The Birth Matters Virginia Nominations Are In!
First, grand congratulations to our nominees! Your hard work, dedication to
evidence-based practice, and your support of women in Virginia has not gone
unnoticed! We celebrate YOU and thank you for making a difference.
Now it's time to spread the word and cast your votes! We will honor two
recipients at the Birth Matters Virginia Award and Fundraiser Event
on Sunday November 6th in Richmond. We encourage everyone to share your
experience and support of the nominees on the
membership Yahoo! Group or Facebook to increase awareness
of their work! Please feel free to forward this posting.
Every BMV member is allowed two separate votes (you may NOT vote for the
same nominee twice). The two nominees with the highest number of votes will
receive the awards. Remember you must be a current member to cast your
votes. Click to JOIN NOW
Voting Instructions: For your vote to count please email your votes to Kathy Hubbard
privately at hubbama@cox.net NOT on the group email by midnight Saturday,
October 15th.
Please include:
YOUR first and last name (to verify membership):
VOTE for Nominee #1:
VOTE for Nominee #2:
Birth Matters Virginia
10th Annual Awards & Fundraiser Event
Sunday, November 6, 2011 from 12:30 - 5:30
at the beautiful Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond
Come celebrate our winners, be inspired by Ina May Gaskin, explore the
garden and partake of our amazing silent auction!
Tickets are on sale now! (Group tickets also available)
And the Nominees Are....
Sumac D. Diaz, MD
Holly Edwards, RN, M.Ed
William Fitzhugh, MD
Wade Neiman, MD
NOVA Natural Birth Center
Kathy Stewart, RN, NP
Jean-Gilles Tchabo, MD
Please read their nomination descriptions below and feel free to share your
positive endorsements!
Sumac D. Diaz, MD
Complete Care Center for Women : OB/GYN
Richmond, VA
Dr. Diaz opened the area's first freestanding birthing center in February of
this year. While providing obstetrical coverage to the midwives at St.
Francis in Richmond she was impressed by the level of care provided and
moved by their patience to become more aware and appreciative of the
midwifery model of care. She was surprised there were limited birth options
in our community and became passionate about offering women another choice;
so she started Complete Care Birthing Center. Dr. Diaz appreciates her
training as an obstetrician and her ability to identify problems when they
arise. She truly believes in and trusts birth to be a normal, physiological
process that should never be treated as an "illness". Each patient is
treated as an individual. Dr. Diaz gives true informed consent and believes
the patients should be an active participant in her own care. She believes
that women can and should give birth naturally, supports VBAC, and
encourages women during their pregnancy and birth regardless of the place of
service they choose. Dr. Diaz is a true asset to birth community.
Holly Edwards, RN, M.Ed
Vice Mayor :
Charlottesville
Charlottesville, VA
Holly Edwards has served on Charlottesville City Council for three years and
champions tirelessly for birth and babies. She began in Washington D.C.at
the House of Ruth; a cluster of shelters for homeless women, women with
children and pregnant women. She moved to Charlottesville in 1991 and
continued her work locally as a nurse with Westhaven Clinic where she was
exposed to the disparities in race and class in maternity care. She ran for
public office with improving perinatal outcomes as part of her platform and
won. She coordinated a series of health summits addressing infant health
concerns and applying practical solutions to issues including prematurity,
maternal substance abuse, obesity in pregnancy, SIDS, and programs that
provide car seats to qualifying families. She was a driving force in
assisting the Charlottesville chapter of Birth Matters in getting the
Healthy Birth Healthy Baby health fair off the ground and has remained an
incredible resource to Birth Matters in our attempts at transcending race
and class to help all mothers and babies in the Charlottesville area.
William Fitzhugh, MD
Independent Practitioner: OB/GYN
Richmond, VA
Dr William Fitzhugh began practicing OB-GYN in the Richmond community in
1975 and is a consistent and reliable supporter and advocate for midwifery,
homebirth and hospital births with options. He is the doctor of choice women
who want the best opportunity to birth their breech baby or twins vaginally,
attempt a VBAC, and if a cesarean is required, he has mastered the art of
delivering a baby into the mother's arms, only separating the family if
medically necessary. Dr Fitzhugh is not always remembered for his words but
instead for his actions. He has slept on the floor of homebirths protecting
the space, in chair at the entry of hospital birth rooms protecting against
unnecessary intrusions of other medical staff, and he and his wife have
cared for women with extra-ordinary conditions of pregnancy in their home.
He has quietly influenced the practice of many residents, nurses and doctors
by showing them how to wait, trust the process, use your hands when needed
and technology when appropriate. He is a champion for all populations of our
region.
NOVA Natural Birth Center: Peggy Franklin, CPM, RN, ND and Kim Pekin, CPM
NOVA Natural Birth Center : Midwives
Chantilly, VA
Kim Pekin and Peggy Franklin have served the homebirth community in the
extended Northern Virginia area for several years. In July 2011, they opened
the Nova Natural Birth Center, a 7,000 square foot center with 4 beautiful,
home-like rooms, each with freestanding bath tubs for water births that are
can hold both mom and partner comfortably during labor. The opening of the
birth center is the culmination of the dream they have both worked so hard
for over many years, quietly and humbly. It is re-defining the birth culture
in Northern Virginia offering so many women/families the opportunity to have
a normal birth experience attended by skilled, experienced midwives. It a
fresh alternative to the hospital/home birth option.
Kim and Peggy are both committed to reducing maternal and infant mortality,
not just through the services they provide, but also through their volunteer
energy. They supported the BMV NOVA Chapter with planning and executing the
Healthy Mothers Healthy Birth Summit, ensured minority organizations were
representation and Kim served on the final work group offering great insight
to the discussion.
Wade Neiman, MD
Women's Health Services of Central Virginia : OB/GYN
Lynchburg, VA
Dr. Neiman has been a resident of Lynchburg since 1988 and has developed a
deep respect for woman, and a commitment to safe, successful birth outcomes.
In addition, Dr. Neiman served on the Midwifery Advisory Board for the
Commonwealth of Virginia's Board of Medicine for six years. As the only MD
on the board, Dr. Neiman consistently acted with respect toward the
midwifery profession, showed concern for the safety of mothers, and
supported the right of midwives to fully practice their trade. In addition,
Dr. Neiman attended the 2011 Healthy Mothers Healthy Birth Summit in
Northern Virginia as the ACOG representative. His willingness to work with
consumers, midwives, childbirth professionals, and advocates underscores his
care and compassion for all childbearing women. His insights and pragmatic
wisdom have been consistently offered in the spirit of true cooperation.
Kathy Stewart, RN, NP
Doula's of North America : Trainer/doula
Richmond, VA
Kathy is a doula who is also a pediatric nurse practitioner, birth educator,
author and wonderful advocate who works to help each of her clients have the
birth experience they are seeking. She is liked and respected by so many in
the medical community and this makes her even more effective in helping her
clients communicate within the medical system. She an important educational
resource and advocate for each of her clients, who feel they are truly
blessed to know her and have had her as a doula for their births. Kathy
offers so much to the families she assists in our community and she truly
believes that the kind of birth experience a family has really does make a
huge difference and wants to do her part to ensure that it is a positive
one.
Jean-Gilles Tchabo, MD
Virginia Hospital Center : Chief of OB/GYN
Arlington, VA
As the Chief of OB/GYN at Virginia Hospital Center-Arlington Dr. Tchabo has
been changing the culture of birth for women in Northern Virginia for years
with his share of grief from professionals not as comfortable with
supporting true, undisturbed natural childbirth and has felt the heat of
attorneys seeking to protect him from liability by telling him not to
provide backup to out-of-hospital providers. This, however, has not made him
waiver in his true beliefs. He acknowledges what is going on at the time,
while his hands are being tied, and not long after you hear he is back to
supporting out-of-hospital providers and continuing to provide
evidence-based childbirth in the hospital! Dr. Tchabo attends many vaginal
twin births, breech births, and VBACs. He served as back up for Birth Care &
Women's Health, the local CNM birth center, consults with local CPMs and
their clients as necessary, provides parallel care when needed, and receives
their transport mommas. Dr. Tchabo has residents and students attending
births with him, so as he is supporting evidence-based childbirth he is also
teaching future obstetricians that these births are safe.
October 2011
Meet The Doulas Night
Thursday, October 20th 7-8:30pm
at Franklin Goose
3401 West Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23221
A panel of doulas from the Richmond area will be on hand to answer your questions.
RSVP to this free event at richmondstore@franklingoose.com or call (804) 355-0595
Reserve your spot now, space is limited!
Beyond Barbie
Call for Birth Stories
to be presented on October 27th, 2011, 7 - 9 pm, at the event:
Listening and Observing: The Power of Birth in Story
We
are seeking women who are willing to share their birth stories during
an evening where women will be invited to listen to, and participate in,
the telling of stories of childbirth in a safe, respectful environment
that allows each woman’s tale to unfold without interruption.
Please visit the event page to learn more about how to submit your story:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/beyond-barbie/a-call-for-birth-stories/223272301052839
November 2011
Ina May Gaskin will be at our November event!
Sunday November 6 from 12:30 - 5:30 (please note this is the CORRECT time)
Please visit:
http://birthmattersva.org/bmv-events.html
to purchase tickets and for more information
December 2011
Meet The Midwives Night
Thursday, December 1st 7-8:30pm
at Franklin Goose
3401 West Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23221
A panel of hospital and home birth midwives from the Richmond area will be on hand to answer your questions.
RSVP to this free event at richmondstore@franklingoose.com or call (804) 355-0595
Reserve your spot now, space is limited!
Recurring Meetings
See our Local Resources/Support Groups for more info.
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