The University of Colorado College of Nursing recently received a $2 million grant to increase the number of midwives in rural Colorado.
CU Nursing Assistant Professor Denise Smith, PhD, CNM |
Assistant Professor Denise Smith, PhD, CNM, spoke about the grant with Colorado Public Radio on Monday, October 2.
“The skills of rural practitioners are unique,” Smith said in the interview. “About two million people in the state lack access to the hospital based maternity care services. And so part of our motivation for this is to fill that gap.”
The Health Resources and Services (HRSA) Grant will create the Colorado Rural Midwifery Workforce Expansion Program. It is designed to increase the number of certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) practicing in maternity care provider shortage areas in rural Colorado.
The program supports CU Nursing’s development of a Rural Midwifery Track through the college’s Nurse-Midwifery (NMW) Graduate Program and covers expenses (tuition, fees, stipend for living expenses) for 3-5 full-time students per year. Graduates must agree to practice in a rural area.
You can read more about the grant by visiting CU Nursing’s newsroom.
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CU Nursing Assistant Professor Denise Smith, PhD, CNM, on Colorado Public Radio |
