At ACNM, our mission
is to establish midwifery as the standard of care for all women. As part
of this mission, we are pleased to announce the release of the 2015 Annual Meeting Report of the US Midwifery Education, Regulation, and Association (US
MERA) work group, in which ACNM has played an active role.
US MERA Annual Meeting Report 2015
US MERA is comprised of 7 organizations-ACNM, the Accreditation
Commission for Midwifery Education, American Midwifery Certification Board,
Midwifery Education Accreditation Council, Midwives Alliance of North America,
National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, and North American
Registry of Midwives. These organizations have been working together to
envision and work toward a more cohesive US midwifery presence globally and
domestically, inspired and informed by global midwifery standards and
competencies adopted by the International Confederation of Midwives in 2011.
The 2014 and 2015 US MERA joint statements were historic, and we are very proud of the
dedication and effort on the part of our organizations to take these important
steps together. We encourage ACNM members to share it with others and consider its
implications for the future-in your communities and nationally, for the success
of the midwifery profession and most importantly, the women we serve.
ACNM Positions on Midwifery Licensure and Regulation: A Background
In March 2014, ACNM in collaboration with the AccreditationCommission for Midwifery Education (ACME) and the American Midwifery
Certification Board (AMCB), published a position statement approved by the Board of Directors, titled
"Principles for Licensing and Regulating Midwives in the United States in
Accordance with the Global Standards of the International Confederation of
Midwives." In publishing this statement, ACNM clarified its longstanding
positions on licensing and regulating midwives that were last updated in
2009. The ACNM leadership felt that it was important to re-examine the organization's
principles and professional standards in light of the ICM standards, confirm
our endorsement of the ICM standards, and provide guidance to Affiliates and
ACNM members about how to apply ICM standards in the US context when
considering midwifery licensure and regulation in individual states. (Also see the overview of the position statement.)
There is
much work still to be done, but please take a moment to savor these important
steps forward and think how you too can pave the way so that in the future,
every woman will have access to high-quality midwifery care.
We celebrate the vision and commitment that it has taken for our organizations
to come together. There is so much we need to accomplish! We look forward
to continuing our participation in the US MERA initiative and we value your
input and reflections on this work, which you can email to [email protected].
US MERA has contracted with Managance Consulting &
Coaching to
provide facilitation and coaching services to promote strategic thinking, solidify
progress in working together, and deepen and expand practices and strategies to
sustain momentum. Financial support for Managance is granted by the
Transforming Birth Fund,
a donor-advised fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The A.C.N.M.
Foundation, Inc.,
a 501(c)3 organization, serves as the fiscal agent for funding received through
the Transforming Birth Fund.
Additional Resources
- 2014 US MERA Meeting: A Summary Report
- March 2014 US MERA update from ACNM Vice President Cathy Collins-Fulea.
- January 2014 US MERA update
- US MERA Legislative Statement 2015
