|
|
 |
Welcome to MEAC
MEAC 2012 Fund Drive
MEAC invites its friends and supporters to join us as we work to ensure that the important voice of accredited schools is heard as this new era for maternity care is being crafted.
A gift of $35, $50, $100, $500, or whatever you can afford is extremely important and it will have an immediate impact.
NARM Announces New Eligibility Requirements for Certified Professional Midwives
Over the last year, MEAC has been working closely with the NARM Board to advocate for the unique needs of MEAC-accredited schools in the implementation of the new eligibility requirements for Certified Professional Midwives. On April 9, 2012 NARM announced their new requirements. Several important adjustments to the implementation timeline were made for students enrolled in MEAC-accredited schools, based on the feedback we received from a survey of MEAC-accredited schools.
Details about the changes and implementation timeline can be found on the NARM website:
NARM's Eligibility Requirements for Students and Graduates of MEAC-accredited programs
Interested in Starting a Midwifery School? Register NOW for pre-accreditation workshop!
Interested in becoming a MEAC accredited school or program? If so, mark your calendar for September 26, 2012. MANA pre-conference workshop will be held in Asilomar, California. Nasima Pfaffl will be presenting this all day workshop. This is a mandatory workshop for any school or program administrator planning to apply for MEAC accreditation within the next two years. If you are interested in a private workshop, please contact Sandra Bitonti Stewart for more details at sandra@meacschools.org.
To register for this workshop, please click here
How MEAC Supports Midwifery Education
MEAC accreditation is designed to strengthen educational programs and to preserve the many innovative programs designed by and for midwives. To mention only a few areas that are scrutinized for MEAC accreditation and continued accreditation status, a program/institution must meet rigorous requirements for demonstrated student success; being fiscally sound; sufficient faculty, staff, and facility resources; and curriculum.
•Did you know that more than 600 people contacted MEAC last year to find out how they could become midwives through an accredited program?
•Did you know that there are currently more than 500 students enrolled in MEAC-accredited programs and that approximately one half of all new Certified Professional Midwives are graduates of MEAC-accredited programs?
•Did you know that MEAC accredits a wide range of midwifery education programs, including independent schools and colleges as well as programs within community colleges and universities?
•Did you know that MEAC accredits both entry-level and graduate programs; residential, correspondence, and distance education programs?
•Did you know that MEAC is the only accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education whose standards meet the eligibility requirements for Certified Professional Midwives?
Call for nominations to the MEAC Board of Directors
Term: The Nominations Committee of MEAC is inviting nominations for an individual to serve as a Board Member for one three-year term beginning March 2013, with the possibility of a second term.
Qualifications: Board Members are individuals who have an interest in maternity care, the education of health care professionals and in serving the public through participation in the accreditation process of midwifery schools. They should have previous service on community, state or national boards.
Qualifications include the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to make high-stakes accreditation decisions including the following: general understanding of board policy and procedures; respect for the confidential, fair and impartial nature of accreditation decisions; and prior service on a community, state or national board.
Personal characteristics include the ability to: work and make decisions in a close collegial relationship; strive for consensus within a group but take responsibility for actions based on a vote by the quorum; express individual questions and concerns and hear the perspectives and opinions of others; consider information and data impartially and make rational and timely decisions; and communicate decisions effectively in written decision reports. In addition, candidates must be willing and able to serve a three-year term.
Responsibilities: The MEAC Board of Directors has the primary charge of rendering accreditation decisions. The Board is a self-managing group, with clear structure, policies and procedures that support the accreditation decision making process. Board Members primarily represent midwifery educators and practicing midwives. Board Members have vested responsibility for the accreditation decision-making process. The Board of Directors also contributes to the accreditation policies and procedures, and the revision of professional standards. MEAC is guided by its own founding principles and mission as well as guidelines for strong education accreditation practice as defined by the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) and the U.S. Department of Education. Board members commit to attend monthly telephone conference calls and one in-person board meeting in the fall of each year; to actively serve as a member of working groups if assigned; and to participate in accreditation training and orientation sessions. Preparation for Board meetings includes review and critical assessment of written reports and accreditation materials. MEAC offers a stipend to cover a significant portion of the meeting expense.
Any individual may make nominations. Self-nominations are encouraged.
CPM Issue Brief - Certified Professional Midwives: An Asset to Health Care Reform
We are pleased to announce the release of an Issue Brief: Certified Professional Midwives in the United States.
The Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) co-authored this important document with the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), and the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM). These four national organizations have played essential roles in the conception, formation, promotion and maintenance of the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential.
The United States faces a deepening crisis in the quality, cost and availability of health care. Maternity care in particular reflects the basic inefficiencies of the current model – on the one hand too many women receive unnecessarily expensive care due to the overuse of technology, while others cannot access even the most basic services. Midwives are poised to address this problematic distribution of care by providing essential health services that result in excellent outcomes at lower cost than typical care. Any plan for health reform should include support for and expansion of midwifery services.
Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) are a fast-growing segment of the midwifery profession in the United States today. Certified Professional Midwives are trained and credentialed to offer expert care, education, counseling and support to women for pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. They have particular expertise in out-of-hospital settings. CPMs practice as autonomous health professionals working within a network of relationships with other maternity care professionals who can provide consultation and collaboration when needed.
The purpose of this document is to provide information about Certified Professional Midwives: their qualifications, philosophy and scope of practice; the best available evidence regarding the safety and quality of their care; and a brief exploration of how increased utilization of their services will address America’s health care needs.
Click here to link to a pdf of the CPM Issue Brief
The Case for Midwifery Education & Certified Professional Midwives
MEAC believes that midwives provide care that is essential to the health of the nation. The future of midwifery depends on the education of midwives who are prepared to provide high quality care that is responsive to the needs of women, and who can participate effectively in the transformation of our system of maternity care.
Midwifery schools and programs accredited by MEAC prepare midwives for national certification as Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs). These midwives are earning recognition in ever-widening circles. Just this month, the Milbank Memorial Fund, a nonpartisan institute devoted to health policy analysis, issued a new report titled “Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve.” The report cites data from the landmark study of CPMs published in 2005 and concludes:
The low CPM rates of intervention are benchmarks for what the majority of childbearing women and babies who are in good health might achieve.
The report also cites an Issue Brief co-authored by MEAC this year that provides useful background information on CPMs, describes the organizations that support the credentialing and recognition of CPMs, and discusses midwifery and health policy issues.
We are pleased to report that the number of students enrolled in accredited midwifery programs is growing. MEAC currently accredits eight freestanding institutions and two programs that reside within universities, providing excellent midwifery education for more than 500 matriculating students. Four new schools have applied for accreditation within the last year and at least two others have indicated their intent to apply.
As the number of midwives is growing, legal recognition is also expanding. Nearly half of all states now regulate direct-entry midwifery, and at least fifteen other states are considering legislation. At the same time, midwives are working to improve access to care by tackling the complex challenges of insurance coverage, equitable reimbursement, and employment opportunities.
Scroll Down or Click Below to Read:
•The Issue Brief on Certified Professional Midwives
Qualified Home Birth Providers
Medscape Today in their article "Science and Sensibility: Choice of Birth Place in the United States: Qualified Home-Birth Providers" states "Fortunately for the American public, evaluations that compare professional competencies and practices among maternity provider groups have found more similarities than differences in the basic skills and components of care that are offered to healthy women across birth settings.[37,38] Scopes of practice and educational pathways to certification and licensure differ among certified nurse-midwives (CNM), certified midwives (CM), certified professional midwives (CPM), family physicians, and obstetricians, but similar standardized competency assessment, quality assurance, and professional accountability measures are in place for each credential. All of the credentialing bodies for these US-based maternity health professionals expect candidates to demonstrate acquisition of both theoretical content and specific clinical skills that are appropriate to their scope of practice."
To read the remainder of this article, follow the link below. If you are not already a MedscapeCME member, you will be asked to create a free membership login and password. Off you go to www.medscape.com/viewarticle/717516_2?src=emailthis
