THE MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS ALL HONOUREES & FAMILIES AT OUR OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS Jn 2004, Yvonne Bain, Judith Sawyer, Judith Clarke and Lydia Johnson attended a Midwifery Today Confer­ ence in Philadelphia. They were truly inspired and intrigued by what they experienced. Following the conference they met with the President of the Midwifery Today Magazine Jan Tritten and invited her to The Bahamas to hold a conference. Ms. Tritten was enthusiastic and immediately accepted the invitation, "Who wouldn't want to come to The Bahamas?" Ms. Bain along with her colleagues Jennifer King, Cleola-mae Hamilton, and Ella Anderson started putting plans in action to host the first international conference in The Bahamas. A Midwifery Conference was held in The Bahamas from September 22-26 , 2005, under the theme: Sharing The Culture ofBirth. The conference was a resounding success. Many countries were represented, and the association had the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Minister Obie Wilchombe, Ms. Valerie Miller, The Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and many others. Attendance was excellent and the Bahamian Midwives rose to the occasion with their presentations and hospitality. The first meeting of the potential organization was exciting and historical. Twenty -five midwives attended that meeting. The conference served as a catalyst to form the Midwives Association of The Commonwealth ofThe Bahamas. The following Midwives were selected to make up the initial executive team: * Ella Anderson - President * Shirley Curtis- Vice-President * Valerie Miller- Secretary * Karol Mackey- Asst. Secretary * Yvonne Bain -Treasurer * Monique Lewis- Chaplain The team started meeting regularly to put in place the Goals, Objective, Vision and By Laws of the Association. To date the association continues to meet regularly, engage midwives in educational sessions and network with other Midwives Associations regionally and internationally. • ~E--------------~·~--~~~~~~~.~--------------~3 ABOUT THE LOGO The design concept was submitted by Midwife Rhonda Kemp. The concept behind the logo presents the role of midwifery in The Bahamas. Yellow is the international color of midwifery. In addition it stands out as one of the national colors revealing our commitment to our country, The Bahamas. The islands signify the length and breadth midwives cover throughout The Bahamas. The picture ofthe family depicts the scope ofthe midwife' s practice, which goes beyond the woman and the newborn. The pinard (stethoscope) in hand described the assessment tool that is unique to the practice of midwifery. MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS PRESIDENT Message from ~~ ~ndet-tJ.on MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS "Birth is about making mothers ... Strong, Competent, Capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength" Barbara Katz Rothman International Midwives Day is celebrated every year to commemorate and increase the aware­ ness about the contribution of the midwives towards the patients all over the world. It is a pleasure to be a-part of the celebration and recognition of fellow Midwives for their invaluable contribution to the development of midwifery in The Bahamas. This celebration is long over-due as there are many Midwives throughout these islands who have sacrificed, time, life and family for the safe outcome of women and their unborn child. The theme for this year "Midwives, Defender ofWomen's Rights" is very fitting for ow· li ving Legends. As many of them have worked during times when resomces were scarce and technol­ ogy was minimal or non-existent. Those who have worked in the Family Islands are extra-ordinary heroes as many times they were called to serve dual roles without the presence of a physician. The works of the well-educated midwives in all the functioning health systems has greatly reduced mortality rate of mothers and babies. All of our li ves were touched by midwives; we are therefore grateful and proud to celebrate these Legends. The Midwives Association of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, offer gratitude and con­ gratulations to om honourees and best wishes to all midwives in The Bahamas for their contribution to the healthcare of our nation. MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS HONOUREE PROFILE §t. df:met PJ~m/ie/d Dr. Homer Bloomfield joined the Obs. & Gyn. Department of the Princess Margaret Hospital in 1982 and rose through the ranks to Senior Medical Officer until his retirement in 2014. He was assigned to Dr. George Sher­ man's service and the pair shared a 'special bond ' for over 27 years. They both loved the specialty and the staff at the hospital and clinics, and recall many interesting cases and patients. Dr. Bloomfield worked in many areas outside the hospital, such as the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the SCAN Unit, The Bahamas Family Planning Unit, the Medical Association of the Bahamas, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and the Healthy Bahamas Coalition to name just a few. Dr. Bloomfield has received many honors over the years and his work has afforded him the opportunity to travel to many countries around the world. He is married to the former Cheryl Brookes, a Dental Hygienist and is the father of two sons, Kevin and Marlon. He loves sports - especially soccer and athletics. In addition, he loves working with people, especially wom­ en, and has counseled and lectured too many audiences of adults and children over the years. Thanks to the Midwives Association of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas for this honor and the privilege to serve. HONOUREE PROFILE §'t. Jladlm §'at'id Dr. Austin Davis was born in Nassau, Bahamas as the eldest child of the late Edwin Davis and Edith Davis (nee White). He obtained his formal education from The Eastern Junior School and The Government High School. He then attended The University of The West Indies where he graduated with a MB BS degree in 1979. He did his internship at The Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, Bahamas and then spent three years as a Senior House Of­ fi cer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He then spent three years in the United Kingdom and re­ turned to The Princess Margaret Hospital as a Registrar in 1987. He was subsequently promoted to Senior Registrar and then Senior Medical Officer where he remained until his retirement in December 2018. Dr. Davis is married to the former Vylana Ferguson and is the father of four children: Shannon, Vernelle, Shenique, and Austin Jr. MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS HONOUREE PROFILE Jt()vena PJ()We· rtlatle "My first pelvic exam was on a hen, it was how I knew to expect an egg in that morning. " Movena Bowe-Ciarke was born on July I st, 1939, on picturesque Green Turtle Cay, Abaco to William Bowe of 1 Clearance Town and Theresa Bowe nee Curry of Green Turtle Cay. Her family moved to Nassau on March 11 h, 1950 and took up residence on Lucky Heart Corner, later moving to Clifton Street off Mount Royal Avenue, in the Valley. When she expressed her desire to be a nurse to her parents, her father was not thrilled at all saying she would "know too much!" In fact, she missed the beginning of the class and began her career as an Auxiliary Nurse through her passion, determination and mentorship of her Methodist Pastor. Midwifery in The Bahamas has come a long way from the days when she could end up on a flight to Andros to pick up a maternity case; or when a young expectant mother calculated her last menstrual cycle as having occurred "during the tomato season". Bowe-Ciarke has had several baby girls named after her. Bowe-Ciarke soon got the oppor­ tunity to enter the clinical class and became a Trained Clinical Nurse, then Senor Trained Clinical Nurse, and subse­ quently, Senior Trained Clinical Nurse/Midwife (with Midwifery experience). Midwifery is her passion and she has always been a strong advocate of breast feeding. On one occasion, she pre­ sented with a poem on breastfeeding which she wanted to publish. In April 1963, Nurse Bowe-Ciarke married the love of her life, George Clarke, now deceased. She met him through a friend, the late Olga (Clarke) Bethel. They had five children: Joyce Clarke-Szasz, Dayne Clarke, Georgina Clarke-Bolware (Atlanta), Chef Jasmine Clarke-Young (deceased), and Joyelle Clarke-Mcintosh (deceased). They reaped six enterprising grandchildren, Brandon Bolware, Celine, Sandor & Simone Szasz, and Trent & Tyler Mcintosh. Bowe-Ciarke is an avid gardener and is known for her fruit cakes, guava duff, conch fritters, and banana bread. Something is always in the oven at her house! Every moment is a teachable moment when in Bowen-Clarke's company, particularly with matters pertaining to pregnancy and midwifery. On occasions, while out and about, she would run into obstetricians, who greeted her with a huge smile and the comment, "Hands off the Breech". This was because as an in­ tern, they were told by Bowe-Ciarke to keep their hands off a baby that was presenting as breech. Since retiring, she now bakes and knits. She is a proud member at St. George's Anglican Church in the valley. She has had an illustrious career! MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS HONO UR EEPR OFILE ~diuu ~ Jf~adon "If I can help somebody as I travel along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, If I can show somebody that lte is traveling wrong Then my nursing will not be in vain! " -Glen Payne- Clarice Elizabeth nee Wright, fourth child of the late Prince and Melvina Wright, was born in Nassau at the Princess Margaret Hospital on the 28th of May, 1953, Little did Clarice knew, fo llowing successful completion of high school at St.