Birth Center Saves MotherBaby Lives in Philippines

Dear Friends,

There are many different ways to learn information, and one proven method for developing muscle memory in clinical settings is simulation-based learning.  Learners use models in simulated scenarios to develop new skills and solidify knowledge.  About 10 years ago, the global health non-profit organization Jhpiego invited our founder Vicki Penwell to their very first training of Helping Mothers Survive, and thus began a valued partnership with Mercy In Action. Also involed is Laerdal, a company that produces medical models that we buy to use and donate to midwives, birth centers, and hospitals around the world.  Together, we are helping spread easily accessible workshop content and resources to specifically address the issues that cause the most maternal and newborn deaths.

The workshop structure teaches participants how to intervene effectively in specific clinical events, and also simultaneously trains them to be able to teach the workshop to others.  Preliminary research shows that in at-risk locations where facilities have implemented these workshops, maternal and newborn mortality has been reduced by as much as 60%!

 This summer Jamie Dellesky, one of our Mercy in Action College of Midwifery faculty, has traveled to the Philippines to teach these workshops to new midwives, alongside Nerissa, an experienced Filipina midwife who leads two clinics that Mercy in Action sponsors.  Together, Nerissa and Jamie are sharing this life-saving knowledge with midwives who will implement it for the benefit of many mothers and babies in their communities. 

Your ongoing support continues to save lives!  Thank you for your generosity to fund this project.

Kindly,

Jenny Fox, for the Mercy in Action Team

Links:

• Mercy in Action
• Jhpiego
• Laerdal Models