Members Vote to Retain ACNM Name December 18, 1998--A motion to change the name of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) was not endorsed by a vote of the membership. With 3,624 returned ballots, representing over 70% of voting members, 2,192 voters did not favor the proposed name change. In order for the amendment to pass, a favorable vote was required from two-thirds of the voters. In 1994, ACNM approved a mechanism to accredit non-nurse midwifery education programs and in 1997 the ACNM Certification Council, Inc. (ACC) issued the first certified midwife (CM) credential. There are currently 11 certified midwives in the U. S. In 1997, ACNM members voted to expand membership privileges to include CMs in addition to certified nurse-midwives (CNMs). At the 1998 annual meeting, a motion was passed to conduct a vote of the entire membership to determine if the name of the organization should be changed.

In announcing the results earlier than anticipated, ACNM President Joyce Roberts noted, "the results are unequivocal and we decided to end the suspense." She went on to say, "I am extremely happy to see this question resolved and look forward to continuing our work on other pressing issues during my next two years as President of ACNM. I am proud of our members and their willingness to take our future seriously. I know this was a challenging question that came at a difficult time for those CNMs and CMs who are also dealing with a rapidly changing health care environment. Through this process, we learned that a lot of people outside the organization respect what ACNM stands for and care about the results. I think it is also important to note that the debate, as lively as it was, never deterred the Board of Directors, our volunteer leaders or ACNM staff from our ongoing efforts to promote the highest standard for midwifery education and practice and to work hard to help our members practice the profession they so love."

The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) is the professional organization representing over 6,500 certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives in the U.S. For over 43 years ACNM has provided leadership for midwifery by setting standards for accreditation, education, certification and practice for the profession. In addition, ACNM is a strong advocate for access to quality health care for women and their families. ACNM was incorporated in 1955 and is located in Washington, DC.

The ACNM Certification Council, Inc. (ACC) is responsible for the development and administration of the national certification examination for CNMs and CMs. The ACC is headquartered in Landover, MD.

Results as reported by the CPA firm James Moore & Co. on 12/17/98* eligible voters: 5, 095 returned ballots: 3,624 - 71% in favor of name change: 1,401 - 39% opposed to name change: 2,192 - 61% invalid ballots: 31 - .1% (percentages total more than 100% due to rounding)

*it is recognized that delays in the delivery of mail because of the holidays may change the final count, BUT there are not enough unreturned ballots to change the results.

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