From left, Teresa Keller, Tonia Moore, Michelle Collins and Linda Hughlett are new certified nurse-midwives at the West End Women’s Health Center.
photo by Dana Johnson
New additions bolster nurse-midwifery practice
The West End Women's Health Center, a nurse-managed clinic operated by the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, has hired four new certified nurse-midwives, bringing the total number of membership in this group practice to 11.
Teresa Keller, Tonia Moore, Michelle Collins and Linda Hughlett have joined the Nurse-Midwifery practice. Bonnie Pilon, D.S.N., senior associate dean for Practice, said the nurse-midwives have seen a steady increase in patients, and hiring new practitioners will allow them to handle the influx.
“We continue to see a greater number of women who are looking for more choices when considering birth options, and the West End Women's Health Center is one of only two sites in Nashville that offer nurse-midwifery care,” said Pilon. “We now have more than a dozen nurse-managed clinics serving Middle Tennessee and this is another example of how the School of Nursing is reaching out to meet the needs of people in Nashville and many other communities,” she added.
The additional nurse-midwives will also be on hand to help the practice as it establishes a new center in partnership with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, under the direction of Nancy Chescheir, M.D., professor and chair of the program. VUSN will operate an OB assessment center on the fourth floor of the Medical Center, and assist with patient flow and resident training in the Continuity Clinic located in The Vanderbilt Clinic.
"We are excited about the move toward a more integrated partnership with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,” said Deborah Wage, certified nurse-midwife and division director for Nurse Midwifery. “Nationally, this seems to be the current trend and at Vanderbilt we tend to be on the cutting edge to best enhance our collective mission of education and service.”
To find out more about the Vanderbilt Nurse-Midwives log on to: http://www.vanderbiltnursemidwives.org.