Maternity professionals from around the world were celebrated in a glittering award ceremony at the inaugural International Maternity Expo Awards last night.
Hosted by Maternity & Midwifery Forum and All4Maternity at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in central London, the International Maternity Expo Awards recognise and celebrate the very finest global examples of maternity care, research and best practice.
Over the last 12 months the team behind the International Maternity Expo have been scouring the globe to find individuals, teams and organisations worthy of international recognition and celebration for their service to maternity care.
We were delighted to receive hundreds of submissions from all corners of the globe, leaving our expert panel of judges with the incredibly tough task of whittling down so many worthy nominations to our final shortlist of 46 nominees spread across 15 award categories.
The awards were hosted by Beverley Turner, Television Presenter and Founder of The Happy Birth Club and presented by Baroness Julia Cumberlege CBE, Co-chair of the APHG. England’s first Chief Midwifery Officer, Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, was also on hand at the ceremony to award a special Gold Award recognising lifetime achievement in midwifery.
Discussing the awards, Neil Stewart, Editorial Director of Maternity & Midwifery Forum said “The International Maternity Expo Awards illustrate the pace of change in maternity services across the world. A major international reset in maternity policy thinking is underway and these awards signpost many of the changes.”
See the full list of International Maternity Expo Winners, Highly Commended and Commended nominees below.
International Maternity Expo Awards 2019
Research Innovation Award
Winner: Melissa Cheyney, Associate Professor, Oregon State University
Highly Commended: Dr Shawn Walker, Director, Lecturer, Breech Specialist Midwife, Breech Birth Network, Kings College London, GSTT
Commended: Andrew Weeks, Consultant Obstetrician, Liverpool Women’s Hospital
Obstetric Trainee Award:
Winner: Mary McCauley, Academic Clinical Lecturer, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist (ST7), Liverpool Women’s hospital and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Student Midwife Award
Winner: Lara Carter, Student Midwife, Anglia Ruskin University
Commended: Joanna Wilson, Student Midwife, Anglia Ruskin University
International Education Award
Winner: Mary Sidebotham and Jenny Gamble, Associate Professor and Head of Midwifery, Griffith University Australia
Highly Commended: Hannah McCauley and Kirsty Lowe, Senior Research Associate in Midwifery, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Commended: VIDM Committee (Virtual International Day of the Midwife)
International Midwife of the Year
Winner: Atsede Kidane, Director, Atsede’s Clinic, Gubrye
Commended: Frances McConville, Midwifery Adviser, World Health Organisation (WHO)
UK Midwife Achievement Award
Winner: Jayne Marshall, Foundation Professor in Midwifery, University of Leicester
Highly Commended: Samukeliso Tennyson, Midwife, Northampton General Hospital
Highly Commended: Erika Glenny, Caseloading Midwife, King’s College Hospital
Maternity Team Award
Winner: Highfield Midwifery Team, Wirral Hospital Trust
Commended: The Maternity Team at Whiston Hospital, St Helens & Knowlsey Trust
Practice Innovation Award
Winner: Rachel Reed, Senior Lecturer, University of Sunshine Coast
Highly Commended: Emma Spillane, Co-Director and Training Co-ordinator for Breech Birth Network, CIC, Lead Midwife for Birth Centre and Juniper Continuity Team, Specialist Breech Midwife, Breech Birth Network and St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Transformation Innovation Award
Winner: Zoe Nelson, Maternity Matron, The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust
Commended: Melanie Wildman, Postnatal War Manager, Royal Oldham Hospital
Improving Safety Award
Winner: Dr Shawn Walker, Director, Lecturer, Breech Specialist Midwife, Breech Birth Network, Kings College London, GSTT
Commended: Safe Obstetric Systems, Fetal Pillow for making the impacted fetal head at full dilation caesarean section easier and safer
Maternity Voices Award
Highly Commended: Georgie Watson, MVP Chair, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LMS
Sustainability Innovation Award
Winner: Shona McCann, Specialist Midwife in Perinatal Mental Health, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, NHS Grampian
Commended: Jane Raitt, Chief Midwife (Interim), NHS Grampian
Inclusion Award
Winner: Atsede’s and Indie’s Clinic Midwifery Team
Highly Commended: Teyluva Midwives, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Commended: Dr Ruth Oshikanlu MBE, Midwife/Pregnancy Mindset Expert, Tune In To Your Baby
Built Environment Award
Winner: TESIS – Birth Environment Research Group, University of Florence – Department of Architecture
Highly Commended: Jane Urben, Head of Midwifery, The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust Maternity Services
Maternity Leadership & Management Award
Winner: Tara R. Livesay, Midwife and Director, Heartline Maternity Center
Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: Stephanie Michaelides, Senior Midwifery Lecturer, Middlesex University
Chief Midwifery Officer’s Gold Award
Winner: Inderjeet Kaur, Director of Midwifery, Fernandez Foundation
Save the Date!
Next year’s International Maternity Expo will take place on the 7th & 8th September 2020. We look forward to seeing you there!