News

Fall 2007

Happy Nurse Midwifery Week, October 7 – 13th! You can view many exciting activities and historical talking points about the ACNM and our role in improving maternal child health by looking at the ACNM website for this week at the following url http://www.midwife.org/display.cfm?id=312
Spring Graduation, 2007: May brought six new alumni to the KU Midwifery Program. Graduates included: Julie Smith, Melissa Curtice, Jenny Swanson, Kathy Wyer, Terri Jones, and Denise Nickel. Jenny, Denise and Melissa have all completed the AMCB board certification exam and have passed. Congratulations to all! See photos of their May celebration event in the picture section of the News update.
ACNM Annual Meeting in Chicago, 2007: ACNM met in Chicago for the first time in over 25 years. Jenny Swanson attended as the student representative to KUSON. Jenny was also awarded one of the highest ACNM Foundation Scholarships in Basic Midwifery for graduate students. (See photo) Congratulations Jenny! Additional photos of alumni and preceptors can be viewed as well. Next years annual meeting will be in Boston, MA from May 23rd to 28th. Plan on going now, it’s an event that re-charges your passion for midwifery, and brings professional awareness on cutting edge clinical topics, advocacy issues, and camaraderie within the profession.
Class of 2008: We have 10 incoming students beginning the midwifery core courses in January 2008. This includes a combination of 8 generic students, 2 post masters students, and 1 UMKC student. Additionally, we have 5 students accepted in the ‘pipeline’ working on the master’s core to begin in January 2010. Our program is growing, and that is largely in part to the generosity and gift of preceptors that have worked with KU SON since program inception. We’ll formally welcome the 2008 students in January!
ACNM Chapter V-18: This is the Greater Kansas City Chapter, and quite active between the two states it represents, Kansas and Missouri. We were sponsored by Warner-Chilcott at a wonderful dinner on the Plaza and celebrated National Nurse Midwifery week. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Kansas City, MO Mayor Mark Funkhauser signed proclamations for this week. (See photo) A committee is forming to work on next year’s Greater Kansas City “Midwife Means With Woman”, 13th annual conference in March 2008. Stay tuned, and if you would like to help plan this meeting, contact Cara Busenhart, Chapter President.
Program Curricular Changes & the Doctorate of Nursing Practice: Many may know that the KU Masters curriculum has been modified beginning fall of this year to prepare for incoming students seeking to pursue the BSN to DNP. KU faculty are hopeful that the Kansas Board of Regents will approve this fall the go ahead to begin a DNP program. When that decision is made, students will be given the option to exit with a masters degree, or continue for an additional 32 hours to receive their DNP. Additionally, if the DNP plan of study is approved, the admissions process for post-masters DNP applicants will begin this fall with the program beginning in the fall of 2008. At this time it is anticipated that approximately 20 post-masters students will be admitted to the first class, representing each specialty track offered at KUSON. The goal is to have a base of faculty and preceptors with a DNP to begin to build the workforce necessary for an anticipated large number of incoming students desiring this degree. If you are interested in the post-masters program, please send your request for information to the KU SON Student Affairs office, ATTN: Dr. Rita Clifford, Associate Dean.
International Confederation of Midwives, 28th Triennial Conference (ICM) 2008: This international forum of midwives practicing world-wide meets every three years. In 2008 the meeting will be held in Glasgow, Scotland. If you are interested in learning more about this international meeting, please view the following website at http://www.midwives2008.org/home.htm Ginger Breedlove, program director, was accepted to present a paper presentation on the community-based doula model to promote improved perinatal outcomes in underserved populations.

The KU Midwifery website is under construction for updates to many sections. Please let us know if you would like a link to your practice for students, visitors, and potential families looking for CNMs in their communities! Thanks for your interest and sharing.

Send any updates to Ginger Breedlove at gbreedlove@kumc.edu

Have a beautiful fall season!
Ginger Breedlove, PhD, CNM, ARNP, FACNM Program Director

Photos:

Blessing of the hands Class of 2007, May

Congratulations cake at Completion Ceremony Reception – Lied Auditorium, KUMC

KU SON Ceremony, Soldiers/Sailor Auditorium, Kansas City, KS
Left to Right Front Row: Melissa Curtice and Kathy Wyer
Back Row: Julie Smith, Denise Nickel, Jenny Swanson and Terri Jones

Completion Ceremony Faculty and Graduates:
Left to Right Sitting/Front Row: G Breedlove, Program Director, J Wika, Faculty, and L Rosen (PhD student). Back Row: Jenny Swanson, Melissa Curtice, Kathy Wyer, Julie Smith, Denise Nickel and Terri Jones.

Blessing of the Hands: G Breedlove and Jenny Swanson

National Nurse Midwifery Week: ACNM Chapter V-18 at celebration dinner holding Proclamations from Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Kansas City, MO Mayor Mark Funkhauser. October 7-13th, 2007

Libby Rosen, KUSON PhD(c) - Key Note Speaker, Honorary Midwife Pin given by J Wika, CNM Faculty
Libby Rosen, KUSON PhD(c) – Key Note Speaker, Honorary Midwife Pin given by J Wika, CNM Faculty

Liz Itote, CNM (left) Red Hat Award winner from Class of 2005 congratulates and passes hat to Melissa Curtice (Class of 2007) as new award recipient for exemplary work in midwifery education and professional career path.

Left to Right: Denise Fryzelka, CNM (Preceptor), Ann Wright, CNM (Class 2002) and L Rosen during “Blessing of the Hands”

Blessing of the Hands

Class of 2007 joining hands in celebration of program completion.