With women, for a lifetimeTM Commendation
Catawba Valley Women's Health (Hickory, NC)
Length of Service: 1994 to present
In 2004, Catawba Valley Women’s Health (formerly known as Catawba Nurse Midwives and Assoc.) celebrated ten years of providing services to the women of Catawba County and the surrounding areas. The five staff certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), all ACNM members, have attended more than 7000 patients during that span posting a primary Cesarean section rate of 10% and low birth weight rates that have consistently bettered the state average of 9%.
Staff work primarily with pregnant women through the Catawba County Health Department, while building a private practice; often providing co-management of high risk patients who are also seen at the health department by the practice physicians. Last year, the practice served over 1100 new patients and attended nearly 900 births.
The population served is phenomenally diverse; consisting of Caucasians, African-American, Latino and Asian women, most of whom do not have access to health care except during pregnancy. Approximately 40% of clientele speak either no English or English as their second language.
To meet the needs of pregnant women, the nurse-midwives have developed creative methods of providing care. The Centering Pregnancy Program provides a way for women to not only provide support for each other, but to participate in their own care. Centering sessions may be conducted in English and/or Spanish. Other programs include a strong smoking cessation focus as well as provision of folic acid postpartum to prevent problems with future pregnancies.
The five CNMs possess nearly 40 years of combined experience and maintain a 24 hour a day presence at the hospital. Staff often precept midwifery students from East Carolina University (ECU), YALE, Community-Based Nurse-Midwifery Education Program (CNEP), and Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), among other programs, and give students an opportunity to experience work in a high volume, diverse practice.
The strength of Catawba Midwifery and Associates lies in the nurse-midwives abilities to be flexible and attentive to the women’s needs, whether they are physical, emotional or spiritual.
