UNMC nurse faculty member elected to national midwifery association board

 

Heather Swanson, an instructor for the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing Kearney Division, has been elected to a three-year term as a Region V representative on the American College of Nurse-Midwives board of directors.

As the regional representative, Swanson will represent the interests of Region V, which includes 15 states in the midwest and southwest. Her term will begin in May.

Swanson served as chair of the American College of Nurse-Midwives Nebraska Chapter from 2004 to 2005 and as chair of the chapter’s legislative committee from 2002 to 2005.

 “I’m looking forward to getting to know more certified nurse midwives in Region V and hearing about what is going well and what needs attention, so I can represent us well on the board,” Swanson said.

A native and resident of Wilcox, Neb., Swanson, joined the UNMC College of Nursing Kearney Division in 2007.

Steve Pitkin, assistant dean of the UNMC College of Nursing Kearney Division, said he’s pleased with Swanson’s leadership roles nationally and in Nebraska. “She is a good role model for students and has demonstrated leadership in her teaching and clinical practice,” he said.

Swanson has worked at two nurse-midwifery practices in Nebraska and for the Indian Health Service in South Dakota. She holds licenses in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. She received a master’s degree from the University of New Mexico in 2002 and a bachelor’s degree in 1999 and family nurse practitioner post-masters certificate in 2006 from the UNMC College of Nursing.

The American College of Nurse-Midwives is the oldest women’s health care association in the U.S. Its mission is to promote the health and well-being of women and newborns within their families and communities through the development and support of the profession of midwifery.

 
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
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