Association of Ontario Midwives Announces Winners of Lifetime Achievement, Hospital Integration and Media Awards

TORONTO, May 1, 2014 /CNW/ - The Association of Ontario Midwives (AOM) is pleased to announce five award winners being honoured at its 30^th Annual General Meeting and Conference May 5-7 at Hockley Valley Resort.

This year's awards are being presented in three categories: Lifetime Achievement, Hospital Integration and Media.

Lifetime Achievement Award

The inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award is being presented to two deserving midwives with long-standing careers and dedication to the midwifery profession. This year, the AOM honours Eileen Hutton, RM, PhD (Hamilton) and Vicki Van Wagner, RM, PhD (Toronto) for their influential roles in facilitating midwifery regulation, the formation of the professional association and their continued involvement in Ontario's Midwifery Education Program.

Hutton currently serves as Assistant Dean in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Director of Midwifery at McMaster University and is well known for her research work. She established Canada's only national, peer-reviewed midwifery journal and has been published in journals such as the British Medical Journal and The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Hutton was also recruited as the first professor of midwifery in the Netherlands to create a PhD program to prepare midwives for positions in academic midwifery.

Van Wagner has practiced midwifery since 1981. She was the first Director of the Midwifery Education Program at Ryerson University where she is an Associate Professor. Van Wagner is a respected teacher, clinician, public speaker and advisor on maternity care public policy. Her research on midwifery in the Inuit communities of Nunavik, Quebec published in Birth and in Pimatisawin: An International Journal of Indigenous Health documented the success of the Inuulitsivik midwifery service, internationally recognized as a model for remote and indigenous health care and education.

Hospital Integration

The AOM Hospital Integration award is presented to Ontario hospital(s) that demonstrate excellence in successfully integrating midwives into the organization. This year, the AOM honours Markham Stouffville Hospital and Trillium Health Partners.

Media

For his July 2013 piece Midwives: Underused and misused assets in Canada, the AOM recognizes Globe and Mail journalist André Picard for raising public awareness of the benefits of midwifery care as well as the challenges facing midwives in Ontario and across Canada.

SOURCE: Association of Ontario Midwives

To attend conference sessions or to set up interviews with conference speakers or midwives, please contact: Joanna Zuk, Communications Manager, cell: 416-704-7452, [email protected]