Cleveland-based MetroHealth is integrating midwifery into its women's healthcare services to support maternal care outcomes and reduce disparities, leaders said July 22.
Starting this month, a team of certified nurse midwives will see patients for prenatal checkups and wellness exams. They'll also begin providing inpatient care and attending births at the health system's new birthing center at its main campus in Cleveland.
"Research has shown that including midwives as collaborators in maternity care improves overall outcomes for mothers and their infants," Airica Steed, Ed.D, RN, president and CEO of MetroHealth, said in a news release. "In national surveys, Black women are among those who express the most interest in delivering their babies with the help of midwives, yet they are the least represented among midwifery patients. This initiative embodies our unwavering focus on equity and ensuring that every individual we serve is seen and heard."
Last month, MetroHealth welcomed Amy Lowell, CNM, MSN, to lead the new midwifery program. The health system anticipates its full five-member team of midwives to be in place by early fall, with plans to expand as demand grows. Patients under a midwife's care will deliver at the new birthing center, which includes 10 labor and delivery rooms, more than two dozen patient rooms for postpartum care and a neonatal ICU.