Sarasota Leads Statewide Prematurity Awareness Month Campaign

Would you please pass the cranberry sauce and the facts?

Just as families are preparing to gather together in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions (FAHSC) and March of Dimes Florida Chapter are launching a campaign as part of Prematurity Awareness Month (November). “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait” is designed to raise awareness about the myths and risks of premature births, as well as educate the public about the importance of staying pregnant at least 39 weeks if a pregnancy is healthy.

According to studies, a growing number of babies are delivered between 37 and 39 weeks. Many of these births occur as a result of planned or scheduled deliveries that are not medically necessary. Nationally, labor induction rates during these weeks have more than doubled from 9.5 percent in 1990 to nearly 23 percent in 2006. In Florida, preterm birth rates increased from 12.8 percent in 2000 to 13.5 percent in 2009. Sarasota is one of seven priority communities leading the statewide community education campaign being launched by FAHSC and Florida March of Dimes in observance of Prematurity Awareness Month. Hospitals in these communities are participating in a statewide quality initiative to reduce elective deliveries.

Non-medically required preterm deliveries pose increased risks to an infant’s life including neonatal hospitalizations, death, respiratory stresses, developmental delays and learning disabilities.

“We are pleased that our coalition and community have been selected to lead statewide education efforts to reduce the risk of babies who are affected by late preterm deliveries and non-medically necessary inductions and c-sections,” said Jennifer Highland, Executive Director, Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. “There is an alarming misconception among many that a baby is full term and ready for delivery at 36 weeks…so, unfortunately, we see a lot of mothers seeking to schedule C-sections or induced deliveries when there is no medical reason to do so. This campaign will help Sarasota citizens understand that the last weeks of pregnancy actually do count.”

Sarasota is joined by Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Tampa and Santa Rosa County as lead participants in the “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait” statewide campaign, being implemented by the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions with funding from the March of Dimes.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education and advocacy. For more information, visit marchofdimes.com/florida.

Founded in 1991, the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions is a statewide network of 32 Healthy Start Coalitions that exchange and disseminate resources and information designed to improve maternal and child health. FAHSC was awarded a March of Dimes Florida Chapter Community grant in March to educate Florida women, families, medical professionals and providers about preterm risks.

City of Sarasota, State of Florida Proclaim October 4-8 Licensed Midwives Week

At next week’s City Commission meeting (Monday, October 4, 6:00pm), Sarasota Mayor Kelly Kirschner will proclaim October 4th through 8th as Sarasota Licensed Midwives Week. Mayor Kirschner’s recognition will pay tribute to the skilled, individualized care that Sarasota’s licensed midwives offer women and their families throughout the childbearing cycle. It will signify the strong contribution licensed midwives make to the health and well-being of our community's mothers and babies through appropriate care and treatment in all phases of childbirth.

The week has also been proclaimed Florida Licensed Midwives Week by the office of Florida Governor Charlie Crist, coinciding with National Midwifery Week, a time to recognize the contributions of Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), Certified Midwives (CMs) and Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) nationwide. The American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) publicly announces the week with an introduction to midwifery. "The heart of midwifery care for women and newborns lies more in the nature of that care than in its specific components. Midwifery practice has a firm foundation in the critical thought process and is focused on the prevention of disease and the promotion of health, taking the best from the disciplines of midwifery, nursing, public health and medicine to provide safe, holistic care."

HISTORY OF MIDWIFERY IN FLORIDA: Midwives have a long and valued history in Florida. The state first passed legislation to license direct-entry midwives in 1931. In the 79 years since, Florida’s licensed midwives have continued to tirelessly serve the families of Florida and to ensure the continued availability of safe, evidence-based birthing options for Florida’s families. In 1992, Governor Lawton Chiles declared the first-ever Licensed Midwives Week. More women than ever before are seeking out licensed midwives for maternity care.

ABOUT MIDWIFERY IN FLORIDA: In Florida, two types of midwives are allowed to practice: Certified Nurse-Midwives and Licensed Midwives (a Florida state licensure), also known as direct-entry midwives. Throughout the state, about 11.2 percent of births are estimated to be managed by midwives, rather than by OB-GYNs. Many birth centers and midwives have reported a significant increase in business in the past year. This increase is believed to be a result of various factors, primarily a greater number of women seeking alternative birthing choices due to an unhealthy increase in caesarean sections and other unnecessary interventions that frequently occur in hospital settings. In a 2006 report on Florida Licensed Midwives, midwives had a caesarean section rate of 6.3 percent compared to a 36.64 percent statewide average in hospitals the same year.

In honor of this week, Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM), a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida, will be hosting various community events throughout the state this week and during October to celebrate the more than 110 currently practicing licensed midwives. For more information of midwifery in Florida, please visit www.flmidwifery.org.

“We are humbled by the dedication of the mothers who worked so hard to have this week declared licensed midwifery week,” says licensed midwife Miriam Pearson-Martinez. “We hope that the events happening all over the state this week serve to raise awareness regarding the benefits of midwifery care.”

The proclamation in Sarasota will be read by Mayor Kirschner at the beginning of the City Commission meeting, Monday, October 4th, at 6:00 pm in Sarasota’s City Hall. Florida Friends of Midwives encourages all families who have benefited from the care of licensed midwives to attend this special recognition.

About Florida Friends of Midwives: Florida Friends of Midwives is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida. Florida Friends of Midwives was formed to support midwives who offer safe, cost-effective, evidence based care to Florida's families. For more information, please visit www.flmidwifery.org.

Neuro Challenge Foundation Brings National Forum to Sarasota February 17th

On February 17, the Sarasota community will have the opportunity to participate in a national forum about education and advocacy for Parkinson Disease. Presented by The Neuro Challenge Foundation, the 16th annual Parkinson’s Action Network Research and Public Policy Forum will be aired live via interactive webcast at Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Institute for Advanced Medicine (5880 Rand Boulevard). Forum participants will learn about current legislative issues impacting the Parkinson’s community, and how they can advocate for better treatments and a cure by communicating with elected officials to influence change, here in Sarasota and in Washington, DC.

The keynote speaker for the PAN forum will be Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Collins will share his thoughts on the $156 million in Parkinson Disease research conducted in 2009 by NIH, the largest biomedical research institution in the world. His address will be given from 1:00 to 1:45 pm and will precede a live follow-up discussion with Neuro Challenge Foundation medical advisor Dr. Dean Sutherland.

This is the first year that the PAN Research and Public Policy virtual forum has been brought to a local community, easing the burden of travel for many Parkinson patients and their families. The forum will be presented free of charge from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Participants may RSVP by contacting the Institute for Advanced Medicine at (941) 917-7777.

About Neuro Challenge Foundation: The Neuro Challenge Foundation (NCF) is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of people with Parkinson Disease and their caregivers through service, education and research. NCF funds programs and activities that promise to ease the burden of Parkinson Disease through patient-centered professional education, community forums and scientific and clinical research. Patients, caregivers and nationally recognized scientific experts advise us and lead the way as we invest in the science and services that will lead to a cure. For more information, please call (888) 623-4483 or visit www.neurochallenge.org.

About Parkinson’s Action Network: The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) is the leading advocacy voice of the Parkinson’s community, advocating for more than 1 million Americans and their families. Through education and interaction with the Parkinson’s community, scientists, lawmakers, opinion leaders, and the public, PAN leads the fight to ease the burden and find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. PAN increases awareness about Parkinson’s disease and seeks federal support for Parkinson’s research. For more information, call (800) 850-4726 or visit www.parkinsonsaction.org.

Ina May Gaskin Awarded Honorary Doctorate

Ina May Gaskin of Summertown, Tennessee, was awarded the title “Honorary Doctor” by the Thames Valley University, London, England, on November 24, 2009. The award was presented by the faculty of the Health and Human Sciences division of the University in recognition of her work in demonstrating through midwifery and natural childbirth that women’s bodies still work as they were designed. Gaskin accepted the award in the Grand Auditorium of Wembley Stadium before an audience of 600.

Gaskin, who will turn 70 in March, thanked her mother for not scaring her about childbirth; Dr. Grantly Dick-Read (author of the classic Childbirth Without Fear); her high school biology teacher for teaching her to keep an open mind; her husband, Stephen Gaskin, for allowing 270 young people to accompany him on a lecture tour in the winter of 1970-71; and several physicians for mentoring her during the early years of her career as midwife.

Gaskin also thanked “the little Capuchin monkey who, in 1970, held my hand with an electrifying touch, thereby teaching me in an instant that I could also have touch that powerful if I lived as much in the moment as she did.”

With the honorary degree, Gaskin is now a PhD(Hon.), as well as a CPM, Certified Professional Midwife. She is Executive Director of the Farm Midwifery Center, which she helped found in 1971; the center has handled more than 2600 births, with statistics showing much better than average outcomes. Gaskin herself has attended more than 1200 births. She is author of Spiritual Midwifery, now in its fourth edition, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, and a new book, Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding.

Gaskin lectures internationally at midwifery conferences, at medical schools and hospitals, both to students and to faculty. She was President of Midwives’ Alliance of North America from 1996 to 2002. In 1997, she received the ASPO/Lamaze Irwin Chabon Award and the Tennessee Perinatal Association Recognition Award. She was featured in Salon magazine’s “Brilliant Careers” in 1999. In 2003 she was chosen as Visiting Fellow of Morse College, Yale University.

Gaskin transformed her observation of increasing maternal mortality in the United States into The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project, a national effort to honor women who have died of pregnancy-related causes and to draw public attention to the high maternal death rate in the U.S.

Her promotion of a low-intervention but extremely effective method for dealing with one of the most-feared birth complications, shoulder dystocia, has resulted in that method being adopted by a growing number of practitioners. The Gaskin maneuver is the first obstetrical procedure to be named for a midwife. Gaskin learned it from a Belizean midwife, who had learned it from indigenous midwives in Guatemala.

Maternal Health Weekend: Events Summary

Last weekend, Sarasota was host to several events aimed at improving maternal health care here at home and throughout the country. Headlining the weekend was Sunday afternoon's panel discussion Maternal Health Care in the 21st Century: Sarasota and Beyond. Present for this and all other events was the world's leading midwife, Ina May Gaskin.

Ms. Gaskin began her visit to Sarasota with a Clinical Conference for the medical staff of Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) on Friday, October 30. Her presentation was entitled "Combining the Best of Modern Obstetrics with Respect for Nature and Traditional Midwifery Approaches." Her objectives were threefold: to explore the knowledge base and skills common to traditional midwifery; to understand the need for both modern obstetrics and (authentic) midwifery; and to build positive relationships between the two professions (especially with regard to home birth midwives). Present at the conference were SMH Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Dr. Washington Hill; Sarasota County Health Department OB/GYN Dr. John Abu; Licensed Midwives Christina Holmes and Alina Vogelhut; and several members of the hospital staff and the community, including childbirth educators, nurses and retired physicians. The presentation will be available via podcast on the SMH Continuing Education website.

Friday afternoon found Ina May Gaskin touring both of Sarasota's freestanding birth centers (Birthways Family Birth Center and Rosemary Birthing Home), and having lunch with Sonia Pressman Fuentes, the co-founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Two of the most influential women in recent American history, the pair discussed the shift in birth culture in the last half century, the difference between American governmental structure and that of most European countries with better maternal outcomes, and the role of the feminist movement in changing the American perception of birth.

Saturday morning, October 31, Ina May Gaskin presented the Safe Motherhood Quilt Project at the Selby Public Library. Ms. Gaskin spoke to Sarasota's SNN News Channel 6 before the presentation, saying "In 2007, the World Health Organization reported that there are forty other countries that do better at preventing maternal death than the United States." Three panels of the quilt were shown in the library's Geldbart Auditorium, after having been hung from the atrium balcony during the week prior. These three panels contained 58 squares, each representing a woman who has died of pregnancy or childbirth related causes in America since 1982. Ms. Gaskin argues that simple measures such as a unified federal death certificate and an increase in percentage of hospital autopsies would dramatically improve U.S. maternal outcomes. The presentation was followed by a booksigning benefiting the project, as well as Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM), a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and preserving access to midwifery care in Florida. Ms. Gaskin signed copies of her classic Spiritual Midwifery, the gold standard prenatal education book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and her newest release, Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding, said by Dr. Christiane Northrup to be "the best thing ever written on the subject."

Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm, Ina May Gaskin met in the Hyatt Regency Sarasota Ballroom with Dr. Washington Hill once more, as well as Sarasota Healthy Start Coalition executive director Jennifer Highland and Representative Keith Fitzgerald, for a panel discussion called Maternal Health Care in the 21st Century: Sarasota and Beyond. The discussion was moderated by Sarasota Vice Mayor Kelly Kirschner, who shared his perspective as a City Commissioner that improved maternal health is a formula of community growth.The panel was a free program which included refreshments and a 28 page Maternal Health Resource Guide, all made possible by the hard work of the sponsoring organizations and the generosity of several business partners. Approximately 250-275 people attended the discussion, including several guests of expertise in the field of maternal health and associated disciplines.
Dr. Washington Hill was the first to speak, pointing to a collaborative model of care as the standard for positive outcomes, and encouraging open communication between the many components of maternal health care and its providers.Ina May Gaskin followed, discussing maternal death, its possible prevention and ways to move toward accurate recordkeeping, and the importance of prenatal health. She illustrated strategies in other countries with much better outcomes than ours, such as the Netherlands, which provides its new pregnant women with paid postpartum care. Jennifer Highland then presented a staggering display of statistics illustrating Sarasota's place in Florida and the rest of the country in categories such as infant death, fetal death, smoking during pregnancy, breastfeeding rates and more. Jennifer suggested that Sarasota County's high cesarean section percentage be closely examined and reversed to improve preterm birth rates and NICU admissions, and that prenatal health be a priority of all parties involved.
Finally, Florida House of Representatives Health and Family Services Policy Council member Rep. Keith Fitzgerald gave the audience a history of health insurance, an overview of health care reform issues, and a call to action. When talking about the frequency of special interest groups' appointments with him and his colleagues, Fitzgerald asked: "Where are you?"

Questions were then taken from audience members, who asked about tort reform, individual OB/GYN's c-section rates, and women's intuition--among many other things.

After the panel discsussion, Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM) hosted the tribute An Evening with Ina May Gaskin in the Boathouse of the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Guests received keepsake tickets, signed a book of gratitude for Ms. Gaskin, and viewed a tribute DVD of her work and its manifestation through the midwives and midwife-assisted births here in Sarasota. Net proceeds of approximately $2500 will help FFOM in their strategy to protect Florida's midwives and their laws, and to improve public awareness of the Midwives Model of Care.It was the honor of a lifetime for Kangaroo Promotions to provide event planning services, graphic design coordination, media and community relations and all marketing services for The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project Presentation, Maternal Health Care in the 21st Century: Sarasota and Beyond, and An Evening with Ina May Gaskin.

Maternal Health Care in the 21st Century: Sarasota and Beyond

Sarasota, FL (July 31, 2009) -- On November 1, 2009, Sarasota will host a discussion entitled 'Maternal Health Care in the 21st Century: Sarasota and Beyond.' The program will feature a distinguished panel of internationally recognized speakers. The Sarasota-Manatee Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) is sponsoring the event, along with co-sponsors Florida Friends of Midwives and the Sarasota Commission on the Status of Women. The discussion will take place at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. The public is welcome to attend at no cost.

The panelists for this discussion are:
--Dr. Washington Hill, MD, FACOG, Labor and Delivery Medical Director and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Director at Sarasota Memorial Hospital;
--Ina May Gaskin, MA, CPM, Founder and Director of The Farm Midwifery Center;
--Jennifer Highland, MPH, Executive Director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County;
--Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, PhD, Florida House of Representatives, District 69.

The discussion will be moderated by Kelly Kirschner, Sarasota City Commissioner and Vice Mayor, and will last approximately an hour and a half. Time will be allotted for audience questions and answers as well as refreshments following the program.

This panel will review current trends in maternity care in Sarasota within the context of the U.S. and the world and target paths to improving maternity care locally and nationwide. Topics for discussion include:

• maternal mortality,
• obstetric intervention rates and risks,
• legislation,
• legal reform and malpractice concerns,
• community education and awareness,
• the midwifery model of care,
• informed consent and refusal,
• the availability of prenatal and postpartum care (including education, counseling, and doulas), and
• the upcoming expansion of Sarasota Memorial Hospital to include new labor and delivery rooms.

Hosting a panel discussion about maternal health care issues was the brainchild of Sonia Pressman Fuentes, co-founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW). “After spending a lifetime improving the legal status of women and fighting gender discrimination in the US and the world, it is exciting for me to be involved in a field new to me, that of improving maternal health care options for women in Sarasota, the US, and the world,” says Fuentes. Joining her in planning the event is Laura Gilkey, local childbirth advocate and board member of Florida Friends of Midwives. "With a panel representative of obstetrics, midwifery, legislature, and public health, perhaps Sarasota can begin a conversation that will pave the way toward becoming a national model of community healthcare reform through improved maternity care," says Gilkey.

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For more information, please contact Laura Gilkey at laura@kangaroopromotions.net / (941) 915-8115. Interviews are available at the request of the press. Planning and agenda updates for the panel will be posted on the website www.borninsarasota.blogspot.com.

About the National Organization for Women (NOW): The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since its founding in 1966, NOW's goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women. NOW works to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society; secure reproductive rights for all women; end all forms of violence against women; eradicate racism, sexism and homophobia; and promote equality and justice in our society.

About Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM): Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM) is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida. Florida Friends of Midwives was formed to support midwives who offer safe, cost-effective, evidence based care to Florida's Families. FFOM members are consumers and birth advocates with a common goal: to preserve the legal protection afforded to Florida's midwives and birth centers. They are committed to organizing the community to support midwives and to assure the continued availability of midwifery care in the State of Florida.

About the Sarasota Commission on the Status of Women (SCSW): The Sarasota Commission on the Status of Women (SCSW) was established in 1987 and became an independent nonprofit organization in 2007 to empower Sarasota County's women through education, research and advocacy. Their overview is Women and Violence and they work through committees on Domestic Violence, Women and Housing, Women and Homelessness, Sexual Content in the Media, Human Trafficking, Women and Politics. Their focus is local and they encourage the enhancement of the status of Sarasota's women through public policy changes by local, state, and national governmental entities by partnering with other organizations with similar goals. For more information, please visit http://cswsarasota.googlepages.com.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS:

Dr. Washington Hill, M.D., FACOG
Labor and Delivery Medical Director / Maternal-Fetal Medicine Director, Sarasota Memorial Hospital
B.A., Rutgers University, College of South Jersey, Camden, New Jersey, 1961
M.D., Temple University School of Medicine, 1965
Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency, William Beaumont General Hospital, 1970
Post Graduate, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship, University of California, San Francisco, 1984
Board Certification, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology with Special Competence in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, 1989 with Recertification 1978, 1993 and 1998

Dr. Hill is the Past President of the Medical Staff and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Sarasota, Florida. He is currently Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He is also Clinical Professor Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida and Clinical Professor Department of Clinical Sciences OB/GYN Clerkship Director-Sarasota Campus Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida. Following completion of his fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, he has practiced this subspecialty for over 20 years first at the Sutter Perinatal Center and the University of California-Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California; and then at Creighton University, School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska; Meharry Medical College; and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. He served as Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Meharry Medical College, School of Medicine, until 1992, when he took his current position as Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Perinatal Center of Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Florida. Dr. Hill is the author of at least 60 articles in refereed journals and the book Ambulatory Obstetrics.

Ina May Gaskin, M.A., C.P.M.
Founder / Director, The Farm Midwifery Center
State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, B.A., English, Summa cum laude, Highest honors
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, M.A., English
North American Registry of Midwives
Certified Professional Midwife
Tennessee Licensed Certified Professional Midwife

Ina May Gaskin, MA, CPM, is founder and director of the Farm Midwifery Center, located near Summertown, Tennessee. Founded in 1971, by 1996, the Farm Midwifery Center had handled more than 2200 births, with remarkably good outcomes. Ms. Gaskin herself has attended more than 1200 births. She is author of Spiritual Midwifery, now in its fourth edition. For twenty-two years she published Birth Gazette, a quarterly covering health care, childbirth and midwifery issues. Her most recent book, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth was released in 2003. She was President of Midwives' Alliance of North America from 1996 to 2002. The Gaskin maneuver, a low-interventive effective method for dealing with shoulder dystocia, is the first obstetrical procedure to be named for a midwife. Ms. Gaskin’s center is noted for its low rates of intervention, morbidity and mortality. Ms. Gaskin is the originator and coordinator of The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project, a national effort developed to draw public attention to the current U.S. maternal death rates. Her newest book, Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding, will be released October 1st, 2009.

Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, Ph.D.
Florida House of Representatives, District 69
University of Louisville, B.A., 1979
Indiana University, Ph.D., 1987

Representative Keith Fitzgerald was elected to represent State House District 69 in 2006, and re-elected in 2008. His district includes the northern part of Sarasota County and a small portion of Manatee County. Representative Fitzgerald has lived in Sarasota and taught political science at New College of Florida since 1994. He and his wife, Angela Baker, have nine-year-old twins. Representative Fitzgerald serves as the Democratic Ranking Member on the Policy Council and as a member of the Finance and Tax Council, Health and Family Services Policy Council, Select Policy Council on Strategic & Economic Planning and the Military and Local Affairs Policy Committee. Representative Fitzgerald also serves as Policy Chair for the House Democratic Caucus. His prior leadership positions include service on the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates, the Board of Trustees at New College of Florida and the Sarasota City Charter Review Board.

Jennifer Highland, M.P.H.
Executive Director, Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County
University of South Florida, M.P.H. Public Health, 1995

Jennifer’s passion for helping mothers and infants began with the birth of her children. Jennifer's early career was in Louisiana, Georgia and Texas, where she served as a registered nurse. After she moved to Florida and became a mother, Jennifer volunteered for the Breastfeeding Advocates of Sarasota County and completed her Master of Public Health Degree from USF, graduating in 1995. Jennifer was the Project Coordinator for the first and on-going national breastfeeding promotion campaign, “Loving Support Makes Breastfeeding Work,” through her employment with Best Start, Inc., in Tampa. She then became trained as a Childbirth Educator and taught at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Her work at The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County began in 2001 as the Contract/Quality Manager. Her role expanded to include professional education. In 2006 she became the Executive Director.

MODERATOR: Kelly Kirschner
Sarasota City Commission (District 3 Commissioner / Vice Mayor)
B.S. Foreign Service, Georgetown University
M.A. Latin American Studies, Georgetown University

Kelly is a lifelong Sarasotan. He has served the Sarasota community as President of the Alta Vista Neighborhood Association as well as having been an active member of the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations. Believing strongly in public service, Kelly has worked for the White House Office of Public Liaison; served as a Peace Corps Volunteer; and led a USAID community conservation project in rural Guatemala. Kelly lives with his wife, Tracy, son, Bodhi, and daughter, Selby, in District 3.

EVENT SPONSOR: Sonia Pressman Fuentes
The Sarasota-Manatee Chapter, National Organization for Women (NOW)
B.A. Cornell University 1950
J.D. University of Miami School of Law 1957

Sonia Pressman Fuentes, who was born in Berlin, Germany, came to the U.S. with her immediate family in 1934 to escape the Holocaust. She was an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (where she was the first woman attorney in its Office of the General Counsel), and the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. She was a co-founder of NOW, WEAL (the Women’s Equity Action League), and FEW (Federally Employed Women) and a charter member of VFA (Veteran Feminists of America). She was the longest-serving board member in the history of NWP (National Woman’s Party). In 1993, she retired from the federal government, thereafter wrote her memoir, Eat First—You Don’t Know What They’ll Give You, The Adventures of an Immigrant Family and Their Feminist Daughter, and embarked on new careers as a writer and public speaker. For further information, please visit her website at http://www.erraticimpact.com/fuentes.

EVENT COORDINATOR: Laura H. Gilkey
Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM)
B.L.A. Landscape Architecture, University of Florida, 2000

Laura Gilkey serves on the Board of Directors for Florida Friends of Midwives, and is the Florida Coordinating Ambassador for The Birth Survey: The Transparency in Maternity Care Project. Laura is an endorser of The Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative and a member of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Care Services. She is a project coordinator and quilter for Ina May Gaskin's Safe Motherhood Quilt Project, intended to raise awareness about American maternal mortality. Laura has recently joined the Planning and Evaluation Committee for the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of Sarasota's pregnant women, infants, and small children. Professionally, she is the marketing manager for Michael A. Gilkey, Inc., landscape architecture studio, and is the owner of Kangaroo Promotions, Inc., a creative marketing firm in Sarasota. For more information, please visit her website at http://borninsarasota.blogspot.com.

Kangaroo is beyond honored to donate all media relations, press releases, marketing, event planning and graphic and web design coordination for this groundbreaking program.

Choosing a Birth Care Provider?

The Birth Survey Now Offers Access to Reviews of Local Maternity Care Providers and Facilities

April 28th, 2009 —CIMS, the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, a group working toward transparency in maternity care, today announced that consumer survey results rating health care providers and birth facilities are now available online at www.thebirthsurvey.com.

The CIMS Transparency in Maternity Care Project: The Birth Survey is the first ever consumer ratings website dedicated solely to providing feedback on obstetricians, midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and home birth services. The consumer reviews include overall ratings and recommendations for birth facilities and care providers, and also a seven-item set of questions on providers’ interpersonal and communication skills, facility intervention rates, and information on finding good care. A national average of ratings is also displayed to provide comparison with individual ratings.

“While consumers have long been sharing information online about products and services, more data was available for the purchase of a digital camera than had ever been available to women as consumers of maternity care. The Birth Survey directly addresses that information deficit,” said Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, author of The Complete Illustrated Guide to Pregnancy and member of The Birth Survey Committee.

The Birth Survey is a user-friendly, free Website where mothers who have given birth within the last three years can provide detailed, anonymous feedback about their experiences. The survey questions are based upon the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative, an evidence-based model of high quality maternity care. Additionally, the interpersonal and communication questions are based upon an AHRQ survey, which represents a well known set of questions currently used by doctors and hospitals.

More than 17,500 ratings for providers and 6,500 ratings for facilities have been submitted since the national launch six months ago. Now, parents-to-be can retrieve the pooled reporting on local providers and facilities.

The national averages of the consumer feedback collected indicate that midwives were rated more highly than the physicians. For example, 58 percent of respondents would recommend their doctors to family and friends, compared to 90 percent who would recommend their midwives. Across all providers, 77 percent of women reported that they had their questions answered completely, and 73 percent felt they were as free as they wanted to be in making their own decisions about their care. Averages, however, varied widely between individual providers.

The Website ratings pages also provide links to hospital and birth center obstetric intervention rates, such as c-section, for facilities in nine states. This information is part of The Birth Survey’s nationwide campaign to make facility-level intervention data available to the public. This kind of public reporting supports informed choice and fosters transparency, which improves outcomes.

Consistent with a new series of government Public Service announcements that encourage consumers to get involved in their health care and ask questions of their care providers, The Birth Survey offers links to information on how to choose and evaluate providers, including the “CIMS Ten Questions to Ask.” By offering more than a conventional five-star rating, The Birth Survey offers information that is vital for women to make more informed decisions.

“A woman who looks at a list of names from her insurance company is often choosing a provider on nothing but blind luck. Where and with whom to give birth are important health care decisions. Research shows that both provider and location have a significant impact on birth outcomes. CIMS wants expectant parents to ask questions of their providers and facilities, and have access to more information about their local options,” said Elan McAllister, founder of Choices in Childbirth in New York City and Co-chair of the The Birth Survey committee.

The Birth Survey is an ongoing project. In the summer of 2009, free-text responses will be displayed on the website, and in 2010, detailed information on patients’ experiences with prenatal, labor, birth and postpartum care will be added to the website as searchable custom reports.For more about The Birth Survey, to view intervention data for each state, the survey results, or to take the survey, log on to www.thebirthsurvey.com.

About the Transparency in Maternity Care Project: The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) through the Transparency in Maternity Care Project developed The Birth Survey so families can share information, learn about the choices and birth experiences of others, and view data on hospital and birth center intervention rates and practices. It is also designed to help providers and facilities improve the quality and transparency of their care. At the heart of the project is an on-going online consumer survey that asks women to provide feedback about their pregnancy and birth care specific to the particular doctor, midwife, hospital or birth center that served them. Responses are made available online to other women in their community who are deciding where and with whom to birth. Paired with this experiential data, are official statistics from state departments- of-health listing obstetrical intervention rates at the facility level.

About the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services: The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) is a coalition of individuals and national organizations with concern for the care and well-being of mothers, babies, and families. Our mission is to promote a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes and substantially reduce costs. This evidence-based mother-, baby-, and family-friendly model focuses on prevention and wellness as the alternatives to high-cost screening, diagnosis, and treatment programs. For more information, log on to www.motherfriendly.org.

Parkinson Awareness Month Health Fair April 21st

April is Parkinson Awareness Month. In recognition, Sarasota Memorial Hospital has partnered with the Neuro Challenge Foundation to host a fun and informal ‘Spring Fling’ Health Fair on Tuesday, April 21, from 9:30 am to noon at Sarasota Memorial’s Institute for Advanced Medicine (5880 Rand Boulevard).

This informative open house, which includes a complimentary breakfast, invites patients, caregivers, healthcare providers and the community to meet committed and caring professionals who offer the best local resources and services available for Parkinson patients and families.

Facilities and services available to tour at the open house include the Neuro Challenge Parkinson Clinic, offering multidisciplinary services and customized comprehensive care; SMH Parkinson Out Patient Rehabilitation Services, offering one-on-one physical, occupational, and speech therapy; the state-of-the-art Health Plex Fitness Center; the Parkinson Wellness Club and Caregiver Connection, offering positive and rewarding monthly educational programs for ongoing motivation and support; and the SMH Integrated Medicine Program, offering easy and affordable ways to benefit from treatments like pool therapy, gentle yoga, therapeutic massage, aikido, acupuncture, and more. Special guests at the Health Fair will be local Parkinson Disease expert, Dean P. Sutherland, MD, PhD and Dr. Bernard Sutherland, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s eight years ago.

The Neuro Challenge Foundation, led by Physician Advisor and Sarasota Neurologist Dean P. Sutherland, M.D., Ph.D., and Foundation President Doreen Sutherland, is dedicated to the fight against Parkinson Disease. The Foundation, operated entirely through volunteer time and charitable donations, maintains a full-service, state-of-the-art Parkinson Disease Center in Sarasota, Florida . At the Center, patients and families can receive free surgical and non-surgical treatments, counseling, health and fitness advice, home services and more. The Center offers a level of care that rivals major university medical centers. Patients seen at the Parkinson Disease Center have access to the latest information, medications, surgeries, diagnostic tests, rehabilitation services and alternative therapies. As a result, the reputation of the Center has grown by leaps and bounds, extending to the entire state of Florida and beyond.

Need for Transparency Increases as Cesarean Section Rates Rise

March 19th, 2009 —CIMS, the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, a group working toward transparency in maternity care, today announced that the 2007 US birth statistics, just released, show that 31.8% of births are via cesarean section. The percentage of cesarean deliveries has increased by 50% since 1996 and is more than double the World Health Organization’s recommended rate of 15%.

Currently, cesarean rates vary widely across the US. The 2007 birth data highlight this variation; for instance, a woman giving birth in New Jersey has a 73% higher chance of having a cesarean than a woman in Utah.

This strong variation in rates isn’t only geographic; it is also seen among individual hospitals in a community. For example, in 2006, New York City, one of the few places facility-level rates are available, St. Vincent’s Staten Island Hospital had a rate of 44.5% compared to 17.2% at North Central Bronx Hospital. Many believe that this variation is due to high risk sicker mothers and babies that these hospitals serve; however, that is only part of the story. Extensive research has shown that these huge variations are strongly linked to the practices and policies of individual hospitals and providers not just the health status of mothers and babies.

“Most women believe that they will only have a cesarean section if they experience complications in pregnancy or labor. But research tells us that most of the factors affecting a woman’s risk of a cesarean have nothing to do with her health or that of her baby. One of the most effective strategies for avoiding a preventable cesarean is choosing a provider and birth setting with a low cesarean rate. In the United States, we are seeing increased public reporting of outcomes and procedure rates for facilities in surgical and cardiac care, but, access to maternity care data remains almost non-existent,” says Amy Romano, MSN, CNM, a transparency expert for CIMS.

C-section can be a life-saving procedure, but it is a major surgery that carries extensive risks for both mother and baby, risks that are not present in a vaginal birth. Research conducted by the World Health Organization shows that these risks of cesarean outweigh the benefits when the c-section rate exceeds 15%. Currently, women have no way of knowing if their local hospitals exceed this recommended rate.

“Women can unknowingly increase their risk of unnecessary surgery based on their selection of where and with whom to birth. To enable women to make informed choices, maternity care data must be available at the facility level. Whether requiring a c-section or planning a natural birth, women need data in order to choose the facility that most closely matches their needs,” said Elan McAllister, Founder of New York’s Choices in Childbirth and Co-chair of the Transparency in Maternity Care Project.

Transparency empowers consumers, and studies have shown that public reporting of intervention rates and outcomes leads to better healthcare. New York and Massachusetts are the only states with legal mandates to require release of facility-level maternity care obstetrical intervention statistics such as cesarean sections. Unfortunately, such information remains unavailable in most parts of the country, but a CIMS project is working to change this fact.

To help expectant parents to make informed health care decisions about where and with whom to birth, CIMS developed the Transparency in Maternity Care Project: The Birth Survey. CIMS has trained local level ambassadors across the US to interface with their state departments of health to work to make facility-level intervention rates available to the public. As intervention rates are obtained, including the rate for c-sections, they will be included in publically accessible free reports at www.thebirthsurvey.com.

Transparency of health care information is increasing across the US and maternity care must be included in this movement. Otherwise, women are choosing their place of birth blindfolded and potentially increasing their chances of having an unnecessary cesarean section as rates across the country continue to rise above recommended levels.

For more about The Birth Survey, to view intervention data for each state, the survey results for the New York metropolitan area, or to take the survey, log on to www.thebirthsurvey.com.

About the Transparency in Maternity Care Project:
The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) through the Transparency in Maternity Care Project developed The Birth Survey so families can share information, learn about the choices and birth experiences of others, and view data on hospital and birth center intervention rates and practices. It is also designed to help providers and facilities improve the quality and transparency of their care. At the heart of the project is an on-going online consumer survey that asks women to provide feedback about their pregnancy and birth care specific to the particular doctor, midwife, hospital or birth center that served them. Responses are made available online to other women in their community who are deciding where and with whom to birth. Paired with this experiential data, are official statistics from state departments- of-health listing obstetrical intervention rates at the facility level.

About the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services: The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) is a coalition of individuals and national organizations with concern for the care and well-being of mothers, babies, and families. Our mission is to promote a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes and substantially reduce costs. This evidence-based mother-, baby-, and family-friendly model focuses on prevention and wellness as the alternatives to high-cost screening, diagnosis, and treatment programs. For more information, log on to www.motherfriendly.org.

Sharp Painting: Commitment to Sharp Quality

Sharp Painting has quietly carved a niche in Sarasota as the finest residential home painter in our community. For the past five years, owner Brad Augsburger has concentrated solely on customer service and extreme attention to the quality and detail of his workmanship. With this attention came the exclusive use of Benjamin Moore paint products from his friends at Sarasota Paint. Brad fully endorses the richness and endurance of Benjamin Moore, and believes that an initial investment in products like the Aura paint line results a long-term cost savings to the homeowner.
Brad's goal is to bring professionalism into painting in Sarasota. Through a critical eye, Brad demands perfection on his projects, whether they be newly constructed estate homes or small repainted rooms. Sharp Painting takes careful steps to ensure the longevity of their work, including cleaning and pressure washing, scraping, mold treatment and primer application with the finest products available.

Kangaroo is looking forward to providing Sharp Painting with a complete marketing package.

Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. Goes PLATINUM

Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. is honored to have been selected by Josh Wynne Construction to design and create a Florida Friendly Landscape for The Codding Cottage in historic Laurel Park. This unique home is expected to meet and exceed all requirements for the Platinum level of the LEED Green Build Rating System, making it the most energy-efficient and sustainable residence in Sarasota, and one of the first in the nation to receive this designation. The Codding Cottage will also be certified by The Florida Green Building Coalition and EnergyStar.
In order to take full advantage of the minimal landscape allowance and spatial constraints of the property, Michael is proposing a series of spaces that are functional, intimate and appropriate to the concept of The Codding Cottage. Using 100% Florida native plants and irrigated from harvested rainwater, the landscape of the home will compliment the innovation and sustainability of its building methods and materials. Michael proposes minimal yet functional lawn space, recycled hardscape materials, raised vegetable gardens and shade-providing overhead structures adorned with native grapevines. According to Josh Wynne, The Codding Cottage features a long list of the latest innovations in technology and green construction. All of these products and experts have helped bring this home to a level of efficiency and sustainability not often achieved. Sustainable construction practices, healthy product choices, energy efficient features, and water conscious design make this home as inspiring as it is beautiful.The Codding Cottage will be featured at e-fest November 15th, and on the Junior League Holiday Tour of Homes December 5th & 6th.

Kangaroo looks forward to coordinating award applications and media relations for this project.

Concrete Countertops, Etc.: Durable Beauty

Concrete Countertops, Etc. owner Jake Brady utilizes the very latest in sustainable concrete surface technology. His concrete surfaces are beautiful and long lasting, and play a vital role in reducing the burden on our nation’s landfills.

Concrete Countertops, Etc. uses a three-part component system and surface-reactant lithium sealer, resulting in a product which is more dense and more stain-resistant than any other concrete surface available. Jake's unique mix design replaces 35% of the Portland cement with a post-industrial waste that actually makes his concrete stronger. Concrete Countertops, Etc. also uses the wastewater from their polishing process, helping protect Florida’s fragile water supply.

A native of Nova Scotia, Jake moved to Sarasota in 1997 and began his remodeling career with his father. He began his own business, Jake of All Trades, specializing in kitchen and bath remodels. In 2007, he attended the Concrete Countertop Institute in Raleigh, North Carolina, completing intensive training in precast countertops and sinks. After a mutually beneficial employment experience with Ben Nettles Concrete Design in 2008, Jake created Concrete Countertops, Etc. with a unique technique, mix design, and philosophy. Jake resides in Sarasota with his partner Angel and his English Bulldog, Maggie, and enjoys fishing in Sarasota Bay and riding his motorcycle.

Concrete Countertops, Etc. is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the Florida Green Building Coalition, and is an elite support member of the Concrete Countertop Institute.

Please contact us to visit to the new Concrete Countertops, Etc. showroom, at 6130 Clark Center Avenue, Suite 101.

Kangaroo is enthusiastically assisting Jake with design coordination, consumer relations, media relations, and industry and grant research.

Fish Branch Tree Farm: Live Oak Cultivars

After a decade-long process, Fish Branch Tree Farm has developed two new cultivars of the native Live Oak. Owners John and Linda Conroy and environmental horticulturalist Lloyd Morgan have narrowed their selection through a careful and scientific process to produce two proud and perfect parent trees, each with a different set of desirable characteristics for today's landscape applications.

The Boardwalk(R) has an upright growth habit with excellent branch attachment, and the Park Side(R) has a classic Live Oak canopy with a strong central leader. In addition, Fish Branch grows a third cultivar, the Cathedral (R), which has an easily maintained central leader and wide-angled branches.

Live Oaks grown from acorns are highly variable in their development. There are several varieties, as well as hybrid crosses, which contribute to inconsistency. The need for predictability in the landscape industry has sparked an interest in the selection and propagation of Live Oak cultivars. Cultivars are genetic clones that replicate the traits of their parent trees. This ensures a uniformity that is impossible to achieve through seedlings. If 100 acorns are planted, 100 aesthetically different Live Oaks will grow, each with a unique branch structure. However, when 100 cultivar oaks are planted, the result is 100 genetically identical trees.

It was not until about 15 years ago that a commercially viable propogation method was developed for cloning Live Oaks. Fish Branch owner John Conroy saw a need for cultivars that addressed not only the structural requirements of the landscape industry, but the aesthetic desires as well. Cultivars were being created, but the results were "simply not pretty enough," says Conroy. He began the propogation process by selectively taking cuttings from Live Oaks that displayed exceptional examples of the characteristics the industry desired. These traits, along with Florida's Grades and Standards for evaluating trees, have guided Fish Branch in the selection process.

Under Conroy's direction, Fish Branch environmental horticulturalist Lloyd Morgan has rejected hundreds of trees and taken thousands of cuttings to create two distinctly different Live Oaks that are unique in today's landscape. "After a rigorous selection process and years of experimentation, we have two cultivars that should satisfy the desires of the industry," says Morgan.

Kangaroo's scope of services includes project placement, industry research, information circulation, and media and consumer relations.