Episode 03: Labouring Together: Interprofessional Collaboration in Maternity Care
Today, Dr. Lolly de Jonge is joined by two very special Alberta midwives, Wendy Wood of Briar Hill Midwives and Heather Martin of Passages Midwifery, and high-risk OB/Maternal-Fetal Medicine Dr. Stephanie Cooper.
They chat about the why, what and how of interprofessional collaboration, the impacts of COVID-19 on maternity care practices, and how building a collaborative culture that is rooted in respect, understanding and communication can improve birth outcomes and experiences for Alberta families.
Other ways to listen and subscribe
Join the conversation
About Wendy Wood, RM
After 15 years as a paramedic in Calgary, I was looking for a career change. Having received midwifery care for the birth of my son in 1996 I knew what an impact midwives can have on a family's experience. So it was back to school in my late 30's and I have enjoyed the career change ever since. I have been a full-time midwife in Calgary since 2011. In my spare time, I love to travel (when there is not a pandemic), camp and canoe. I have been lucky enough to travel to Africa 4 times to teach emergency skills to midwifery instructors and am forever looking for where to jet off next. I have recently taken on an additional challenge as the Clinical Midwifery Director for Calgary and the south zone. I’m about 7 months into the position and am excited to be a part of shaping midwifery services in Alberta.
www.briarhillmidwives.ca
Instagram: @briarhillmidwives
Facebook: facebook.com/briarhillmidwives
About Dr. Stephanie Cooper
Dr. Stephanie Cooper has a BSc in biology & nutrition from Acadia University in Nova Scotia. She completed her medical degree at Memorial University in Newfoundland, followed by her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University of Calgary. Dr. Cooper obtained sub-specialty training and certification in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Calgary in 2008. She currently practices Obstetrics at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary and runs a high-risk Obstetrics clinic which focuses on maternal medical illnesses, fetal anomalies and other pregnancy complications. Dr. Cooper is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary. Her current professional interests include pregnancy after loss, postpartum hemorrhage, obstetrical ultrasound education and quality assurance and improvement in obstetrics.
Twitter: @DrStephanieCoo1
About Heather Martin, RM
Heather hails from Regina, Saskatchewan where her passion for maternity care was ignited after visiting a friend with her new baby. She began her nursing education in 1999, qualifying for the Accelerated Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan. She graduated in 2002 and began working in a labour and delivery unit. She also spent one year working full time in a tertiary level NICU.
It was Heather’s zest for learning, and a sense that she needed a change, that brought her to Edmonton to pursue her Masters in Nursing at the University of Alberta. Heather had developed a passion for global maternal health and had the unique opportunity to conduct her thesis research in Ghana, Africa, studying community support for childbearing women. Through her studies, Heather learned more about midwifery and a new fire was lit.
In 2011, Heather was accepted to Laurentian University’s Midwifery Education Program. She benefited enormously from the wonderful women in South Western Ontario who allowed her to be involved in their care and, of course, from the midwives whose experience and confidence in birth allowed her to learn, grow, and truly become a midwife.
Heather completed her Bachelor of Health Sciences Degree in Midwifery, Cum Laude, in the spring of 2013 and returned to Edmonton to begin her new career at JoySring Midwifery. Working alongside childbearing women and their families through JoySpring was an absolute pleasure.
After the passing of Noreen Walker in the spring of 2017, Heather was compelled to help Passages Midwifery continue to provide care to the thousands of families who Noreen had dedicated her life to. It is an honour for Heather to be walking in the footsteps laid by such an inspiring and strong woman.
When not busy catching babies, Heather has contributed to provincial midwifery as Vice President of the Alberta Association of Midwives, midwife-member of the MoreOB Core Team at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, and data collection for a study led by Dr. Beverly O’Brien on water immersion in labour and birth. Once in a while spare time and adventure find a happy mix, providing Heather with important opportunities to present at such events as the International Confederation of Midwives Conference in Prague, Czechoslovakia (June 2014), the CAPWHN Conference in Regina (2014), and the POGO Conference in Regina (2016). Heather participates as a member of the Provincial Midwifery Executive Committee for Alberta Health Services and in September 2016, she assumed the role of Clinical Midwifery Director for the Edmonton, Central, and North Zone.
Heather enjoys traveling, her two rambunctious kitties, relaxing with family and friends, preparing great meals, and crocheting beautiful newborn hats for the sweet little babies she helps to welcome into the world.
pronouns: she/ her
www.passagesmidwifery.com
Instagram: @passagesmidwifery
Facebook: facebook.com/PassagesMidwifery
