With women, for a lifetimeTM Commendation
Womancare Nurse Midwifery Practice (Fort Collins, CO)
We are applying to receive the golden commendation "With Women, for a Lifetime" for our practice, Womancare.
Dian Sparling CNM, MS, as the only nurse-midwife in Fort Collins, started Womancare in 1981, one of the first nurse-midwifery practices in Colorado-and quite possibly was the very first midwife-owned private nurse-midwifery practice in the state. Growing from nothing, Womancare now employs three other CNMs and a support staff. Through her hard work and dedication, Sparling has been heralded as a midwifery pioneer in Colorado. She was responsible for working with Governor Dick Lamm to institute freestanding birth center regulations in the 1980s.
Womancare has always been involved in innovative community programs, as the midwives serve as speakers for local community groups and schools. Womancare has always included a percentage of indigent clients each month, and is often the only obstetric or gynecologic option for these women. Community outreach and involvement is a value shared by all the midwives at Womancare and they make great efforts to connect clients with community services as they are needed through community health fairs and programs.
Through practice and learning, Womancare has always incorporated students of all kinds, from associate degree RN students to nurse-midwifery students. They are committed to providing educational opportunities to students from the local community, and as far away as Denver and Wyoming.
The Womancare mission is to provide quality health care for woman across their lifespan, respecting individual needs in a supportive and educational environment; and to maintain a stable presence in the community, offering a variety of health options, in order to enhance the well-being of women. They value the midwifery model and incorporate it into daily practice. Midwives at Womancare strive to be "with women" from menarche and first Paps, to menopause and beyond. One of their guiding values, exemplifying the heart of midwifery, is their belief that their work is all about the women served-not about the midwives--it's about the women! Womancare truly epitomizes the "heart of midwifery" in practice.
We are proud to have served the women of our community for over 21 years. Womancare has weathered some very tough times, yet it is flourishing today. Our plan is to continue to grow so that we can better serve the women of our community who deserve the best we can offer.
Contact:
Susan Bush CNM, MS
Womancare
1025 Garfield Street
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
(970) 493-1865
