ACNM Joins National Quality Forum, USA

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 05 Feb 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) was honored this month to be accepted for membership in the National Quality Forum (NQF).

NQF is a not-for-profit organization created to develop and implement a national strategy for health care quality measurement and reporting. NQF emerged from a shared sense of urgency about the impact of health care quality on patient outcomes, workforce productivity, and health care costs on our society.

Established as a public-private partnership, the NQF has broad participation from all parts of the health care system, including national, state, regional, and local groups representing consumers, public and private purchasers, employers, health care professionals, provider organizations, health plans, accrediting bodies, labor unions, supporting industries, and organizations involved in health care research or quality improvement.

ACNM sees membership with NQF as a natural step in the organization's dedication to being part of the solution to the health care crisis in the U.S., especially women's health and maternity care.

"We are at a critical juncture in health care in the United States," says ACNM President Kitty Ernst, CNM, MPH, DSc(Hon) FACNM. "Maternity care is in crisis. It is essential that ACNM participate in these important deliberations to ensure that the midwifery community be represented among other leaders seeking to promote a common approach to health care quality and quality improvement."

More information about NQF is online at http://www.qualityforum.org. With roots dating to 1929, the American College of Nurse-Midwives is the oldest women's health care association in the U.S. ACNM's mission is to promote the health and well-being of women and newborns within their families and communities through the development and support of the profession of midwifery as practiced by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives. Midwives believe every individual has the right to safe, satisfying health care with respect for human dignity and cultural variations.

American College of Nurse-Midwives

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