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The President's Pen
by Mary Ann Shah, CNM, MS, FACNM
Originally published in Quickening July/August 2003

Now that the final year of my presidency has begun, please indulge me as I underscore my belief that midwifery's unique strengths will overcome the innumerable perils that threaten our profession today. Indeed, I am convinced that, despite some very real threats to our very existence, the very best of times is close at hand for midwives, provided that we:

- rekindle our love and passion for midwifery and the women we serve
- nurture the humanistic model of care that has become so synonymous with midwifery - never allowing 'burnout' to suppress our compassion and caring
- preserve our validated 'tricks of the trade,' integrating them along with the high tech options available today
- make certain that our clients and their families are involved in goal-setting and that informed consent is integral to participatory decision-making
- ensure that all of our decisions and interventions are evidence-based
- fight for continuity of care in settings where it is being lost
- demand fair and equitable reimbursement for midwifery services
- rally for increased financial support and funding for midwifery education
- seek greater diversity of faculties and students and adopt new teaching strategies and computer-based technologies to accommodate different learning styles
- expand the education and practice opportunities for CMs
-explore ways of fast-tracking qualified CPMs and foreign-educated midwives through ACNM-accredited education programs
-develop internships for new graduates and 'refresher programs' for those who have been out of clinical practice
-secure adequate clinical sites for midwifery students, interns, and 'refreshees' exposing all to midwifery in the least restrictive settings while providing them with the knowledge and skills to offer the most advanced technologies available
-provide clinical preceptors with collegial support and professional incentives
-facilitate the maintenance of currency by practitioners and educators
-maintain and assess comprehensive databases of client and student outcomes in terms of measurable levels of competency, satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness
-document effective strategies of exemplary models of women's health care, including alternative and complementary practices

In the final analysis, WE are the College - and, collectively, we must:

Yes, our challenges are many; but, they are far from insurmountable. We must not give up - we cannot despair. The destiny of our profession is in our own hands. We must work together to convince the public, the legislators, the third party payers, the insurance industry, and the medical establishment that midwifery care is not only scientifically-based - but that our hallmarks can set the gold standard for safe, competent and humanistic health care for all women.

Most importantly, we need to midwife each other so that we can all become more resilient in facing the ambiguities of the future. As long as we remain strong and united - and stand up for our beliefs in the interests of the women we serve - we can overcome any obstacles that confront us and assure that midwifery will prevail.

Let us heed the sage advice that Mary Breckinridge offered us 77 years ago and:
"take heart, even though the trail is hard in the blazing"

*An adapted version of the presidential address delivered at ACNM's 48th Annual Meeting - June 2, 2003 - Palm Desert, California