50 years later and 14 midwives strong, our first-of-its-kind Nurse Midwife Service

In the late 60s, Dr. Donald Freeman, Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Minneapolis General Hospital, and a nurse named Margaret Hewitt conducted forums asking women what they wanted their birth experience to look like.

In 1971, Margaret used what she learned at these forums and her knowledge as a Certified Nurse Midwife to develop the first hospital nurse midwife practice​ in Minnesota at HCMC. This new and innovative model directly involved women in decisions about their care and birth experience and was remarkably successful.​

Now 50 years later and 14 midwives strong, our Hennepin Healthcare nurse-midwives continue to nurture the philosophy of care that Margaret instilled, ensuring all expectant mothers have the right to care that meets their spiritual and cultural beliefs, values, and traditions. Join us in celebrating 50 years of caring for women and welcoming babies on Saturday, September 25 from 1-4 pm in the Blue Building Courtyard. There you can connect with​​ our team and enjoy photos and memorabilia from the past five decades.

Read on to learn more about the history of our Nurse Midwife Service and the important milestones we’ve made along the way.

Beginnings

• Community meeting held to solicit input on birth options
• Dr. Donald Freeman, Chair of OB/GYN, hires Margaret Hewitt, the first nurse midwife employed in the Twin Cities
  

1971

• Margaret Hewitt develops first full-scope nurse-midwifery practice in Minnesota

1973

• U of MN School of Nursing admits first class of nurse-midwifery students
• The Nurse Midwife Unit was created in a four-bed ward in the old General Hospital
  

1974

• First VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) with the Midwife Service
• Demand for midwifery care required hiring of a second nurse midwife, Ruth Rabenhorst

1975

• Nurse Midwife Service staffs their first community clinic

1976

• Move from Minneapolis General Hospital to the new Hennepin County Medical Center. A nine room Nurse Midwife Unit (first in the US) accommodated families’ desire for a single-room birthing experience
  
• First hospital in the Twin Cities to allow women to labor in water (hydrotherapy)

1979

• Hmong families, new to the community, were drawn to midwifery care at HCMC due to the service’s respect of traditional birth experiences

1981

• Margaret Hewitt retires. New co-directors Claire Nelson and Nancy Schamber lead the Nurse Midwife Service
  
• “Family Birthing,” a film about the Nurse-Midwife Unit, was honored for promoting family-centered care
  

1990

• Due to patient needs, HCMC hires the first Spanish interpreter

1995

• Many Somali families immigrated to Minnesota and chose nurse midwives as their care providers

1996

• Nurse Midwife Unit commemorates 25 years of service to families
• Named by SELF magazine as one of the 10 Best Hospitals to have a baby
  

1999

• The entire Nurse Midwife Unit was remodeled and updated
  
• First metro-area hospital and unit to offer waterbirths
  
• HCMC begins an on-call, hospital-based doula program – something no other metro hospital offers

2002

• Fit Pregnancy names HCMC one of the Top 10 Places to have a baby

2005

• Received With Women for a Lifetime Gold Commendation from the American College of Nurse Midwives for 35 years of caring for women and their families
  

2006

• Rita O’Reilly named Director of Nurse Midwife Service
  

2009

• Opened Centering Pregnancy program for group prenatal care
• Quarterly Meet the Midwives event​ offered to greet our families in a new way
  

2011

• Celebration of 21,500 midwife-attended births in our first 40 years

2015

• Movie entitled “HCMC Nurse-Midwife Service” was made by The Midwife Media to celebrate our unique and important service
  

2016

• HCMC is among the first wave of metro hospitals to offer Nitrous Oxide for labor analgesia
• Jessica Holm was named Director of the Nurse Midwife Service and Division
  

2018

• The Clinic and Specialty Center opens; the OB-GYN Clinic undergoes a name change to the Women’s Health and Wellness Clinic
  

2019

• Return of 24/7 on-call doula services​ with vendor doulas from Everyday Miracles under the direction of Jessica Holm
  

2020

• Hennepin Healthcare Nurse Midwives provide care to pregnant patients as a part of the COVID Home Monitoring Program
  
• Hennepin Healthcare’s multidisciplinary Birth Equity Task Force was born under the leadership of midwife Emily Fitzgerald
• Jessica Holm is a recipient of Medical Staff Honors for Advanced Practice Provider achievement

2021

• Emily Fitzgerald was awarded the Hennepin Healthcare Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Health Equity Champion award
  
• Jessica Holm was elected by the Advanced Practice Provider team to serve as APP at Large on the Medical Executive Committee
• Received a “With Women for a Lifetime” Platinum Commendation from the American College of Nurse Midwives for more than 40 years of continuous nurse-midwifery service
• Celebration of 30,500 midwife-attended births in our first 50 years
  

Thank you to all Hennepin Healthcare Nurse Midwives, past and present, whose tireless dedication to women change lives one baby at a time.

About the author

Jessica Holm, APRN, CNM is the Nurse Midwife Service and Division Director at Hennepin Healthcare. As a leader in maternity care and an advocate for women and their families, she is committed to improving pregnancy and childbirth outcomes for the community, especially for those people who are more likely to die or have poor outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth because of racism. Jess is working to improve these grisly and unnecessary outcomes by leading the Nurse Midwife service at Hennepin Healthcare, the first in Minnesota. Jess occupies a seat on Hennepin Healthcare’s Medical Executive Committee and serves on the Minnesota Department of Health’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee. In addition, Jess’s years of experience as a midwife have shown her evidence that dedicated support in childbirth can improve health outcomes for women and their newborns, especially those who currently experience the worst outcomes. This knowledge led Jess to establish a contracted 24/7 on-call doula program for any person birthing at HCMC free of charge. Care has been taken to create a doula staff that is diverse in an attempt to provide cultural congruency with patients. This program has had a positive impact on community health by ensuring patients’ emotional, physical, and informational well-being are addressed during labor and birth, which provides new families with the best and healthiest start possible.