UNM College of Nursing Grant Aims to Align Maternal Health Care

Ortiz says, “this grant will help nurse-midwives and midwifery educators be more inclusive in our activities to New Mexico’s birthworkers. Birthwork encompasses anyone working with maternal child health, including but not limited to, doulas, lactation consultants, midwives, pre-med students with an interest in obstetrical care and other students who want to become home-visiting, newborn, labor and delivery, and/or postpartum nurses; a very expansive scope that is – in many of this state’s communities influenced by significant and longstanding cultural practices.”

To accomplish this, Ortiz will orchestrate a community mentorship program matching approximately 75 people – mentors and mentees – in any form of birthwork, with the goal of integrating cross-collaborative practices between nurse-midwifery and the various specialties of birthwork.

Additionally, the funding totals $200,000 a year over two years and is accompanied by a new, monthly Project ECHO (UNM’s telehealth program) effort that will foster the collaboration between these two health care communities.

“The College’s Nurse-Midwifery program is seeing a lot of growth that will result in a diversification of the nurse-midwifery workforce. But we want that workforce to be able to practice culturally congruent care for New Mexico’s diverse communities. Birthworkers from Indigenous, Hispanic and Latinx communities of the area will be able to elevate our students’ knowledge, skills and ability to care.” Ortiz continues, “I very much appreciate the opportunity to support maternal child health, to help support the growing diversity within midwifery’s workforce – all for the sake of maternal child health in New Mexico.”