UMMC grows midwifery in Mississippi with a gift from Roots & Wings

The University of Mississippi Medical Center is building a strong foundation for improved maternal and fetal health by investing in foundational care that supports women and families from pregnancy to childbirth.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology will receive more than $2 million from the Roots & Wings Foundation to grow its certified nurse-midwife program. The unrestricted nature of the gift-totaling $2,145,000-made it possible to immediately hire two certified nurse midwives who were already working within the Medical Center as labor and delivery nurses.

Founded in 2020 by Judy and Gordon Faulkner, the Roots & Wings Foundation is dedicated to helping children "grow strong from the roots up."

Since its inception, Roots & Wings has contributed nearly $4 million to UMMC, with a focus on improving care for children up to age three.

"Roots & Wings is happy to partner with UMMC in support of young children and their families," said Shana Dall'Osto, executive director of the Roots & Wings Foundation. "UMMC knows better than we do what will help moms and babies in Mississippi thrive -- that's why we choose to give in an unrestricted, trust-based way. We're thrilled to support midwifery care, group prenatal care, and other work that gives young children strong roots so they can live healthy, happy lives."

UMMC once led the nation with its midwifery education program, creating a blueprint that universities across the country would adopt and build upon. Now, as Mississippi grapples with some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the United States, UMMC is once again working to expand midwifery care-thanks to a philanthropic investment and a renewed commitment to improving outcomes for mothers and babies.

In 2020, UMMC began expanding its scope of care by hiring Janice Scaggs. As the first new certified nurse-midwife, Scaggs has been instrumental in the integration of midwifery into Medical Center operations. Joined by Kim Rickard in 2023 and Sara Humbert Wahl in early 2024, the team has steadily amassed years of experience and shared passion for improving maternal care in Mississippi. This year, that momentum continues with the addition of two nurse midwives.

"This is the area we needed to address first," said Dr. J. Martin Tucker, professor and Winfred L. Wiser Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology. "Having unrestricted funding meant we could act quickly to keep [the Medical Center's newest nurse-midwives] Jessica and Meredith at UMMC, just as they were completing their CNM training. The timing was perfect-without this gift, we wouldn't have had the resources to bring them on."

For more than a decade, Meredith Morris and Jessica Martin have cared for women and newborns at UMMC. When a new midwifery program opened at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, they enrolled with a shared goal: to continue working in Mississippi, serving their community in a new capacity.

"Even before we went to school, we wanted to work here," said Martin. "We knew this is where we wanted to be. Janice wasn't here yet, but we heard there was potential for nurse-midwifery at UMMC. So, our goal, before even going into school, was to work here at UMMC and stay with the women of Mississippi who need the holistic care we could provide as midwives."

After graduating in May 2024, Morris and Martin returned to UMMC and continued working as registered nurses, holding onto hope that midwife positions would open soon. But as the months passed by with no opportunities in sight, doubt began to creep in. They worried that if too much time passed after their training, it would be more difficult to find a job that used their full potential as advanced practice nurses. Just as they began searching for jobs elsewhere-reluctantly preparing to leave their home at UMMC-the gift from Roots & Wings arrived.

"We were very excited when Janice told us that the positions were being added," said Martin. "It still feels like a dream. If not for the gift from Roots & Wings, we wouldn't be here right now."

"Even though we come out of our midwifery programs fully capable of working as independent providers who have completed all of our training, mentorship and clinical guidance is so important," said Wahl. "There's a massive difference between finding a place to practice as a CNM in your state and being able to work among other midwives, physicians and other advanced-level providers who understand your scope and support you so that you are able to really grow in those first five years."

Their addition marks a significant step forward for maternal health care in the state, allowing UMMC CNMs to integrate into several ambulatory clinics, including Grants Ferry and Mirror Lake. This is part of the program's five-year plan to introduce at least eight CNMs into UMMC hospitals and clinics in the metro area and surrounding counties, with the goal of offering round-the-clock service by 2027.

"Integrating midwifery care into a health care system from the top down improves outcomes for moms and babies," Scaggs said. "We reduce unnecessary cesarean sections, decrease preterm deliveries, increase vaginal birth rates, increase breast feeding and overall patient satisfaction is higher. Implementing this type of care will improve women's and children's health, which is a marker for improving the overall health of a community or a state."

Midwives focus on building trust and guiding patients through the natural processes of pregnancy and childbirth. While OBGYNs are trained to manage complex or high-risk situations, nurse midwives are often described as the "experts on normal."

But delivering this kind of comprehensive, continuous care to a community requires more than good intentions-it requires a strong foundation.

"This gift gave us the flexibility to build something sustainable," said Scaggs. "It allows us to create comprehensive, long-term plans. That kind of support is transformational."

In 2023, another gift from the foundation supported renovations to multiple areas in the Winfred L. Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants, as well as a partnership with Guideway Care to reduce barriers to care and improve maternal and fetal outcomes.

"Roots and Wings' generous support in funding the renovations to Children's NICU waiting, lactation, and bereavement rooms has made a profound impact," said Sissy Frost, nursing director at Children's of Mississippi. "They've helped us create a more welcoming environment for NICU families during a pivotal time in their lives."

"We are deeply grateful for their support," said Dr. Mobolaji Famuyide, "It has helped us create a more comforting environment for families facing unimaginable loss, while advancing our mission to give every Mississippi child the best possible start."

These investments support families from pregnancy through early childhood.

With the addition of two certified nurse midwives, UMMC will be able to increase ambulatory care, expand its footprint into underserved areas and continue building a future where midwifery is an integral part of maternal health care in Mississippi.

"We're not just growing a program," Scaggs said. "We're laying the foundation to keep midwives in Mississippi-and to give mothers and babies the care they deserve."