Midwifery Messenger | UBC Faculty of Medicine: Family Practice | Q4 - 2024 | A Message from the Director As the holiday season approaches, I want to thank our incredible team, clinical faculty preceptors, and students for a year of collaboration, growth, and significant accomplishments. It is with mixed emotions that I share that I will be stepping down as Director of the Midwifery Program on January 1, 2025. I have accepted the role of Dean at the College of Nursing at the University of Manitoba, my alma mater and family's home. While this is an exciting opportunity, leaving such an exceptional team and Program is challenging. In our time together, we have made great strides in curriculum, policies, and strategic planning, all of which reflect your talent and dedication to midwifery and the communities we serve. Dr. Cecilia Jevitt will step in as Interim Director beginning January 1 to ensure a seamless transition. Her extensive experience and commitment to midwifery education will guide the Program through this next phase. Thank you for your trust, collaboration, and commitment. Wishing you all a restful holiday season and a strong start to the new year. Warmly, Kellie Thiessen | A Message from the Incoming/Interim Director Dear Midwifery Faculty, Clinical Precepting Faculty, Students, and Staff, I bring you New Year’s greetings as I cut short my sabbatical and return as the Interim Midwifery Program Director, effective January 1, 2025. Dr. Thiessen is returning to the University of Manitoba as their Dean of Nursing. Thank you to Kellie for her re-imagining many of our program operations so that the workload is evenly distributed and that we provide the same teaching and services across provincial cohorts. Since I was last involved in the day-to-day operations of the Midwifery Program, faculty and staff numbers have doubled, the student body has increased by a third, and we implemented the Fraser Health Expansion. I want to thank everyone who supported the rapid growth of UBC Midwifery over the last 15 months. The change might have felt like organizational whiplash to some! | While I was in Germany this summer, I came across this statue of a midwife. She holds a pinnard and her supply bag in one hand and a newborn in the other. A stork, the being that brings babies in central Europe, stands at her feet. I was looking for inspiration for a keynote speech that I was invited to give at the anniversary of the university practice I founded 40 years ago. It wasn’t only the universality of midwifery that inspired me. It was the midwife’s badge. The badge says, “Hebamme im Dienst-Midwife on Duty.” A midwife is always on duty. We might not be in clinic, on call, or in the classroom, but we can’t simply shut off our knowledge about what makes health and our desire to put that knowledge to use for community good. | | Our midwifery duty comes in fits and starts. Those who spend most of their midwifery energy teaching have slumps and frantic periods like final exam week. Even our work during labour is erratic: rapid births, prolonged prodomes, days of inductions, the pause before pushing. This unpredictability can be unnerving in a world where Amazon gives next-day delivery, and Google has an instant answer for almost everything. My wish for you all over this many-holidayed season is peace, patience and prosperity for the New Year. I look forward to working with you again in 2025. Cecilia Jevitt | New Roles Midwifery Program - Simone Longpre: Clinical Placement Support
We're Hiring! - The Midwifery Clinical Placement Community Liaison is a 0.2 FTE (1+ day a week) administrative position that acts as a liaison between the UBC Midwifery program, the Health Authority, and clinical sites/preceptors in their region.
Interviews have been scheduled for the beginning of January. We look forward to introducing these new, supportive roles to our midwifery communities across BC early in 2025! | Beyond 75: Imagining the future of medicine at UBC: | Beginning in January 2025, join the Faculty of Medicine for a series of special events around the province as we mark 75 years. The events will bring together faculty, staff, learners, alumni and health partners in-person and virtually to celebrate and imagine the future of medicine at UBC and across B.C. See event details & register | EFAP change: Access your Employee and Family Assistance Program through GreenShield Health (In case you missed it! On behalf of the Faculty of Medicine) - Eligible faculty, staff and their dependents now have access to UBC’s Employee and Family Assistance Program through GreenShield Health (replacing Telus Health). This program provides you and your family unlimited counselling and personalized mental and physical health support that is confidential and voluntary at no cost. Login to Greenshield Today
| Justice and Equity in Perinatal Services (JEPS) Hub Seminar Series The JEPS Hub Seminar Series will return with new seminars and panels in the new year. Those interested in staying informed about upcoming events can sign up for the mailing list through this Google form: Sign up Recordings of previous seminars are available here, with the two most recent sessions to be uploaded soon. | Call for Placements The IEMBP seeks observational placements in Vancouver for January and clinical placements across BC from June to August. Observational placements, including clinic days, hospital tours, and home visits, help midwives prepare for intensives. If you can host a midwife, please get in touch with Jane Wines, program lead. Program Updates from the IEMBP The current IEMBP cohort includes 11 midwives, though four are still awaiting visa confirmations for the January intensives. Immigration challenges remain a significant barrier for internationally educated midwives. The next cohort, starting in January, will include six international midwives. Thanks to its established processes, the program is gaining recognition as a global leader in bridging programs and prior learning assessments. As one of the few programs worldwide with an established model in this area, seeing the program gaining attention both within Canada and internationally as an expert resource is gratifying. Curriculum Enhancements Recent course content and assessment updates, including the move to Canvas Catalogue, aim to better support midwives and preceptors. Work is also underway to develop a dedicated preceptor course. *Canvas Catalogue is a special installation of the Canvas learning platform ~Jane Wines | RCM Europe Regional Conference - Berlin: | Jane Wines and Blake Dobie had yet another successful booth at the RCM in Berlin: old friends, new friends, and a strong interest in the program and midwifery. | Research in Focus
UBC Today, faculty and staff run a series highlighting the university's researchers—our very own Dr. Cecilia Jevitt was featured! Read the Interview | | Fall Graduates!
Congratulations to Natasha Patrick and Heather Olson [not present]! Both recently graduated in the fall ceremony. Image (left to right): Allison Campbell, Natasha Patrick. | | Faculty Publications Weight-Based Disparities In Perinatal Care: Respect, Autonomy, Mistreatment, And BMI In A National Canadian Survey, The groundbreaking RESPCCT study on weight stigma in maternity care was recently published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. This national study reveals significant inequities in perinatal care, particularly for individuals with higher body mass indices (BMIs). N Malhotra, C M Jevitt, K Stoll, W Phillips-Beck, S Vedam, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 24 (1), 737 (2024) [go to text"] | Preceptor Call Outs INTENSIVE TEACHING AND OSCE EXAMINERS NEEDED Thanks to all who taught in the fall intensive and helped evaluate students during the OSCEs this past month. We are gearing up for Term 2 and still need clinical faculty for teaching as well as OSCE examiners. Please sign up on the Jane App. The following sites are still in need: Vancouver - Year 2 Jan 16 (Venipuncture)
Jan 17 (NRP instructors only)
Jan 20 (MESP instructors only)
Jan 21 (Suturing)
Jan 22 (OSCE examiners only) Vancouver - IEMBP Jan 22 (physical exam)
Feb 12 - 13 (MESP instructors only)
Feb 18 - 19 (NRP instructors only)
Mar 5-6 (OSCE examiners only) Surrey - Year 2 Jan 14 (Home birth)
Jan 17 (NRP instructors only)
Jan 22 (OSCE examiners only) All Sites - (Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey) Year 3
Mar 24 - 27 (Open Skills)
Mar 28 (OSCE examiners only) Year 2
April 7-10 (Open Skills)
April 12 (OSCE examiners only) | IBPOC Cultural Potluck You're invited! The Midwifery Student Association (MSA) is planning an IBPOC Potluck for students, faculty, and community midwives on Jan 10th. Date: January 10th
Time: 5:00 - 8:00 PM
Location: Trout Lake Community Centre Lakewood Room RSVP | MESP French Translation Did you know the Midwifery Emergency Skills Program (MESP) course was translated into French earlier this year? Tell all your French-speaking colleagues! LEARN MORE & REGISTER | Midwifery Documentation Workshop Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb.11 (Tuesdays) | 12–1 p.m. PT | Virtual workshop
Audience: Midwives
Overview: Effective documentation is essential in midwifery care, ensuring records are comprehensive, clear and meet professional standards. Join this online program featuring three group Zoom workshops and a 45-minute individual coaching session to refine your documentation skills tailored, interactive exercises.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER Increasing Access to Abortion Care in Canada/Améliorer l'accès aux soins d'avortement au Canada Feb. 18, Mars 4, Feb.11 (Tuesdays) | Webinar
Audience: primary care physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and midwives
Overview: UBC CPD invites all primary care providers to join an accredited webinar that explores how you can contribute to accessible, supportive abortion care in your community. This session will help you understand the unique role you paly and the impact of your communication on patient choices.
Vue d'ensemble: L'UBC CPD invite tous les professionnels de la santé à participer à un webinaire accrédité gratuit qui explore la manière dont vous pouvez contribuer à des soins d'avortement accessibles et soutenir votre communauté. Cette session vous aidera à comprendre le rôle unique que vous pouvez jouer et l'impact de votre communication sur vos patient(e)s.
Feb. 18 | 5-6 p.m. PT | Increasing Access to Abortion Care in Canada
4 mars | 17h à 18h heure de l'Est | Améliorer l'accès aux soins d'avortement au Canada
Up to 1.0 Mainpro+/MOC Sectoion 1 credits/1 Mainpro+/section 1 du programme de MDC
LEARN MORE & REGISTER VIEW AND REGISTER FOR MIDWIFERY LEARNING | | | | |
