community in 2008 with Dilico Anishinabek Family Care as a Community Health Nurse.  Beginning in 2020 she began her apprenticeship with the Dilico Anishinabek Family Care Midwifery program mentored by Registered Indigenous Midwife Lisa Bishop and Dr. Naana Jumah and graduated to become recognized and acknowledged by her First Nation Community and Dilico Anishinabek Family Care Board of Directors as an Indigenous Midwife in 2022.  Suzanne continues her practice as an Indigenous Midwife and RN with Dilico Anishinabek Family Care servicing 13 First Nation Communities and Indigenous families residing in Thunder Bay.

Panelist

Registered Midwife, Ottawa, Ontario

Bio: Liz Fraser is a registered midwife. Her professional interests include collaborative care, full-scope midwifery, and health policy.

Panelist

Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre,  Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Researcher, Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Bio: Naana Afua Jumah is an Obstetrician Gynaecologist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and a researcher at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Dr. Jumah’s research and clinical practice focuses on Indigenous women’s health as well as substance use in pregnancy in Northwestern Ontario. Through a series of integrated research studies, Dr. Jumah seeks to determine how to organize a model of care that addresses the needs of substance involved pregnant women living in rural and remote areas in order to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Dr. Jumah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto and a DPhil in Medical Engineering from the University of Oxford, which she completed as a Rhodes Scholar. Following her doctorate, she graduated from Harvard Medical School and then completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynaecology with a specialization in Addiction Medicine at the University of Toronto.

Panelist

Bio: Dr. Mila Smithies is a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist at The Ottawa Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Smithies is the Medical Lead for the ORACLE Outreach Collaborative Perinatal Care Program, working in collaboration with midwives to offer outreach perinatal care to pregnant and postpartum people experiencing substance use, mental illness, homelessness, violence, or involvement in the child welfare system.

Dr. Smithies attended the University of Toronto for undergraduate studies in Women and Gender Studies prior to obtaining her MD at the Schulich School of Medicine. She then undertook her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology followed by a fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Dalhousie University. Her clinical interests include quality assurance and pregnancy complications, and her research focuses on prenatal care and health promotion.

Master’s Student, Midwifery Graduate Program, McMaster University                                                                              McMaster Midwifery Research Centre, Hamilton, Ontario    Norwest Community Health Centre, Expanded Midwifery CARE Program, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Bio: Rebecca Hautala (pronouns she/her) works as a Registered Midwife in Thunder Bay, Ontario, practicing in an Expanded Midwifery Care Model.  With the support of her thesis committee and EMCM colleagues, Rebecca recently graduated from the first class of the McMaster Midwifery Graduate Program.  In addition, Rebecca is a new fellow with the McMaster University Research Centre with research interests that include midwifery integration, expanded midwifery care models, and Reproductive Justice. Contact: hautalar@mcmaster.ca