THE BIRTH CENTER OF GAINESVILLE NAMES NEW SENIOR MIDWIFE/CLINICAL DIRECTOR

Gainesville, Fl; June 20, 2007: The Birth Center of Gainesville (BCOG), renowned as the oldest birth center on the east coast of the United States, in conjunction with The Florida School of Traditional Midwifery (FSTM), has announced the appointment of a new Senior Midwife/Clinical Director. Mary Ann Smith, MSN, CNM has enthusiastically accepted the opportunity to “come home” and join the Midwives at the BCOG. Smith is the former owner of the BCOG and past instructor with the FSTM.

Susan Nelson, Chair of the Board of Directors, stated that, “this appointment fulfills a long term goal of bringing a Certified Nurse Midwife on staff. It allows the BCOG to offer full GYN care to complement our current offerings of prenatal care, water birth, birth center & home birth, family counseling and lactation support. Mary Ann has over 20 years experience, is highly respected, and is excited to work in a birth center again.”

Smith will be joining the BCOG in her official capacity in Mid-August and will begin providing clinical care as of August 16th. She believes that, “birth centers are the bastions of midwifery,” and looks forward to her role as Clinical Director. “Her years as a birth center owner, and her recent experience in a hospital-based practice, give her a unique combination of expertise and abilities that we need to take the birth center to the next level,” said Nelson.

About FSTM & BCOG

The Birth Center of Gainesville, owned by the FSTM, is proud to have been “Delivering Florida’s Pride and Joy for over 25 years.” Staff midwives are experts in caring for healthy pregnant women and have a longstanding record of providing high-quality, safe maternity care while helping to grow healthy families and build our community. More than 1,900 babies have been delivered through the Birth Center of Gainesville.

The Florida School of Traditional Midwifery, a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit corporation, is recognized as one of the most well-respected midwifery programs in America. Graduates are eligible for state licensure and national certification, and are providing families throughout Florida and across the country with safe, high-quality, cost-effective maternity care.

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