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Midwifery Thinks! Symposium

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Midwifery Thinks! is a national symposium celebrating midwifery scholarship and innovation in the United States. 

The first Midwifery Thinks! was dedicated to Dorothea M. Lang, a pioneer and courageous leader in midwifery who tirelessly promoted the profession of midwifery and the health of women and their families here in the United States and abroad. As an established annual event, international leaders, local experts, and emerging midwifery leaders share strategies and find connections to promote maternal health. 

Midwifery Thinks! 2026

The 2026 Midwifery Thinks! Symposium occurred on May 3, 2026. The event was sponsored by the Sparacio Foundation. 

Past Symposia

The 7th annual symposium took place on May 3, 2026. The event was sponsored by the Sparacio Foundation. 

Keynote Speaker

Lisa Kane Low, PhD, CNM, FACNM: When There is No Urge: Second Stage Management with an Epidural

2026 Graduate Presenters

  • Yinka Sokunbi, DM, MPH, CNM: Midwives’ Self-Efficacy in Perimenopause Care: An Educational Intervention
  • Kim Q. Dau, DM, CNM, FACNM: Education Associations: Building Resources, Community, and Advocacy for Midwifery

Approved for two (2) Continuing Education Units through ACNM.

The 6th annual symposium took place on September 21, 2025. The event was sponsored by the Sparacio Foundation.

Keynote Speaker

Amy Goh, PhD, CNM, FACNM: Midwives’ experiences of racism and discrimination to retain a diverse midwifery workforce in the United States.

2025 Graduate Presenters

  • Farinaz Bakraei, DM, CNM: Exploring lived experiences of women with a history of incarceration in accessing contraception.
  • Colleen Donovan-Batson, DM, CNM, WHNP: Satisfaction with birth experiences among US childbearing veterans enrolled in veterans administration healthcare.

 

The online symposium was held on Sunday, September 10, 2023.

Jefferson College of Health Professions and the Midwifery & Women's Health Programs held its 5th annual Midwifery Thinks! Symposium highlighting midwifery scholarship and innovations. The virtual event featured scholars researching the midwifery workforce, physiologic birth, and perceived discrimination in the Muslim community. 

Keynote Speakers - Policy, Politics, & Midwifery

  • Jennifer VanDerLaan, PhD, MPH, CNM, FNP
  • Karie Stewart, MPH, CNM, APRN, FACNM

2023 Graduate Presenters

  • Jessica Densmore, DM, MSN, CNM, FACNM: Physiologic Labor Sounds, Body Movements, and Coping: a mixed methods study
  • Amal Amar-Alattaby, DM, CNM, OBGYN NP: The Effect of Perceived Discrimination on the Health of Muslim American Women Living in New York City

Advances in Midwifery

Jefferson College of Health Professions and the Midwifery & Women’s Health Programs held its  Fourth annual Midwifery Thinks! Symposium highlighting innovations and midwifery scholarship. The virtual event featured scholars working in the midwifery model with diverse communities.

The online symposium took place on Sunday, August 28, 2022.  

Midwifery Thinks! 2020 has been approved by the American College of Nurse-Midwives for 3.5 CEs.

The symposium took place on August 29, 2021.

Keynote Speakers

  • April Ward, MSN, CNM 
  • Thamarah Crevecoeur, CNM, DrPH
  • Julie Blumenfeld, DNP, CNM, IBCLC, FACNM
  • Teresita Carrasquillo
  • Maritza I. Raimundi-Petroski 
  • Barbara Hackley, PhD, CNM, FACNM

The symposium took place on August 23, 2020.

2020 Speakers

  • Judith Mercer, PhD, CNM, FACNM: Umbilical Clamping: First Do No Harm
  • Erin Biscone DNP, CNM, FACNM, Kendra Faucett DNP, CNM, and Emily C. McGahey MSN, CNM: Midwifery and the US Birth Certificate: Why ensuring birth certificate accuracy should be the priority of every midwife
  • Lauren Anita Arrington, CNM, MSN, DNP: Launching the Reduction of Peripartum Racial / Ethnic Disparities Bundle: A QualityImprovement Project
  • Barbara Reale, CNM, MSN, FACNM: Patient Satisfaction with Provider Communication is Centering vs. Traditional Prenatal Care
  • Helen McLachlan, RN, RM, MNUrs, PhD and Della Forster, DipAppSci, BAppSci, MMid, PhD: Improving outcomes through midwifery research: A snapshot of innovative research from Victoria, Australia

Presented by Midwifery & Women's Health Programs

Midwives’ Experiences of Racism & Discrimination to Retain a Diverse Midwifery Workforce in the United States

This event showcases the advances in midwifery from our keynote speaker, Dr. Amy Goh, who will present findings on midwives’ experiences of racism and discrimination in retaining a diverse midwifery workforce in the United States.  Our Doctor of Midwifery graduates, Dr. Colleen Donovan-Batson and Dr. Farinaz Bakraei, will also present their doctoral projects and findings. Dr. Donovan's project reviewed veterans' access to prenatal care outside of the VA system; Dr. Bakraei studied access to contraceptives by incarcerated or recently incarcerated individuals.  

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