From the Central Texas Midwives

Dear ACNM Board,

We are writing to express concerns about the ACNM’s opposition to the inclusion of CPMs in the Federal Medicaid bill. Our entire community, which is characterized by strong working relationships between CNMs and CPMs is disappointed and hurt that ACNM has choosen to take this position.

The Central Texas Midwives is a group of 38 midwives practicing in the Austin area. We are CNMs practicing at home, in a birth center and in the hospital and CPMs practicing at home and in a birth center. Most of the CPMs in our region have been apprenticeship trained through the PEP process. We consistently learn form each other. There is no line dividing us based on credentials. We highly value this dynamic and engaging relationship. We have a mutual respect for each other’s knowledge and experience, regardless of where or under what model that knowledge was acquired.

We are also a group of midwives who lobby our legislators for each other. Mutual support and respect has made midwives in our area feel good about ourselves as well as the kind of care that we provide to our clients. We believe that CNMs and CPMs alike do best when we can call each other freely for advice and support.

It is clear that the nation’s health care problems require leadership that is no longer stuck in the rigid, boxed-in thinking of old. We need leadership that is creative, flexible and willing to seek an inspired solution, which we believe includes CPMs. We cannot afford to quibble over who has the best and most valid training.

The mutual support of CPMs and CNMs in central Texas has made us a strong community. It is short-sighted to place an overemphasis on specific credentials. We believe that when one group of midwives seeks benefit by undermining another group, that undermines ALL midwives.

We would like to take this opportunity to extend an open invitation to sincere dialogue. We plan to continue to work together to strengthen midwifery and benefit our clients in central Texas. We hope that the ACNM will genuinely engage with the other midwifery organizations and will be open to information regarding the effectiveness of the apprenticeship model. We look forward to working together.

Sincerely
The Central Texas Midwives

Mary Barnett, RN, CNM, MN
Faith Beltz, CPM, LM
Jennifer Bennet, CPM, LM
Julia Bower, RN, CNM, MSN
April Bullock, CPM, LM
Lisa Carlisie, CNM
Amber Clarkson, CPM, LM
Debra Day-Camp, CPM, LM
Ann Dignon, RN, CNM
Roswitha Dowell, CPM, LM
Kristen Elliot, CPM, LM
Samantha Evans, CPM, LM
Michelle Fitzgerald, CPM, LM
Illysa Foster, CPM, LM
Laurie Fremgen, CPM, LM
Lauren Guehl, CNM
Kathy Harrison-Short, CNM
Cammie Hauser, CPM, RN, CNM
Melanie Henderson, CPM, LM
Heather Hilton, LM
GB Khalsa, CPM, LM
Keidi Kjerstad RN, CPM, LM
Siobhan Kubesh, RN, CNM, MSN, ICEA
Natalie Lake, CPM, LM
June Lamphier, LVN, CPM, LM
Jennifer Llana, CNM
Vicki Meinhardt, CPM, LM
Liane Miller, CNM
Marimikel Penn, RN-BSN, CPM, LM
Sara Pinkman, CNM
Heather Roberts-Schoen, CNM
Sarah Rudindsky, CNM
Sherry Russell, CPM, LM
Joan Smith, CNM
Patty Sprinkle, RN-BSN, CPM, LM
Jean Stokes, RN, CPM, LM
Lisa Sunden, CNM, FNP
Christy Tashjian, RN, CPM, LM