Certified Nurse Midwives Join Salem Hospital

Certified nurse midwives provide comprehensive maternity care, including prenatal care, delivery and post-partum care.

Salem Hospital in Oregon Photo by: Tim King

(SALEM , Ore.) - Four certified nurse midwives became employees of Salem Hospital today. The certified nurse midwives are Margaret Egeland, Patricia "Happy" Barnes, Kathryn "Kitty" Nielsen and Elenie Smith.

The midwives will provide comprehensive obstetrical care to low-risk pregnant women as Willamette Valley Midwives, a part of Salem Health.

"During the past 11 months, we have worked closely with the Salem Hospital OB hospitalists to make sure that women who desire midwifery deliveries have that service," says Happy Barnes, CNM.

"That partnership has worked well for our patients and for us as practitioners. We are pleased that our work together laid a solid foundation for this evolution in our practice"

"The nurse midwives and Salem Hospital are committed to ensuring that adequate prenatal and obstetrical care is available in the community, and believe that midwifery care is an important element in that delivery of care," says Mittie Hinz, the new senior director of Women's and Children's Services for Salem Hospital.

"One of the things I noticed when I came here was the administration's positive attitude and desire to build services to meet the needs of women in the community; one of those services is midwifery care, which provides women with more maternity-care options."

Certified nurse midwives provide comprehensive maternity care, including prenatal care, delivery and post-partum care. Midwives provide holistic care for the entire family. Their workload is structured so it allows more time with patients.

Salem Hospital's OB hospitalists (a group of obstetricians who are at the birth center around the clock) will continue their collaboration with the midwives as their supporting physician.

This collaboration provides a spectrum of care from low to high risk and allows for a seamless transition as higher levels of care become necessary.

The midwives and hospitalists have developed a strong working relationship during the past year. When Salem Women's Clinic terminated the midwives' employment the midwives decided to continue their collaboration with the OB hospitalists.