Met a Human Rights idol in person – Dr. Angela Davis
Celebrated 25 years of being a non-profit organization and 20 years of being a state licensed birth center and 42 years of being certified as a midwife.
Received recognition as one of 12 women chosen for TIME Magazine Women of The Year
Re-established on site clinical services at TBP, TBPE, EAC clinics at both central Florida sites
Shut the physical practice down, laid off majority of staff and Introduced perinatal telehealth services in English and Spanish through the Covid Pandemic year, only offering onsite access for delivery services
Received national accreditation for the midwifery school from the federal US Department of Education through Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) achieving the status of first and only nationally accredited, private midwifery program operated by a Black person in the United States
Formed the Council of Midwifery Elders to organize, recognize and support Black Midwives over age 60
Became an Aspen Institute Healthy Communities Fellow
Moved the EAC clinics to downtown Orlando area, close to Winnie Palmer Hospital
Invited to present at The Vatican for Humanity 2.0 Conference
Third evaluation ‘The JJ Way® Community-based Maternity Center Evaluation Report’ was released
Opened a second location for the EAC clinics – English, Spanish and Creole in Pine Hills
Carol Collier joined to support operations as COO
Husband James passed unexpectedly at age 60
Second evaluation and data published showing statistical significance for longer gestation and larger weight babies born to African American women from the Easy Access Clinic™ cohort in the study. An additional comparison of 67 matched pairs showed that women of color receiving JJ Way® prenatal care carried their babies 2 weeks longer than women of color receiving ‘standard’ prenatal care at other health clinics
Opened The Birth Place Español (TBPE) Spanish language clinic
Formed The JJ Way® Institute which became Commonsense Childbirth Institute (CCI)
Graduated first cohort of midwifery students from CCSM
Launched National Association of Birth Centers of Color which became the National Perinatal Task Force (NPTF) in order to incorporate and support all disciplines within the perinatal health worker community working to eliminate racial disparities.
Moved both practices and merged them together along with the midwifery school on Dillard Street in Winter Garden
First grant funding for the non-profit – CSC received funds from Groundswell Fund and Christy Turlington’s Every Mother Counts Foundation
Featured in the documentary ‘No Woman, No Cry’ – Christy Turlington Burns
Opened a second midwifery training program, named Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery (CCSM) in Winter Garden with the support of Miami-Dade Community College, Professor Emerita, Midwife Justine Clegg, and enrolled 9 students
Featured in the documentary ‘Reducing Infant Mortality’ – Debbie Takikawa
Added a second site to house the growing Easy Access Clinic™ on Plant Street, Winter Garden
First evaluation and data published showing zero prematurity or low birth weight babies born to African American women from the Easy Access Clinic™ cohort in the study
Opened and licensed The Birth Place (TBP) birthing center on Plant Street in Winter Garden and began offering birth center services along with Easy Access Clinic™ (EAC) service.
Opened the first of a series of Easy Access Clinics in the Parramore district of Orlando, moved the clinic to Pine Hills district of Orlando, then to City of Winter Garden and continued doing home births
Opened a midwifery clinic for home birth clients on Mills Avenue, Orlando
Started a federally -recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization called Commonsense Childbirth (CSC) whose mission is to ensure that ‘no one is turned away’ who needs support, education or clinical care during the childbearing year
Opened an independent practice as a midwife and offered home births while also working at Orlando Birthing Center and the Birthing Cottage of Winter Park
Opened the first midwifery program for direct-entry midwives in Central Florida by joining with Florida School of Acupuncture, changing the name to School of Complementary Medicine, Midwifery Program. Set up and ran the state licensed training program from 1995 – 2000 and graduated 12 midwives before closing
Became the first foreign-trained midwife to receive a Florida License to practice as a midwife under 467FS and received Florida Midwifery License #1
Formed Central Florida Friends of Midwives and lobbied with Florida midwifery advocates for the successful re-opening of the Midwifery Practice Act, 467FS which Florida had closed down in the 1980s
Joined the inaugural Orange County Healthy Start Coalition as a consumer member and stayed on board as a member through 2001
Assistant Director of Florida Black Women’s Health Organization, Winter Park, part of the Florida Black Women’s Health Project
Started the 4P Program (Perfect Pregnancy, Proud Parent) funded by March of Dimes and serving Apopka, Florida
Formed Hand-in-Hand Women and Family Support Services to provide private childbirth education, doula and lactation support
Arrived in Orlando, Florida with 3 -year old son Luke, married her American sweetheart and found out that midwifery was not the norm for childbearing women in the USA
