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Cheers to #MANA15!
It was a great event - here's a few highlights:
This year nearly 350 midwives and supporters gathered in Albuquerque for #MANA15. Together we honored, celebrated, and learned from one another. From sharing leading-edge research on midwifery care, to developing strategies for supporting access to care around the country, to renewing our spirits, #MANA15 was truly a space to connect with what matters to us about birth and our profession. Thank you!
Here's a slideshow of some of the highlights of #MANA15.
Share your own photos and thoughts of #MANA15 on our Facebook page.
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New MANA By-Laws Create A Skills-Based Board
 At the MANA conference, members voted nearly unanimously in support of the proposed By-Laws changes. The vote affirms the restructuring of the MANA board to reflect current thinking in board development, including a smaller, skills-based board.
The new by-laws also make minor operational changes such as updating our non-discrimination language, membership dues, and audit cycle.
The MANA board is excited to make the vision a reality. Thank you for your ongoing support!
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Honoring our History Keepers and Our Future
Sage Femme and Sapling Honorees
MANA was proud to honor two powerful New Mexico midwives as Sage Femme this year. Friends and colleagues, who even shared the same birthday: Elizabeth Gilmore, MSM, CPM, LM and Barbara E. Pepper, LM worked together to provide excellent care promote midwifery locally and nationally. Read more about them, Sapling Award Winner Dahlyt Berezin-Bahr, LM, CPM, and all of the 2015 MANA Award Winners here.
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 First Ever Native American Midwives Alliance Gathering
This historic two-day gathering took place Wednesday and Thursday prior to the conference and was an opportunity for Native American midwives, indigenous doulas, birth justice workers and community organizers from around the country to meet each other and to learn about Native American midwifery history in the United States and in Canada.
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Thanks to you all for your financial contributions to support the MANA Division of Research!
Generosity abounds! A fundraiser to help with DOR operations garnered a total of $9,559! Conference attendees gave a total of $2,059 and two anonymous donors gave $2,500 and $5,000. The DOR has worked on a shoestring budget for many years. The incredible dedication of the volunteers involved inspired us all last week as we learned of new research and future opportunities! MANA thanks all of you who contributed to the DORs ongoing work. Read more about the work of the DOR here. And support the work of the DOR by making a donation today.
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 Poster Award Winners
Harris-Braun Outstanding Poster Award for Research
The Harris-Braun Outstanding Poster Award for Graduate/Professional Research was awarded to Paula M. Hostler, CPM, ASM, MSM Cand. for the poster titled: Old Order Mennonite Birth Culture: Honoring the Collectively Shared Cultural & Religious Birthing Practices During Midwifery Care. Hostler will receive a 30-minute phone consultation on the winning research project with experienced researcher Melissa Cheyney, PhD, CPM, Chair of the MANA Division of Research Coordinating Council and Assistant Professor, Oregon State University Department of Anthropology.
The Harris-Braun Outstanding Poster Award for Student/Apprentice Research was awarded to Laura Galati for the poster titled: The Association Between Method of Payment and Out-of-Hospital Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes. Galati will receive a free year of membership to MANA. She would like to acknowledge the support of Jill Edwards, ND, LM, her mentor in the Master of Science in Integrative Medicine program, and Douglas Hanes, PhD, of the Helfgott Research Institute, National College of Natural Medicine.
The winning posters were selected from record number of submissions to the MANA conference. We look forward to even more submissions in 2016.
The Harris-Braun Outstanding Poster Award is given in honor of Ellen Harris-Braun, a dedicated and founding member of the Division of Research.
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Thank you!
There are so many people to thank for this year's MANA conference. First, we want to thank YOU - our individual members who all made sacrifices to come together as community for #MANA15. We are grateful for the time we spent together, what we learned from you, and the renewed energy for the work that's ahead.
This conference wouldn't have been possible without the countless volunteer hours of Nicole White, MANA Board Member and Director of Events; Clarice Winkler, CEU and Program Chairperson; Kelly Camden, Connie Koshewa and the whole local committee: Evonnie Fomento, Teresa Jones, Anni McLaughlin, Claire Merritt, Carrie Murphy, Dwenna Nelson, Coral Pitkin, Rebeka Rose, and Liat Trujillo. We'd also like to thank Camille Abbe, National MANA Conference Coordinator, for her efforts over the past year to make this a successful event. Her work was supported by Marie White, Administrative Support, Jeanette McCulloch, Social Media Consultant, and Jill Breen, Communications Chair. Hardworking conference volunteers included: Joycelyn Romero, Assistant Conference Registrar; Lindsey Schneider, Registration Volunteer; Janice Gildin, Registration Volunteer; Tina Williams & Adrian Feldhusen - MANA sales table volunteers; Peggy Hammond, Raffle Ticket Sales; and Tina Williams, photography.
MANA is a mostly-volunteer organization and thrives because of the work that we all do together. MANA welcomes the help of all membership, midwives, students and advocates in creating a supportive and robust environment that works for everyone. If you have ideas and some time, we'd appreciate your support. Email Nicole to start the conversation.
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