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Counties across the U.S. are seeing an increase in “maternity care deserts” – areas that completely lack OB/GYNs, midwives or birthing facilities. The University of Delaware's School of Nursing will join the effort to address this shortage by launching the state's first nurse-midwife master’s program and post-graduate certificate this fall. Amanda Watson, director of the nurse-midwife program and assistant professor of nursing at UD's College of Health Sciences, can talk about the issue both on a national scale and at the hyper-local level. In Delaware, for example, 67 percent of pregnant women in Kent County and nearly half of pregnant women in Sussex County who experienced a stillbirth or infant death have late or no access to prenatal care, according to the Maternal and Child Death Review Commission (MCDRC). “The program is in direct response to workforce needs and healthcare shortages in the state and aligns with our mission in the School of Nursing to promote nurses at the earliest levels to the advanced practice level,” said Elizabeth Speakman, chief nurse administrator and senior associate dean of SON. She added that current nursing students wanted to see a program like this. “We’ve had undergraduate students tell us they want to continue their experience as a Blue Hen through a nurse-midwife program, so we expect this program to be quite popular, especially with our direct admission pathway,” Speakman said. The full-time, two-year program is being supported by a $1 million investment from the state of Delaware. It will be led by Watson and launch this fall with an eight-student cohort that will complete clinical rotations at Christiana, Bayhealth and Beebe hospitals, as well as The Birth Center in Newark. “We will prioritize students living and working in Delaware to make a quicker impact on the workforce shortage,” Watson said. The pipeline strategy is central to the program, said Dr. Meena Ramakrishnan, a consultant and epidemiologist with the MCDRC. “More nurse-midwives who train here, know Delaware and its resources, make connections and stay here to practice, is an important step toward improving outcomes,” Ramakrishnan said. Watson said the program reflects what makes change possible in Delaware’s healthcare system. “I saw a flawed healthcare system in this state, and I’m blessed to be in a state small enough that people who want to fix the problem are given opportunities to affect change,” she said. To connect with Watson directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile page and click the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also send an email to mediarelations@udel.edu.
