Provides Testimony In
Obstetrics, Birth, Low-Risk Gynecology, Nurse Practitioner, Midwife, Obstetrics, Labor & Delivery, Birth Injury, Birth Trauma, Maternal Morbidity & Mortality, Shoulder Dystocia, Fetal Heart Rate, Hemorrhage, Prenatal Care, Intrapartum Care, Postpartum Care, Women’s Health, Neonatal Care, Newborn Tongue Tie Revisions, Limited OBGYN Sonography, Cesarean First Assisting, Midwife, Midwifery
Education
September 2011 – September 2012 University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, MN Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree
November 2007 – June 2009
Frontier School of Midwifery & Family Nursing – Hyden, KY
Master of Science & Nursing (MSN) Degree Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) Program
Post-Master’s Certificate as Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
September 2006 – May 2007 Excelsior College – Albany, NY
Bachelor of Science & Nursing (BSN) Degree
January 2006 – September 2006 Excelsior College – Albany, NY
Associate of Science & Nursing (ASN) Degree Registered Nurse (RN) Licensure
August 2002-August 2005
Medical Training Institute – Dallas, TX
Midwifery Program Mastery Certificate as a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
Professional Experience
October 2018 – Present – Expert Witness – I specialize in cases related to birth injury, obstetrics, and low-risk gynecology. I can assist with cases involving midwives, nurse practitioners, or nurses.
June 2015 – December 2019 – Program Director of Mercy Birthing Center & Faculty Midwife Service – Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO. Promoted from Program Manager to Program Director of Mercy Birthing Center. Served as integrative liaison to administrators, physicians, and other Mercy coworkers. Responsible for both long-range and daily operations of Mercy Birthing Center, including strategic planning, financial modeling, budgets, community integration, patient satisfaction, patient and coworker safety, clinical standards of care, staffing, and operations. Led the January 2019 launch of a satellite clinic in Weldon Spring. Also provided full-scope maternity care. Budgeted 84 births for FY15, and 650 for FY20, representing a 6-year growth curve of 774%. Net revenue during this timeframe was approximately $24.27M, and net income approximately $10.58M. In 2017 I launched Mercy’s Faculty Midwife Service. Responsible for all of the above components associated with leadership of this new program; also provided didactic instruction, clinical supervision, and research project guidance for OBGYN residents and medical students. Initiated and laid the groundwork for a Spring 2020 opening of another satellite clinic in Hampton Village.
July 2014 – June 2015 – Program Manager of Mercy Birthing Center – Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO. Program Manager for the inception of Mercy Birthing Center, one of an elite subset of birthing centers located within an acute care facility. Responsible for establishing daily operations, staffing models, supply flows, clinical guidelines, community engagement, and facility integration.
July 2010 – October 2013 – Clinical Assistant Professor & Certified Nurse-Midwife – Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, IA. Faculty position as a midwife providing full-scope midwifery care, in addition to clinical teaching of medical students and OB-GYN junior residents, and collaboration with OB-GYN senior residents and staff physicians.
2011 – University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing Adjunct Faculty – Able to precept UIC students for local clinical rotations.
January 2010 – July 2010 – Labor, Delivery, & Postpartum Nurse – Staff nurse at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids, IA, providing labor, delivery, and postpartum care.
2007-2008 – Physicians Clinic of Iowa Registered Nurse – Employed at the Rheumatology Infusion Center in Cedar Rapids, IA. Job responsibilities included starting IV’s, mixing and administering medications, monitoring, patient teaching, and assisting with incorporation of new computer system.
2007 – Community Health Free Clinic Volunteer Registered Nurse – Volunteer RN providing medical care to uninsured and under-served individuals in the greater Cedar Rapids community.
2007 – CPNE Prep! Founder & Instructor – Launched a training program for Excelsior College Registered Nursing (RN) students studying for their Clinical Performance in Nursing Examination (CPNE). Taught in-person weekend training programs in Iowa and Missouri, and provided follow-up instruction via distance education mechanisms. Students had a 100% pass rate.
2007-2009 – Professional Labor Support Course Instructor – Taught classes with PLSC, a program to train doulas to provide physical and emotional support to laboring women. Both on-site and distance tutoring involved.
Professional Works
Contributor. (2020). ACNM Home Birth Practice Manual (3rd Ed.). American College of Nurse- Midwives. Currently awaiting printing.
Reviewer. (2018). CABC Alongside Maternity Center Standards Indicators. Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers.
Coauthor. (2015). American College of Nurse-Midwives. Clinical bulletin no. 14. Midwifery provision of home birth services. Journal of Midwifery Womens Health.
Cook, E., Avery, M., & Frisvold, M. (2014). Formulating Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines for CNMs and CMs Attending Home Births. Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, 59(2), 153-9.
Authored Module 3 of NURO720 (Integrated Reproductive Healthcare for Georgetown University), capstone course of midwifery program for Georgetown University. Topic home birth. Spring 2013.
Abstract peer reviewer for the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) 30th Triennial Congress to be held June 2014 in Prague. April 17 – May 10, 2013.
Collaborated with Elizabeth Potter, ARNP, CNM, to revise the UIHC Midwifery Standards of Practice
document. January 2011.
Cook, E. (2007). Delayed cord clamping or immediate cord clamping?: A literature review. British Journal of Midwifery, 15(9), 562-71.
Community Engagement
Community Health and Wellness at 4700 Fair. St Louis, MO. Sept 7, 2019.
Village of Moms Second Annual Reading Village. St Louis, MO. June 29, 2019.
Organizer for Mercy Moms Maternity Expo. St Louis, MO. Sept 2018.
Teaching Assignments
Project advisor for Dr. Grace Carson, for qualitative research project, Impact of the use of Pitocin on Breastfeeding Outcomes. Spring 2019 – December 2019.
Project advisor for Dr. Anya Veremakis, for qualitative research project, Factors Impacting NTSV Rates: A Comparison Between a Residency Run Continuity Clinic and a Private OB/GYN Group. Spring 2018 – December 2019.
Project advisor for Dr. Elizabeth Nordin, for qualitative research project, What Factors Influencing a Woman’s Choice to Pursue a Physiologic Birth Experience are Most Predictive of Achieving a Physiologic Birth Experience. Spring 2017 – Spring 2019.
Intern lectures. July 2017 – December 2019.
Clinical instruction and supervision of medical students and OB-GYN interns in both inpatient and outpatient settings. October 2010 – October 2013. June 2017 – December 2019.
Project advisor for Laura Wallace, M3, for qualitative research project, Assessing Prenatal Education in the Centering Model of Care. Spring 2013.
Patient-Based Assessment (PBA). Provided faculty feedback for third year medical student OBG clerkship standardized patient interviews. August 2011 – October 2013.
Personal and Professional Development (PPD). Didactic course for first year medical students. August 24 – December 7, 2011. Co-instructor with Lynne Himmelreich, CNM.
Centering Pregnancy. Includes involvement of medical students and OB-GYN interns. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. 2011-2013.
Additional Works & Courses
ACOG Maternal Mental Health Focus Group. ACOG District Meeting. Sep 21, 2018. Kansas City, MO.
May 31-June 1, 2014. Professional Legal Nurse Consultant (PLNC) certification training. Jurex Center for Legal Nurse Consulting. Nashville, TN.
2010-2012. Conducted UIHC CNM service benchmarking for statistics with the ACNM.
December 27, 2011. Certified in Nexplanon insertion and removal. Merck Clinical Training Program for Nexplanon.
State Work
February 2018 – March 2020 – Treasurer of Missouri State ACNM Affiliate
January 2019 – March 2020 – Member of the Statewide Missouri Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review (PAMR) Board.
National Work
2014 – Member of ACNM/ARDMS Midwife Job/Task Analysis Working Group to develop limited OB/GYN sonographic certification process for CNMs/CMs.
June 2013 – Present – Member of ACNM Homebirth Section. Currently working to establish homebirth guidelines for US CNMs/CMs.
International Work
March 2014 – April 2014 – Three-week non-medical mission trip to Yangon & Kalaw, Myanmar.
January 2014 – March 2014 – Eight-week medical mission trip to Malumghat, Bangladesh.
July 2013 – August 2013 – Three-week medical mission trip to Chiapas, Mexico.
January 2013 – Two-week medical mission trip to Cameroon, Africa.
Additional Certifications
Basic Life Support Provider with the American Heart Association. Renewal date 9/30/2021.
Centering Pregnancy Instructor with the Centering Healthcare Institute, Inc. Certified in 2011 with no expiration date.
Electronic Fetal Monitoring certified with the National Certification Corporation. May use credentials C-EFM. Renewal date 9/15/2022.
Neonatal Resuscitation Program Provider. All chapters, all skills. Renewal date 8/31/2021. STABLE Provider Certification with the STABLE Program. Renewal date 11/30/2020.
Advanced Skills
Cesarean first assisting. Skilled in all aspects of first assisting.
Frenotomy. Able to perform neonatal tongue tie revisions.
Limited OBGYN sonography. Skilled in assessments of first trimester dating/viability, fetal positioning, amniotic fluid, and biophysical profiles.
Professional Memberships
Member, American College of Nurse-Midwives.
Member, Educational Affiliate, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Awards
2019 St Louis Business Journal ’40 Under 40’ Awardee
Director of Clinic Team that Received Five Star Excellence Award for 2018. Professional Research Consultants, Inc.
Individual Five Star Excellence Award for 2018. Professional Research Consultants, Inc.
Individual Five Star Excellence Award for 2017. One of two Mercy OBGYN providers to receive a national award for the highest percentage of ‘excellent’ patient satisfaction scores. Professional Research Consultants, Inc.
Recipient of the UIHC 2012 Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Excellence in Teaching Award.
Recipient of the UIHC 2012 OB/GYN Medical Education Faculty Award. Nominated for the UIHC 2012 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award.
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