News Story

New Midwifery, Women’s Health Textbook Edition Expands Health Equity Focus

A collage of a book cover for Clinical Practice Guidelines for Midwifery & Women's Health and a tablet computer image for the online edition
(Photo courtesy Jones & Bartlett Learning)

February 2, 2021 – The new edition of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Midwifery and Women’s Health – involving the contributions of Georgetown editors and authors – looks at midwifery and women’s health practice through a health equity lens.

Dr. Cindy L. Farley, associate professor in Georgetown’s Nurse-Midwifery/WHNP and WHNP Programs, is a co-editor, and Professor Heather Bradford, assistant program director, is an associate editor. Twenty-five faculty, students, and graduates contributed to the textbook, which is now in its sixth edition. 

“We hope that the text will support midwives as they facilitate physiologic birth and provide maternity care and primary care to people of their communities,” Farley said. “We have emphasized the anti-racist work that midwives everywhere must engage in to move health equity forward. We have added guidelines for gender-affirming primary and birthing care.”

‘Humbled and Honored’

Farley co-edited the work along with textbook founder Nell L. Tharpe and Dr. Robin G. Jordan. She and her colleagues have worked to ensure the book’s continuation.

“The senior editors began succession planning for the text by inviting to the editorial team a group of talented midwives committed to the midwifery model of care, such as Heather Bradford, my colleague here at Georgetown, in order to continue the book’s legacy into the seventh edition and beyond,” Farley added.

Bradford said she has enjoyed working on the 800-page textbook, which she hopes will serve as a global resource.

Professor Heather Bradford and Dr. Cynthia Farley pose together in front of a forest.
Left to right: Professor Heather Bradford and Dr. Cynthia Farley

“I am truly humbled and honored to have been invited to be a part of this incredible team of midwives who worked tirelessly during a very challenging time to share the latest evidence on midwifery and women’s health care and see this ‘baby’ be born,” she said. “I am proud of the text’s practical clinical information with a health equity focus, with hopes that it will make a positive difference in the care of the clients that midwives and other health professionals serve across the globe.”

Georgetown Contributors

Faculty authors to the textbook, which is published by Jones & Bartlett Learning, include Fern Aspen, Dr. Jenna Benyounes, Esther R. Ellsworth Bowers, Catherine Daily, Dr. Gina Fullbright, Jeanne Jacobwitz, Jalana Lazar, Signey Olson, and Anika Phillips.

Students, including some who have graduated already, were “invited to contribute to updating a clinical practice guideline in a specific content area to align with emerging evidence,” Farley said.

They include Rossi Airy, Jacquelyn Baumann, Denae Ellson, Juliann George, Denise M. Gonzalez, Heather R. Hass, Tristen M. Holloway, Sarah Magliano, Katherine McDonald, Amanda M. Peterson, Jillian Smith, Karline Snyder, Amber Taylor, Hannah Turnbull, and Nicole Van DeCasteele. Alumna Latasha Brown also participated.

“This is really a testament to Cindy Farley as an incredible mentor,” Bradford noted about her colleague’s support of student authors.

By Bill Cessato

Tagged
Health Equity
Racial Justice