About NY Midwives (NYM)
NYM was formed in 2000 as the professional voice of Licensed Midwives in NYS. It is an affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and its board is made of elected volunteers who are current members. NYM supports midwifery through its many committees and regional representatives. Add your knowledge and expertise to the advancement of midwifery by joining NYM!
Click here to join American College of Nurse-Midwives and NYM.
Image Description: A Black woman in labor sits inside a large blue inflatable birthing pool filled with water, holding hands with two supportive attendants outside the tub while another person stands in the background.
NYSALM’s History
We incorporated in 2000 as a 501(c)6 professional membership organization with the mission of representing the interests and needs of midwives and the people they serve with a unified voice. Members of the Board serve as volunteers although the organization does employ a legal firm to represent us in the political arena in our state capitol.
We seek to realize our mission and vision through the following actions:
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- Increasing the number of midwives from Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities to create a midwifery workforce that reflects the populations we care for through improved recruitment, addressing barriers in midwifery education, and appropriate mentorship
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- Furthering our profession through the promotion of all midwifery, including Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) and Traditional Birth Attendants
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- Creating tangible resources to support midwives in critically engaging with the healthcare and educational systems in which we learn and work so that we have meaningful decision-making power
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- Providing resources to support midwives in upholding the bodily autonomy, personal sovereignty, human rights, and dignity of our clients
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- Improving consumer access to midwifery care so that there are true options for reproductive and sexual healthcare for all people regardless of race, sexuality, gender identity, religion, physical and mental ability, income/insurance status, geographic location, or any other social identity markers
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- Advocating for equitable compensation and reimbursement for the care that midwives provide
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- Advancing the midwifery model of care with its focus on respectful care, birth equity, and shared decision making as one that practitioners of all disciplines can employ
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- Promoting midwifery research, particularly with populations historically excluded from research and on practices rooted in traditional and ancestral knowledge
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- Lobbying for statewide legislative and regulatory changes that promote the objectives listed above
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- Collaboratively working with grassroots and community-based movements when determining our legislative priorities and engaging in campaigns and solidarity actions
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- Maintaining productive relationships with other healthcare providers, institutions, and organizations, as well as community, nonprofit and activist groups working to address racism and advance human rights to healthcare
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- Utilizing clear and open communication strategies where all members are heard and have an equitable seat at the table
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- Increasing membership engagement and satisfaction within our organization
Committees
NYM’s committees allow us to accomplish a wide variety of functions. We are always looking for new members, and you do not need to be a board member to join! Please contact the chair listed on the committee’s page if you are interested in joining.
- DEIB: Pat Loftman
- Finance: Debbie Mercer-Miller
- Legislative Committee: Helena Grant
- Insurance Committee: Jen Seymour
- Nominating Committee: LaShawna King
- Abortion Project Task Force: Whitney Hall
- Membership Committee: Sunday Smith
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Student & New Midwives Committee: Susan Campos
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Quality Assurance Committee: Michelle Doyle
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Communications Committee: Vacant
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Governance and Bylaws Committee: Vacant
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Birth Center Committee: Vacant
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IMPACT Committee: Vacant
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Program Committee: Vacant
Communications Committee is responsible for maintaining NYM’s website, updating our social media, circulating information to members and legislators, and monitoring NYM’s phone and email.
Contact: OPEN POSITION contact newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
Documents:
The DEIB committee works to bring diversity in midwifery education, discourse, and practice to strengthen and expand the relevance of midwifery in all of society.
Contact: Pat Loftman @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
Documents:
The Finance Committee is responsible for maintaining and examining the finances of NYSALM. The Committee works to determine budgets for committees, special projects, and the organization as a whole, as well as planning fundraising when necessary and long-term financial planning.
Contact: Debbie Mercer-Miller @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
Please contact us if you are seeking the budget itself, the financial audit, or other documents not listed here.
Forms and Documents:
Policies:
The IMPACT Committee works to promote awareness of NYS midwifery licensure, scope of practice, and education requirements among the NYS healthcare community to help midwives as they pursue employment, privileging, and credentialing. The primary focus of this committee is the education of midwives, midwifery employers, hospital staff and other relevant stakeholders.
Contact: Please contact us @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
Documents of Interest:
Insurance Committee works to facilitate midwives’ relations with insurance providers. This includes identifying a variety of barriers to reimbursement and working to overcome them. The Insurance Committee is also developing a database of New York insurance providers and their policies, midwifery participation, and reimbursement.
Contact: Jen Seymour @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
Documents:
The Legislative Committee works closely with the NYM board to represent licensed midwives in state government. They also organize NYM’s annual Advocacy Day in Albany, when midwives and midwifery allies meet with legislators to lobby for (or against) bills relevant to midwifery and women’s health.
Contact: Helena Grant @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
Program Committee schedules and organizes events, meetings, education sessions and social gatherings for NYM. This includes the Annual Meeting, our annual dinner before Lobby Day, and special events.
Contact: Vacant Position – Please contact us @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
Quality Assurance Committee works to improve midwifery practice. The Home Birth Integration Initiative published guidelines for homebirth practice in 2015 and in 2020 published guidelines to improve transfers from community birth to hospital.
Contact: Michelle Doyle @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
Documents:
The Governance and Bylaws Committee (GAB) is responsible for the creation and maintenance of NYM’s bylaws. These bylaws are a set of rules that guide NYM’s operations and activities. GAB supports good governance by promoting the healthy functioning of NYM’s board and committees.
Contact: Whitney Hall @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
The Student and New Midwives Committee (SANMC) is a space for students and new midwives to connect with each other to discuss issues that affect us, to collaborate, and to create a community. Our goal is to create a network for new midwives in NYS.
Contact: Vacant Position – Please contact us @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
The Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying and recruiting candidates for election to the Board. The Nominating Committee makes all reasonable and appropriate efforts to ensure that nominees constitute a diverse, qualified group, who will represent the interests of NY Midwives members.
Contact: Please contact Shawna King @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
The Birth Center Committee ensures that midwives are leading the discussion of midwife-led centers while advocating for sensible, safe, and effective regulations that promote prosperous birth centers across New York State.
Contact:Vacant position Please Contact us @ newyorkmidwives@gmail.com
Documents:
Making Motions to the Board
Is there something you wish could be accomplished on a statewide level that would benefit you, your colleagues, and birthing families in NYS? Put a motion on the floor to be considered and voted on by the Board!
- Think of a motion as a research question: what would you like to achieve? Then do a “literature search” to see if there is already a law or regulation that relates to this issue. NY State agencies all have websites that give their prescribed legal function. Your local state senator or assembly person has staff that may assist you in learning what already exists regarding your area of interest.
- Be constructive about what you would like changed or amended. “I move that NYM create an ad hoc committee to consider…”, “I move that NYM include in its website information on…” Not every motion results in exciting new legislation, but we start by bringing ideas to the table.
- If you are unable to attend the meetings, please email us the name of your regional representative who will put your motion on the agenda for you. Even if you can’t meet with us, we still need your participation!
- All members are also invited to join the Board meetings which take place at least four times per year; please see our calendar for exact dates, times, and locations.