Fellowship, Honors and New Leadership Positions for UMSN Faculty at 2014 Nurse Midwives Conference
The American College of Nurse Midwives Annual Meeting is considered the premier conference for midwifery.
“Midwives: Elevating Women’s Health” was the theme of the 59th annual American College of Nurse
Midwives (ACNM) Annual Meeting held in Denver in mid-May. Midwives, students and other women’s health care providers from across the country participated in the event, sharing the latest research findings, exploring new clinical skills and networking professionally. The event is also celebrated the achievements that midwives have accomplished in advancing women’s health care.
UMSN Clinical Associate Professor Ruth E. Zielinski, PhD, CNM, RN, was inducted as a fellow into the ACNM. It is an honor bestowed upon “midwives whose demonstrated leadership, clinical excellence, outstanding scholarship, and professional achievement have merited special recognition both within and outside of the midwifery profession.” Dr. Zielinski has served as ACNM’s president of the state of Michigan Affiliate and chair of National Clinical Practice section, and she has been actively involved in state-level advocacy. The ACNM highlighted her research on women’s body image, sexual health, pregnancy, birth outcomes and international women’s health issues. She was also recognized for her pioneering work setting up and maintaining clinical practices to serve women throughout the Kalamazoo area. “Being inducted as a fellow in the ACNM is an honor but also carries the responsibility of continuing to move the profession of midwifery forward in research, teaching and clinical practice,” says Dr. Zielinski.
Associate Pro
fessor Lisa Kane Low, PhD, CNM, FACNM, received the Excellence in Teaching Award. Each year, the award is given to one teacher in every ACNM accredited midwifery program. The recipient is selected by that program’s students.
fessor Lisa Kane Low, PhD, CNM, FACNM, received the Excellence in Teaching Award. Each year, the award is given to one teacher in every ACNM accredited midwifery program. The recipient is selected by that program’s students.Dr. Kane Low also received an award in the ACNM’s Division of Research for Best Podium Presentation for her paper “Predicting Birth-Related Levator Ani Tear Severity in Primiparous Women.” The paper was co-authored by Dr. Zielinski, UMSN Associate Professor Janis M. Miller, PhD, RN, APRN, FAAN, U-M Medical School Clinical Associate Professor Catherine Brandon and graduate student research assistant Yebin Tao.
UMSN also continued its commitment to leadership as Clinical Assistant Professor Katie A. Moriarty, Ph.D., CNM, CAFCI, was officially inducted as the Region IV representative to the ACNM Board of Directors (BOD). As the Region IV Representative, which covers seven states, Dr. Moriarty will serve as a liaison between the region and the Board of Directors. Dr. Moriarty will also serve as the BOD Liaison to the Division of Education, the Awards Committee, and will sit on the Name Change Implications Task Force. In addition to the faculty, all eight students from this year’s graduating class and approximately half of next year’s class were in attendance at the conference.
