Nurse-Midwifery | Page 4 | Frontier Nursing University

Alumni Spotlight: Kari Reimann Becomes First Nurse-Midwife in Area Providing Care for Planned Hospital Births with 24/7 CNM Coverage

August 31, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Since she was young, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumnus Kari Reimann, CNM, has always been fascinated with the science of conception, pregnancy, and birth. Now, she is using that passion to fill a significant need in the St. Louis, Mo., birthing community.

While the area has many options for home births and birth center births with a certified nurse-midwife (CNM), few options are available for women seeking an in-hospital delivery with a CNM. Reimann is looking to change that, as the first nurse-midwife in the area providing care for planned hospital births with 24/7 CNM coverage.

In June 2021, Reimann became a member of the BJC Medical Group, a well-established, multi-specialty provider group with over 100 locations in greater St. Louis, mid-Missouri, and Southern Illinois. Reimann’s practice is located in a county just south of St. Louis that is currently underserved by medical professionals, particularly those providing OB services. She has a second office in Festus, a rural town 40 minutes south of St. Louis. Through her work, Reimann is helping fulfill part of FNU’s mission to “prepare competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate leaders in primary care to serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations.”

In addition, Reimann is the only full-scope CNM with delivery privileges at Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Her new position enables her to serve women seeking whole-person, time-intensive midwifery care who may not meet low-risk criteria for an out-of-hospital birth or simply prefer the hospital setting.

“We have an excellent out-of-hospital, free-standing birth center and an in-hospital birth center in St. Louis,” said Reimann. “Now, we can provide quality midwifery care for some higher-risk patients who are planning a hospital birth.”

By working with a collaborating physician, Reimann is able to support women facing special cases such as TOLACs (trial of labor after cesarean) and TOLAC2s (trial of labor after two caesareans). A TOLAC is an attempted vaginal birth in a patient who has had a previous Cesarean section. Frontier recognizes that it is provider collaboration like Reimann is implementing that will create effective change in the health care system and ultimately lower maternal mortality rates.

Improving maternal health, specifically maternal mortality, is an urgent task set before women’s health care providers. As cited by the National Vital Statistics System, the 2018 maternal mortality rate was 17.4 maternal deaths per 100,000 births – meaning 658 women died either during pregnancy, at birth, or within 42 days of birth.

With Reimann’s support and her collaborative structure, women who may be labeled “high risk” are able to still safely deliver under the care of a CNM. Her patients range from women whose hopes for home birth were prevented by medical risks, to women simply preferring a hospital setting. Whether her patients are hoping for a natural birth or plan to use an epidural, Reimann seeks to be a partner in the journey, which is an important aspect of nurse-midwifery care.

When it comes to delivering quality care, Reimann says her primary motivators are the shared decision-making model and allowing her patients to make an informed choice.

“As a woman who has been a patient in the general healthcare setting, I know what it is to leave the office visit feeling like I was rushed and didn’t get my questions answered,” Reimann said. “That’s why I try to make sure women feel informed and good about their plan when they’re leaving my practice.”

Her practice’s scheduling system reflects this, giving new patients 60-minute appointment slots while returning patients have 30 minutes to ensure plenty of time for questions and full participation in shared decision-making.

Reimann, who graduated in 2018, credits Frontier for much of her critical thinking skills.

“I encounter new medications or conditions often, but because I was equipped to read the research well, I’m able to go seek those articles and educate myself on an ongoing basis,” she said.

Her expertise and education enable her to better share in the joys and hardships women and families experience during the pregnancy and labor/birth journey.

“It is an honor and privilege to be a part of such an impactful time in people’s lives,” said Reimann. “I want to promote confidence in women that pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are most often normal healthy processes in a woman’s life. I approach their care through that lens though always careful to ensure that things stay healthy and low risk.”

Thank you for your dedication to serving women and families, Kari. We are proud to have you represent Frontier!

Are you interested in becoming a certified nurse-midwife? Frontier Nursing University offers a graduate Nurse-Midwifery specialty track that can be pursued full- or part-time while completing a Master of Science in Nursing or a Post-Graduate Certificate. After earning an MSN or certificate, you have the option to transition to the Companion Doctor of Nursing Practice program via a direct admission process. Learn more here.

The 2020 FNU President’s Annual Report: The Challenges and Triumphs of 2020

July 8, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

With the COVID-19 Pandemic, social justice and reform, political turmoil, and the completion of the move to the Versailles campus, 2020 was unlike any other year in the history of FNU. Still, the university maintained its course, relying on our strategic plan to guide our actions and measure our progress.

The 2020 President’s Annual Report takes a close look at each of the university’s six strategic plan goals and our progress toward achieving them. The Report includes feature stories on the people, events, and initiatives that impacted each of these strategic plan goals. For instance, read about the remarkable task of creating DNP quality improvement projects that students could complete virtually during the pandemic and hear first-hand from the students themselves.

This report also details the strategic goal to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at FNU and how the national movement for social justice and reform impacted that progress. Also included is a comprehensive list of the new and ongoing DEI initiatives and the purpose behind them.

In addition to the virtual DNP projects and coursework implemented due to COVID, the pandemic also brought about a national reliance on telehealth and other virtual technologies. Read in the Report about how telehealth impacted FNU’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner students and see how technology helped students find creative ways to connect with preceptors.

By being innovative and flexible, FNU worked hard in 2020 to ensure that students’ progress was not interrupted. However, some students were inevitably impacted by the pandemic and faced a variety of hardships. Read all about the unprecedented number of requests for aid and for the amazing number of students who were helped by our generous supporters via FNU’s Student Emergency Fund.

Learn all about the Versailles, Kentucky campus, which is now ready to host on-campus activities as soon as it is safe to do so. Read about FNU’s impressive data-collection and analysis capabilities and how this serves the university’s data-driven decision-making.

Data is also featured in an at-a-glance look at the university, including the latest numbers on enrollment, retention, graduates, diversity, and more. As always, the President’s Report features a photo-filled, comprehensive recap of the year’s major events, awards, and accomplishments.

Click here to read or download the 2020 President’s Annual Report today!

FNU Alumni Spotlight: Mychal Pilia

June 28, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Alumni, Mychal Pilia, CNM, first became familiar with midwifery when her sister decided to have a home birth.

“Of course, when I heard, I responded with all of the typical things midwives hear like that’s not going to be as safe, and what if something goes wrong?” Pilia laughs. “Then, through her pregnancy and delivery, I learned about midwives and the kind of care that they offer, and I quickly changed my perspective.”

Although Pilia’s sister’s first pregnancy did end up requiring an emergency C-section, she went on to have four more home births. By the time she had her most recent child, Pilia had become a certified nurse-midwife and caught her nephew herself. Pilia has also partnered with midwives for the births of all three of her own children.

Initially, Pilia had set her sights on being a personal chef and earned her first bachelor’s degree in nutrition. However, after working two years in a professional kitchen as part of her studies, she soon realized that was not her path. Following graduation, Pilia enrolled in an accelerated nursing school program where she received her second bachelor’s degree in 18 months and became a practicing pediatric ICU nurse in 2008.

In 2011, Pilia was ready to become a certified nurse-midwife but needed to earn her degree remotely so that she could continue caring for her family. That’s when she found Frontier and the tools she needed to open her own practice. Pilia is especially thankful for the emphasis that FNU places on business planning.

“The business plan portion was such an extremely beneficial part of the curriculum at FNU,” Pilia says. “It gave students an in-depth understanding of what being part of a practice or hospital really involves and where you fit in the bigger picture. Even if someone isn’t going to be an entrepreneur and start their own practice, it was a lot of really valuable information.”

Shortly after graduating from FNU, Pilia and her family moved from Texas to Maryland. She had originally based her business plan for a birth center around her Houston location and was faced with restructuring it around a whole new market. Luckily, Pilia had a firm grasp on her goal. In 2016, shortly after moving to the area, Pilia entered the Maryland Women’s Business Center Business Plan Competition. She won fourth place, behind already established businesses, and her commercial for a side competition, “Pick the Pitch,” won by a landslide. These wins brought awareness to her dream and helped her build a network of people who would help her bring her birth center to life.

The Frederick Birth Center opened its doors on May 31, 2018, and delivered its first baby on June 21 of the same year. It is currently the only birth center within hundreds of miles, so Pilia and her team often work with families from Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and Delaware in addition to Maryland residents.

Due to COVID-19, the Frederick Birth Center has nearly tripled the number of clients they serve on an average month, and their bi-weekly online tours see between 10-15 families for each event.

“There has definitely been an increased interest in alternative birth methods since the pandemic,” Pilia says. “However, we are still screening prospective families to make sure that our birth center is the right fit for them and not just a fallback option.”

On top of online tours, the birth center also offers classes for clients on labor and birth, postpartum planning, early pregnancy, breastfeeding and more to make sure that their clients are confident and prepared when the baby arrives.

Pilia says that many changes have been made within the center over the past year, but that those changes have helped her realize the bigger picture of the industry.

“This is a fluid business that is constantly growing and adapting to keep up with the times,” Pilia says. “It’s never dull, and there is always more to learn. This job is also always pushing me to do what is right for my community, patients, and staff. At the end of the day, I feel that my career is making me a better person. I can’t imagine investing this much into any other field.”

Thank you, Mychal, for all of the great work you are doing to promote midwifery in an underserved community. We hope that your model of care and respect will continue to spread throughout the country.

To learn more about FNU’s nurse-midwifery program, click here.

Frontier Nursing University Celebrates Nurses Week May 6-12th

May 10, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Each year, Frontier Nursing University looks forward to May, when we join with the American Nurses Association (ANA) in celebrating National Nurses Week. Although these celebrations have looked a bit different the past two years, the enthusiasm has only increased. As of this year, National Nurses Week has become National Nurses Month, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has extended the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife into 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has seen a heightened need for nurses and midwives worldwide. The extension of the Year of the Nurse and Midwife demonstrates the continued support by WHO for the endless dedication and sacrifice of frontline workers throughout the pandemic.

As nurses and midwives approach work in the second year of COVID-19, support and encouragement for frontline workers continues to be essential to keep our country moving forward. This week, Frontier joins with people across the nation to celebrate nurses by following the weekly themes outlined by the ANA for National Nurses Month. Below you can find each week’s theme along with ways FNU has stepped up to support nurses throughout the past year:

Week 1: Self Care

When COVID-19 first closed down the FNU campus over a year ago, Frontier leadership quickly established a virtual hub for information and resources about the pandemic. On this page, students and faculty can find the most up-to-date data on the disease, as well as several self-care strategies provided by Dr. Jess Calohan, DNP, Associate Professor, and Department Chair of FNU’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program.

Frontier is proud that its campus has been utilized as a vaccination site. It has been an honor to be a part of moving our community in a safe and healthy direction. While the vaccination process continues, FNU is asking community members to share photos of receiving or administering the vaccine here.

Week 2: Recognition

As a nursing university, FNU is well aware of the sacrifices being made every day by the men and women serving on the frontlines. Throughout this year, the university has built a running blog to honor and share the stories of students, alumni, and faculty making a difference in the fight against COVID-19.

Week 3: Professional Development

Frontier has continued to be committed to its students and the overall nursing community throughout the pandemic. The university has worked to expand nursing education throughout the pandemic through continuing education (CE) opportunities. Current CE options available through Frontier include “Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: Trends in Treatment,” “Midwifery Pearls of Telehealth,” “Epigenetics for the Practicing Clinician,” and “Hot Topics in the Management of Perimenopause & Menopause: A Conventional & Integrative Approach.” Additionally, FNU has recently released a new course, “Introduction to Cultural Safety,” designed to help health care workers gain a deeper understanding of best practices for serving cultures different from their own. This course is available to the FNU community and anyone interested in providing quality service to people of all backgrounds.

Week 4: Community Engagement

During this period of isolation, Frontier has worked hard to expand community engagement and continue to provide support to faculty, staff and students alike. This has been done through Facebook groups, message boards, notes of encouragement, and so much more. During the past year, Frontier has found sharing stories of alumni, students, and preceptor successes to be an excellent resource for keeping the FNU family connected. If you are interested in sharing your story or know someone from FNU with a great story, please share it with the FNU communications team here.
On top of COVID-19, the past year has also put on display the harsh disparities and racism that still exist in the country today. With the deaths of George Floyd, Brenna Taylor, and so many others, FNU was determined to continue the school’s tradition of hosting a Diversity Impact Conference. 2020 marked the ten-year anniversary of the conference and although it was moved to a digital platform, the enthusiasm for the mission, fantastic speakers and presentations, and the opportunity to have important conversations revolving around race, gender, and identity remained the same.
In a further effort to stand in solidarity with marginalized individuals, FNU also released an anti-racism statement that can be found here.

Frontier is proud to continue to celebrate, support, and educate nurses throughout the difficulties of this past year. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about FNU and our commitment to lifting nurses of all ethnicities and backgrounds, visit our mission page.

The Road to Dreams Fulfilled

May 5, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Nancy Reinhart, MPH, CNM, Class 155 knew what she was looking for, and was willing to travel as far as necessary to find it. Her journey has taken her from her hometown of Louisville to Hyden, Kentucky; Fort Hood, Texas; Shiprock, New Mexico; and, currently, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The common theme behind every choice and step she has made has been her drive to serve rural and underserved communities.

Even with that as her guide, however, Reinhart did not set out to be a nurse-midwife. That began to change when she participated in Frontier’s Courier program during the summer between her junior and senior years of college.

“My family has always been committed to helping people and giving service,” she said. “But the rural healthcare piece was inspired by my experience in the Courier program. I saw my first birth and it made a tremendous impact on me. I actually chose my master’s program because of that history.”

After her Courier experience — which included meeting current FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, who was the Midwifery Program Director at that time — Reinhart earned a masters’ degree in public health and began a job in social justice. Soon thereafter she was contacted by Frontier and offered the opportunity to run the Courier program.

“I just knew it was a good fit for me,” Reinhart said.

It was also the beginning of her journey to become a nurse-midwife. Like all staff and faculty members at FNU, Reinhart attended Frontier Bound as part of her orientation. That experience convinced her that her dream of becoming a nurse-midwife could be a reality.

“When I was at Frontier Bound I was so amazed at the diversity of people and ages that were starting this journey,” Reinhart said. “I had been thinking I was too old and too far along in life. I was putting up all these barriers against myself, but that dream just wasn’t leaving me and that really helped me to get over the hump. So I went ahead and started chipping away at the educational requirements while running the Courier program.”

One of those requirements — acquiring clinical hours — proved to be a bit of a challenge. She found opportunities close to home at the University of Louisville and the Tree of Life Birth Center in southern Indiana. She enjoyed working with Damara Jenkins, MSN, CMN, Class 48, her primary preceptor at both sites, but both sites were in very high demand with other student requests. She also wanted some of her training to be in a rural setting with a strong collaborative physician-midwife model. Determined to find the experience she was looking for, she decided to expand her search.

“There was an intense amount of clinical pressure on the sites local to me. As soon as I gave up a spot at both of the sites that I had for brief periods of time in Kentucky, they were taken by other students who needed clinical hours, particularly births,” Reinhart said. “I wanted to be at a higher volume site and one with a rural focus because that is how I envisioned practicing. That was a governing factor in why I chose to travel. It felt like to get what I was looking for, I was going to have to expand my horizons.”

That led her to the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, Texas. There, her primary preceptor was FNU graduate Susan Clapp, MSN, CNM, Class 81. She next went to Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, New Mexico, where she was primarily precepted by Venay Uecke, CNM, and another FNU graduate, Kerena Satlzgiver, MSN, CNM, Class 91.

“I traveled quite far,” Reinhart laughed. “We took our whole family on a roadshow from July to December in 2019.” Reinhart’s family consists of her husband, Dave Mitchell, who is a therapist, and three children ages 4, 9, and 11.

Reinhart expressed her gratitude to all the preceptors who taught her and to all the families who allowed her to participate in their births as a student. She said she learned a tremendous amount from the regional variation in midwifery practices that she saw across four states during clinical.

When the successful “roadshow” came to an end, it was time to find a full-time opportunity. Once again, the family had a vision for their desired next step.

“My husband and I were pretty clear about what our priorities were,” Reinhart said. “I prioritized rural health as something I was committed to serving. So we looked at what places and locations both had job openings, were rural serving underserved, and were relatively close to home, family, and friends. I had job opportunities in New Mexico and far afield, but we limited our search to Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. I wanted to serve women in a rural area through a full-scope midwifery position with a good work-life balance. I also wanted to be in a place with really supportive physicians. I know what it’s like for midwives when they don’t have supportive physicians to work with. Gettysburg fit all those things for us.”

Reinhart joined WellSpan OB/GYN in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as a full-scope nurse-midwife in July 2020. The practice, which consists of four nurse-midwives and four physicians, is the only one in the area that offers 24/7 nurse-midwifery care.

“We serve several surrounding, rural counties,” Reinhart said. “We have a largely low socioeconomic class of women and families that we serve. This is an orchard and farming area, so we serve migrant workers and their families as a part of our base. Just like anywhere that you have a diverse population, we have language barriers. One thing I really value about our hospital is that we have in-person Spanish language translators. It is such a nice human touch to have that for someone going through labor and often scary situations.”

The COVID-19 Pandemic has only added to the fear and stress of those situations, for both the patients and their caregivers.

“One of the things I love about birth is the intimacy that midwives provide before, during, and after labor,” Reinhart said. “The pandemic definitely disrupts that process. Most of our patients are good champs about it, but it is a different experience when you’re in labor and you see your healthcare provider covered from head to toe with protective equipment. I grieve that for my patients and I look forward to a time when we can be more physically connected.”

Reinhart went on to point out the mental health impact of the pandemic. Feelings of anxiety and isolation are understandably magnified when loved ones are not able to be as involved in welcoming a new addition to the family as they would like.

“Sometimes partners aren’t allowed in the appointments depending on the level of infection we have in our county,” Reinhart said. “Postpartum, the experience with so many partnerships and families trying to have this source of joy in their home and not being able to share that baby’s life with loved ones because of the pandemic is pretty tough on people.”

Even after the pandemic is over, there will be other challenges in healthcare and society in general. While serving as a certified nurse-midwife is enough, Reinhart is determined to do more to help others. Already involved in the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), she intends to increase her participation and to seek more ways to make a difference in her community.

“Frontier curriculum provided a high level of dedication to the aspects of public health, how the social determinants of health underlie our practice, identifying the political and practical trends that impact how we serve our clients,” Reinhart said. “That got me thinking about how I think of myself as a midwife outside of the hospital. What are the things I can be involved with in my community and ACNM to make a difference in the lives of the clients I serve to work to dismantle racism and other obstacles that people face to be able to be well and healthy? Frontier helped me see that bigger picture within the context of midwifery.”

Even though she’s only been in Gettysburg less than a year, Reinhart said she is considering applying to the local human relations commission and plans to start a perinatal loss support group. Further on the horizon, she would like to get her doctorate and eventually teach. No matter how long the route, Reinhart has proven she’s willing to put in the work — and the miles — to reach whatever goal is in her sights.

Editor’s note: Nancy’s father, Philmar Reinhart, a longtime supporter of Frontier who was very supportive of Nancy’s journey into midwifery, passed away during the time it took this story to come to print. We mourn with the family and are thankful for Nancy and her father, who attended many FNU events.

FNU Celebrates the Virtual International Day of The Midwife through Online Conference

April 26, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

The Frontier Nursing University (FNU) community is proud to once again celebrate and sponsor the annual Virtual International Day of the Midwife (VIDM). VIDM is a 24-hour free online conference that will take place Tuesday, May 4, and Wednesday, May 5, 2021. The event is intended for nurse-midwives and anyone interested in childbirth irrespective of international geographic borders.

This year’s conference will be exceptionally informative with over 40 speakers presenting – a record for the event. Event speakers will be streaming from 23 countries, with presentations offered in both English and Spanish. The majority of topics will revolve around this year’s conference theme, Birth Equity for All.

The celebration will kick off Tuesday, May 4, with a pre-session event featuring World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Nurse and Midwife Elizabeth Iro and WHO Midwifery Advisor Fran McConville, discussing “The State of the World’s Midwifery”. FNU has been highlighting these heroes over the past year by profiling faculty and students who have worked to help patients amidst COVID-19. These stories can be found in the university’s frontline blog.

FNU’s Jane F. Houston, DNP, CNM, MSN, FACNM, will continue to serve as master facilitator of this year’s event. Dr. Houston has served on this committee for many years and has previously participated as a speaker and facilitator. This year’s keynote speakers will include Soo Downe, Kaveri Mayra, and Sandra Oyarzo Torres. The full schedule of events can be found here.

VIDM is an excellent learning opportunity to hear from some of the brightest minds in midwifery. Students, faculty, alumni and the public are invited to tune in for free. To join the meetings log on to www.vidm.org for directions. To learn more about the history of VIDM and the visionary process of building an international online conference, read this article by FNU DNP program director, Jane Houston DNP CNM FACNM.

2020-2021: Year of the Nurse and the Midwife

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is proud to support and join the World Health Organization’s international campaign designating 2020 and 2021 as the “Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.” In recognizing the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, FNU joins the efforts to raise awareness of healthcare shortages in the U.S. and abroad; demonstrate the need for more nurses and nurse-midwives; educate the public of the value of nurses and nurse-midwives in their communities and advocate for access to quality healthcare for every individual.

Alumni Spotlight: Christina Felten, A Life of Service Driven by a Passion for Labor and Delivery

March 18, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Alumni Christina Felten, DNP, CNM, RNC-OB, has spent her career serving others. At the time of her high school graduation, she was a nurse’s aide who quickly became an EMT. However, her life changed when she was floated to labor and delivery and fell in love with supporting women during birth.

“I had already been accepted into a different program at Bloomsburg University, but after spending some time in the labor unit, I knew I had found my calling. I got in touch with the nursing department and convinced them to let me switch programs,” Felten said.

However, before Felten finished earning her degree, the twin towers were struck in NYC, and Felten was called to another form of service. She quickly signed up to join the navy and was caring for wounded soldiers within a few short months as a Naval Nurse Corps Officer.

While Felten thrived tending to the soldiers, she admits that her heart knew labor was where she was meant to serve.

“Although it was extremely difficult for me to leave the soldiers, I had never lost my passion for labor and delivery. I put in for multiple transfers and was eventually sent to the post-partum floor. However, as soon as my patients were tucked in for the night, I shadowed the labor and delivery nurses because I knew that was what I really wanted to,” Felten said.

Despite it being incredibly challenging to work through school while in the Navy, Felten set her mind to it when she found out about FNU- although she admits she didn’t entirely know what she was signing up for.

“When I saw FNU’s nurse-midwifery program I thought it sounded exactly like what I wanted to do. I wasn’t sure what a nurse-midwife was, but the description fit like a glove, so I went for it,” Felten laughed.

Later in her career, Felten’s unexpected midwifery path would play to her advantage. Felten was the first midwife to be hired by the Lehigh Valley Physician Group, and she did so by explaining midwifery to those less familiar with the practice.

“When I applied for the job, they initially weren’t looking for a midwife, so I explained, I’m essentially a nurse-practitioner who delivers babies. And it worked,” Felten said.

Felten knew that being the first midwife would come with challenges, and it took time for the hospital to understand her value.

“For years, I was just doing postpartum rounds and seeing patients in the office, which wasn’t what I signed up for, I wanted to deliver babies,” Felten said.

Felten even left Lehigh for a time to work elsewhere. However, following her absence, the hospital hired another FNU alumni, Sherilyn Gibbs, DNP, CNM, who really transformed the program. Shortly after Gibbs was hired, Felten received a phone call asking her to return to Lehigh Valley.”

“What we have now is a true collaboration between the doctors and the midwives,” Felten said. “We have become ingrained in the culture of the hospital so that patients and healthcare workers who might not have known much about midwifery, now see us at work and realize we are educated professionals,” Felten said.

According to Felten, COVID-19 only enhanced this sense of togetherness. “During COVID, there was no room for ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality,” Felten said. “We have all been one team throughout the pandemic.”

“That doesn’t mean this year wasn’t hard though,” Felten said. “Some days, it was easy to feel bitter when we were working overtime while so many others were staying at home. Some days felt lonely; as midwives, we love bonding with our patients, and the layers of PPE made everything feel distant. We’ve had to reevaluate so much of what we do.”

Felten said that on her most challenging days, she would think back to a memorable patient experience from early in her health care journey. When Felten was serving injured soldiers, she treated a man from Pittsburgh whose leg was damaged by an IED explosion. He always enjoyed her accent and called her Nurse Philly.

One night she heard him screaming for ‘Nurse Philly’, and when she went to him, he was watching a video someone had sent him of the blast that left him scarred. He was frightened and just needed someone to hold his hand.

Years later, he requested Felten to assist his wife with the birth of their twins. During that much happier time, she was able to again hold his hand.

“What I’ve realized is that life doesn’t always turn out as you expect, and sometimes you might not feel like you’re in the right place, but life has a way of circling back around. If you follow the path your heart is leading you towards, it’s amazing the way things line up,” Felten says.

FNU Graduates Realize Dream of Opening Their Own Nurse-Midwifery Practice

March 15, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

Not even a pandemic could end this lifelong dream. Going to school while working full time and raising a family didn’t stand in the way either. Some things are just meant to be.

That’s how Naomi Elizabeth Drucker, MSN, CNM, Bridge 138, and Lilit Baldjyan Sarkissian, RN, MSN, CNM, Class 143, felt when they held a grand opening for Los Angeles Midwives on December 16, 2020. The grand opening was virtual, but the building, the practice, the midwives, and their guests were all quite real. It was the fulfillment of a dream that Drucker and Sarkissian shared when they worked together as labor and delivery nurses at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.

“Even when I was a registered nurse, I knew I wanted to be a midwife,” Sarkissian said. “I saw that in Naomi and I saw that in me too. We never officially talked about where we would be today but we jokingly referred to starting our own practice. The reality of it happening sounded too good to be true.”

While they had secured office space in September, the December grand opening event made it all feel real. The event lasted approximately 90 minutes with a large percentage of the 75-plus RSVP’d guests dropping into the virtual event for at least a part of the celebration. Among those in attendance were doulas, nurses, and nurse-midwives. Among the many notable attendees were the President of the California Nurse-Midwives Association and FNU graduate Paris Maloof-Bury, CNM, Class 140; FNU graduate Shadman Habibi, CNM, Class 19, lead CNM with the UCLA Nurse-Midwives; and Kathleen Belzer, the President of the California Nurse-Midwives Foundation. Activities included a virtual tour of the facility, an introduction to the nurse-midwives, and some interactive games and conversations.

“The grand opening raised awareness among other midwives and birth workers so they have a clearer understanding of what we are doing and what we have to offer,” Drucker said.

One of the unique things that Los Angeles Midwives has to offer is in-patient delivering privileges at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, allowing them to provide midwifery care and services to their patients while having their babies in the hospital setting. Drucker and Sarkissian are the first CNM team to have such privileges at the hospital.

“Almost all of our clients come to us instead of another midwife because they know we have access to Cedars,” Drucker said. “For anybody planning an out of hospital birth, it’s very important to have a solid backup plan. We’re the only ones who can offer a seamless transition to the hospital without losing your birth team. That’s very important to all of our clients.”

Equally important to current and prospective clients is the strong reputation that Drucker and Sarkissian carry within the profession.

“Most of our inquiries are coming from a recommendation from doulas,” Sarkissian said. “Word of mouth in this business is so powerful because there’s a trust component. I trust my doula and my doula trusts you, so I’m going to trust you.”

Those connections with doulas and others in the birthing community have been developed over long periods of time. Drucker began her career as a doula 20 years ago and has continued to value and maintain those relationships over the years.

The Los Angeles Midwives recognize the importance of building trust and have established virtual Sunday meet and greets to better get to know their prospective clients. Working in the hospital setting, they saw first-hand the importance of having trust and a healthcare advocate during the birthing process. While working as labor and delivery nurses, Drucker and Sarkissian both took note of things they would do differently if and when they had their own practice. Drucker frequently jokes that she was an undercover midwife working as a labor and delivery nurse.

“There was one midwife at Cedars who had a private practice before we did,” Drucker said. “I would often ask her questions because I knew that down the road that’s what I wanted to do. My biggest concern was leaving a big institution where I get a great paycheck and have benefits. She said that will be the least of your worries. Your biggest worry is going to be finding a partner so you don’t kill yourself with the hours. I gained a lot of confidence from her. There is enough interest for sure, definitely for the special service we are offering that includes access to the hospital.”

Drucker worked independently for the first two years after leaving her nursing job, while Sarkissian took a full-time nursing instructor role at West Coast University (WCU) shortly after passing her national board certification.

“As a labor and delivery nurse, you really get to support these women in labor and help them make decisions and advocate for them,” Sarkissian said. “What drives you to become a midwife is when you see all of this in a medical setting and you can’t help but think to yourself ‘I wouldn’t have done it that way’ or ‘I wish she wasn’t coerced into that decision.’ You want to be in that seat where you’re making those decisions and managing her care. I want to be able to empower these women to be part of their own healthcare decisions. That’s one of the hallmarks of midwifery that we don’t see playing out the majority of the time in a medical setting.”

While Sarkissian was teaching at WCU, and concurrently serving as a clinical instructor at UCLA’s School of Nursing, she remained focused on her mission to join Drucker as a private practice midwife. Drucker guided her through the process of attaining delivering privileges.

“I left my job to get privileges while I taught full time. Naomi guided me throughout the whole thing,” said Sarkissian, who continues to be clinical faculty at UCLA’s School of Nursing. “It’s scary to call doctors and say ‘will you be my backup provider?’ She already had all those conversations. The groundwork was there. Plus, working at Cedars as registered nurses, where we had a working relationship and trust definitely helped.”

The Los Angeles Midwives have hit the ground running, beginning the new year with approximately 20 pregnant patients and 10 postpartum patients. They estimate that about 80 percent of their patients prefer a home birth, but the hospital privileges are a comforting assurance.

“If we need to go to the hospital, I still get to continue to take care of my patient,” Sarkissian said. “With the rest of the great midwives who don’t have these privileges, if there’s a reason to go to the hospital, that care ends because they can’t go with them.”

Drucker estimates that only about 15 percent of the time do they need assistance from their backup provider, who would perform procedures such as C-sections at the hospital. But even in those cases where physician backup is required, Drucker and Sarkissian are still able to be there, actively involved in the care and advocacy of their patients.

That personal connection and care are just as important to the Los Angeles Midwives as they are to their patients. They understand that it is what makes them a success, and it is why they have no immediate plans to expand their business.

“It’s such a personal business and people really do come for us — not just a midwife — they are coming for us in particular,” Drucker said. “I imagine it would change the flavor of our service if we had a team of midwives.”

Both Drucker and Sarkissian are content with the size, scope, and model of their practice. They are quick to thank their families, friends, and colleagues for helping them reach this point. It takes an immeasurable amount of support to be able to work full time, go to school full time, and raise a family all at once. They also credit Frontier Nursing University with playing a key role in making Los Angeles Midwives a reality.

“Frontier has a stellar reputation,” Drucker said. “As far as securing clinical sites and promoting ourselves, people love to know that we went to Frontier. As a working mother of four sons, I worked the night shift through my whole master’s degree and it was doable. I couldn’t have done that with any other program. I’m really grateful. I’m also grateful for the on-campus experience that we had. It was manageable and it allowed us to connect and meet these great midwives who are so passionate about some facets of midwifery that I had never even considered to be important. I think Frontier gave me a great foundation. I’m very proud to let people know that I went to Frontier.”

“I had a baby who was one when I started school and had two other babies while I was in school, also working the night shift,” Sarkissian said. “That ability to be able to go to school and realize my dreams would have not been possible with any other school. That being said, it wasn’t just any online program. I always felt that connection, even though I was thousands of miles away. Frontier has it figured out. They know what it takes to educate students using an online medium but still have that connection. I felt supported and the knowledge that I received and the education that I got were top notch. That was even more clear to me when the pandemic hit and I was an instructor at a university and I had to teach online. I got to use a lot of the things I learned as a student as an instructor.”

“I am extremely proud and honored to have attended Frontier,” Sarkissian continued. “I think as a midwifery school, it is one of the top schools and I can see why they have that reputation. They have it figured out and it’s the right way to do it.”

The same could be said about the Los Angeles Midwives.