The combination of financial difficulties
on top of the problems with the accreditation and State agencies involved created
obstacles that were simply impossible to overcome.
Students who were currently enrolled in the
program were transferred into the International
School of Traditional Midwifery.
Quality education, community service, innovation, and
accessibility; these were the hallmarks of the Oregon School of Midwifery.
While we are very sad about the closure of OSM, we are very
proud of the accomplishments we achieved during our nine years of existence.
- 112 students enrolled in both on site and distance programs.
Some graduates started successful home birth practices, others became partners with
their preceptors, or opened birth centers. Many students went on to become nurse midwives,
work in public health or social work, or became alternative health care providers.
- Hundreds more students took various open courses such as doula
training, CPR, neonatal resuscitation, herbs, women's health, CPR, Reiki, First Aid, and a
prenatal yoga instructor course.
With their required 100 hours of community service, OSM students set up a
doula program for women in a residential treatment program, worked with a child abuse
prevention program, in women's clinics, homeless shelters, teen parent programs, domestic
violence shelters, and in crisis pregnancy centers.
- Students provided free labor support doula services to anyone
in the community, often providing extra attention and help women really needed.
- 387 pregnant women were seen, many of which were low income,
high need clients with social as well as medical needs. Under the care of the midwives
they quit smoking improved their nutrition, took parenting classes and had wonderful
births, breastfed and had healthy babies that they developed strong bonds with.
- In 1999, the school hosted the Midwifery Educators Conference
bringing together schools and educators from
all over the US and overseas.
- Helping Hands, a Postpartum Doula Referral Service provided
trained postpartum doulas to the community.
HISTORY OF THE
OREGON SCHOOL OF MIDWIFERY
Oregon School of Midwifery was founded in
1993 by Daphne Singingtree. She had
previously operated the Birthsong School of Midwifery.
Her vision in opening the Oregon School of Midwifery was to create a high quality
midwifery educational program which would be accessible to everyone, including low income
women and mothers of young children. Her goal was to train safe and competent midwives by
integrating structured academics into a holistic midwifery model of care. She feels
confident the OSM graduates are some of the best trained direct entry midwives
anywhere.
OSM Students took with them from more than
just didactic information about midwifery and women's health, but knowledge and wisdom
about the art of midwifery. Students worked hard, made sacrifices and faced challenges.
They developed respect for their teachers and the diversity of various viewpoints, they
learned about themselves, and created deep and abiding friendships with fellow students.
Due to the initial and ongoing help from
Academic Director Althea Seaver, the quality of education continually improved. A diverse
and excellent faculty was recruited of direct entry and nurse midwives, perinatal
professionals, physicians, herbalists, social workers and other practitioners.
The
school was first housed in one room above a day care center. In May of 1994, the school moved into a larger
facility, 1500 square feet in a small strip mall. At the same time we opened Community
Midwifery Service adding a homebirth service to our programs.
In
1994, the school sent an instructor to Seattle to take the DONA Doula Trainer course. She
began offer Doula training several times a year. The
training of doulas become an important part of the services the school offered with
hundreds trained. In 2000, a new instructor was recruited who now offers both CAPPA and
DONA certified courses.
Also
in 1994, we opened Labor Support Services providing free labor support to anyone in the
community and a chance for students to attend births.
In
1995, Althea Seaver created and developed the curriculum for postpartum doula training and
the school began offering postpartum doula training as well.
In
1996, the school was pre-accredited through Midwifery Education and Accreditation Council
(MEAC). It was the first direct entry midwifery school in Oregon and the second in the US
to become accredited or pre accredited.
In
December of 1996, the school moved into a beautiful 3300 square foot converted vintage
house and opened a birth center. In August of 1997, the birth center became licensed by
the Oregon State Health Division, becoming the first licensed birth center in Oregon
operated by Direct Entry Midwives.
The
midwives with the center provided consistently high quality personalized care.
We offered the only water birth facility in the county for several years. Students got an opportunity to attend prenatals and
births, and learn the running of a busy homebirth and Center practice.
In
1999, the school began the Distance Learning Program with a pilot program with 8 students
from all over the US and Canada. This was the first direct entry midwifery distance
program that was computer based. The distance program offered a very comprehensive
curriculum that allowed women to stay in their home communities.
Although
the school has closed, staff remains as
dedicated and committed as ever to midwifery, and will be continuing to work in other
areas of midwifery education.
