PA ACNM Legislative Update

Emily received her undergraduate nursing degree from Creighton University in Omaha, NE. After graduating, she moved home to Colorado and worked as a Labor and Delivery nurse in a large tertiary care center before deciding to go back to school to become a midwife. She received her midwifery education at the University of New Mexico. Emily began her midwifery career in 2011 at The Midwife Center for Birth and Women’s Health in Pittsburgh, PA. She continues to practice full-scope midwifery at The Midwife Center and is committed to providing a variety of birthing options to women and families from various backgrounds, including Spanish-speaking women. Since moving to Pennsylvania, Emily has been active with the Pennsylvania Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (PA-ACNM). She served as President of the Affiliate from 2012 through 2018. She now serves in the role of Legislative Committee Co-Chair, assisting PA-ACNM in furthering midwifery through legislation, education, and advocacy. Emily participates on the State Government Affairs Committee and the Committee for Midwife Advocates of the Certified Midwife of the ACNM.  An advocate for out of hospital birthing options, Emily volunteered with the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC) from 2013-2015. Emily sits on the curriculum committee for the University of Pittsburgh’s Nurse-Midwifery Program, where she is able to continue her commitment to the next generation of midwives. Currently, she is in the second cohort of the Doctor of Midwifery program at the Midwifery Institute at Jefferson. She chose to pursue her doctorate at Jefferson as she is dedicated to the advancement of midwifery in the United States and desired an opportunity to combine her passion for policy and midwifery. Emily’s doctoral work focuses on assessing the accuracy of Pennsylvania birth certificates in capturing midwifery-attended births hoping to ensure all providers are correctly identified and represented in the literature.