May 5 is Red Dress Day
Date: May 3, 2023
Red Dress Day is a day of honour, remembrance and national awareness for the thousands of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people (MMIWG2S+). Stark images of red dresses hanging from trees or structures were used by Métis artist Jaime Black of the ReDress Project to symbolize the absence of those whose lives will not be forgotten.
Impact of government cuts to uninsured funding on clients in midwifery care
Date: March 29, 2023
An open letter to obstetrical colleagues written by Midwives Manavi Handa and Shezeen Suleman As you are likely aware, the provincial government announced on Friday they are cutting the funding program that has allowed a pathway for uninsured residents of our province to seek essential medical care and has allowed doctors a mechanism to bill for this care. The program is set to end on March 31, 2023, and this comes as very distressing news. As midwives who have worked for many years with uninsured clients, we are sharing some thoughts with you about the devastating impacts of these cuts to perinatal clients we serve. We are reaching out to you, our obstetrician colleagues, to highlight some of these impacts as we know you too serve these communities – the care you deliver will undoubtedly be impacted as well.
Remembering and honouring MMIWG2S
Date: February 14, 2023
February 14 marks the anniversary of the annual Women’s Memorial March (WMM), held in communities across Canada and the United States to remember and honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit persons (MMIWG2S). Led by Indigenous women, the march began when loved ones and su…
#MidwiferyDataMatters: A new tool to visualize outcomes in midwifery care
Date: February 7, 2023
Midwives provide safe, excellent care to pregnant and birthing individuals across Ontario. Today midwives can visualize their impact on important perinatal outcomes in the AOM’s new resource, A Visualization of Key Data from the Midwifery Regional Report (PDF, 517 KB; login required). Launched b…
Ukrainian-Canadian midwife supports midwives in Ukraine; Emergency skills and association recognition at the ICM top of agenda
Date: January 25, 2023
(Photo attribution: National Police of Ukraine, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.) Midwives in Ukraine have united to form the first Association of Midwives of Ukraine, thanks in part to the efforts of Betty-Anne Daviss, an Ontario midwife, educator, and researcher with historical family ties to Ukraine. Daviss recently traveled to Ukraine where she offered a series of workshops for midwives, obstetricians, and other perinatal specialists from across the country working on the frontlines of the war, focusing on clinical skills for intrapartum emergencies.
AOM negotiations with Ministry: Advocating to improve the lives of midwives and the midwifery sector
Date: November 16, 2022
November marked the beginning of the AOM’s inauguration of negotiations with the Ministry of Health (MOH), where the AOM represents Ontario’s over 1 000 registered and Indigenous midwives, providing care to over 26 000 Ontarians each year. The AOM's focus is advocating to improve the lives and working conditions of midwives and to strengthen the sector. Midwives are currently working under a three-year deal that expires on March 31, 2023.
Negotiations, solidarity with education workers and midwives
Date: November 9, 2022
Last Friday Nov 4 Ontarians witnessed something unprecedented – the provincial government’s use of the notwithstanding clause to suspend fundamental, Charter-protected rights for 55 000 education workers represented by CUPE through the passing of Bill 28. On Monday, following an impressive demonstration of solidarity between public and private sector unions, government announced it was rescinding Bill 28.
Making BORN data entry easier: Resources for midwives and improvements to the BIS
Date: October 19, 2022
Good quality midwifery research and advancements in midwifery funding, policy and practice all begin with good quality data entry. To improve the ease of data entry for midwives, the AOM struck the AOM-BORN Knowledge Translation Task Force (BORN KT TF), an advisory group of midwives with expertise …
"It's the vindicating end of a long road, and the journey continues”: Midwives celebrate Ontario government’s decision not to appeal human rights win a third time
Date: August 31, 2022
Following nine years of determined perseverance, Ontario midwives can truly savour their landmark human rights victory now that the Ministry of Health has confirmed they will not apply for a leave of appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Midwives have already won two previous appeals by the govern…
Midwives are key constituents – how to build bridges with your Member of Provincial Parliament
Date: August 17, 2022
A Member of Provincial Parliament's (MPP) success and potential for re-election rests in how they perform and meet the needs of their voters. Midwives and their practices are critical constituents. They also provide health care for an important demographic – young families. Midwifery clients overwh…