For the first time since the inception of the Henry Allen Moe Prize in honor of Pearl F. Day award at Bassett, this prized nursing award has been given to a group of advanced practice nurses, specifically the nine nurse midwives who comprise the Bassett midwifery practice.
The award is given to Bassett nurses who exemplify concern for patients and their families and demonstrate enthusiasm and integrity.
Bassett’s nurse midwifery practice, as one of the longest standing practices in the country, has set the industry standard for excellence in midwifery care and is a coveted training site for certified nurse midwife students nationwide.
“It is especially poignant at at a time when our service is undergoing rapid, dynamic change that our colleagues – the professionals we depend upon to help us provide the highest quality care – have given us this special recognition,” said Laura O’Shea, RD, CNM, MSM. “We are profoundly moved by this award and all that it represents.”
The Bassett midwives, with 127 years of experience among them, include Patricia (Patty) Brown, Dwynn Golden, Susan Graham, Martha Harvey, Susan Cataffo-Heiland, Barbara Loughlin, Laura O’Shea, Jane Swingle and Gail Phillips.
Since 1986, when Ms. Brown joined as Bassett’s first certified nurse midwife, the group has delivered more than 11,500 babies.
“We are most honored to have been nominated for the Henry Allen Moe Prize in honor of Pearl F. Day award by our nursing colleagues at the Birth Center,” said Ms. Brown, CNM.
“The success in our collaborative practice is made possible with support of colleagues from nursing, obstetrics, medicine, pediatrics and anesthesia.
Nurse midwives provide gynecological and reproductive care to women and help them realize personal fulfillment with their labor and birth.
Bassett midwives care for patients in Cobleskill, Cooperstown, Delhi, Hamilton, Herkimer, Little Falls, Norwich and Oneonta.
The Henry Allen Moe Prize honors Pearl F. Day, a nurse at the US Naval Hospital in Brooklyn during World War I. Day cared for Henry Allen Moe, former chair of the Bassett Board of Trustees, while he was a patient at the hospital after the war.
Dr. Moe’s will designated that a $500 annual award be given to a Bassett nurse in honor of Pearl F. Day.
The award has been given since 1977.