CHOICES gets funding from Shelby County for two midwife fellows
MEMPHIS — After receiving the support of State Sen. Raumesh Akbari and State Rep. Torrey Harris, CHOICES: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health received $201,800 from Shelby County to fund two certified nurse midwife fellows.
“Statewide maternal health is a major issue,” said Akbari, who along with Harris is a board member for CHOICES. “Any funding that can help augment the services statewide for mothers and babies is very important.”
At CHOICES, four midwife fellows currently offer free consultations, routine prenatal care, delivery assistance, newborn assessments, postpartum checkups for mothers and lactation support. A fifth midwife fellow will be added in November.
All of the nurse midwives at CHOICES are board certified, hold a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree, have passed the NCLEX-RN exam, earned a Master of Science in Nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a midwifery focus and have passed the National Certified Nurse Midwife exam.
Nikia Grayson, chief clinical officer at CHOICES and a midwife, told commissioners that people who choose a midwife experience a lower level of medical interventions.
“The more included midwives are in prenatal and postnatal process, the better the health outcomes for pregnant people and their babies,” she said.
Related:Shelby County poised to fund two midwife fellows at CHOICES
From 2018:CHOICES: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health plans 'iconic' building
And, the preterm and cesarean section birth rates at CHOICES are below both national and state averages, Grayson said.
Shelby County has the highest death rate associated with pregnancy in the state, according to the 2021 Tennessee Maternal Mortality Annual Report, a statistic noted in the resolution, with 135.4 deaths per 100,000 live births.
And, the Tennessee Department of Health has found that Black women are two-and-a-half times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, with discrimination contributing to one in three pregnancy-related deaths.
Today, Shelby County’s infant mortality rate is 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, above the national rate of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. Black infants are twice as likely to die as white infants in the state.
The funding was brought to the commission by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ office, with support from Commission Chairman Mickell Lowery. Commissioner Erika Sugarmon asked to be added as a sponsor.
“Funding CHOICES certified midwife fellowship program increases access to vital healthcare,” Lee Harris tweeted earlier Monday. “These funds can aid in more successful deliveries in Shelby County, for both mother and child.”
The funds were approved with seven aye votes, three “no” votes and one abstention. The “no” votes came from commissioners Amber Mills, Mick Wright and Brandon Morrison, while Commissioner David Bradford abstained.
Katherine Burgess covers county government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com, 901-529-2799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: CHOICES gets funding from Shelby County for two midwife fellows
