October 4-10 is National Midwifery Care Week. As the only obstetrics office in Gainesville, Florida to offer comprehensive midwifery care, All About Women Obstetrics and Gynecology is proud to highlight our services and honor our amazing nurse midwives!
About National Midwifery Care Week
National Midwifery Care Week was developed by the American College of Nurse-Midwives to both recognize and celebrate the care provided to pregnant women by midwives and midwife-led care. For 2020, the theme of National Midwifery Care Week is “Midwives for Equality,” which highlights the right every person has the right to receive “equitable, ethical, accessible, quality healthcare.”
Moreover, the model that midwives follow promotes the empowerment of individuals and communities, fosters compassionate partnerships and strives to provide individualized care for each woman.
Feel free to visit the American College of Nurse-Midwives website to find out more information about National Midwifery Care Week and learn ways that you can celebrate your favorite midwife. There you’ll also find a PDF toolkit to provide you with ways to celebrate and social media graphics to help promote the cause. National Midwifery Care Week is always held on the first full week of October.
Meet our amazing certified nurse-midwives
At All About Women, we are lucky to have 4 brilliant, certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) on our team.
Cyndi Vista, CNM
Cyndi Vista has been a certified nurse-midwife for more than 2 decades. A Florida native, Cyndi is a graduate of both Florida State and the University of Florida. Cyndi believes everyone is entitled to personalized and family-centered care.
Katie Camargo, CNM
Katie Camargo became a certified nurse-midwife in 2015. As a native of Gainesville, Katie didn’t begin her career as a midwife. She graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in Political Science and Psychology. She then joined the U.S. Peace Corps focusing on Health Education while being stationed in Tanzania, where she discovered her love of midwifery.
Upon returning from Tanzania, she re-enrolled at the University of Florida and received both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in nursing.
Kristen Cook, CNM & ARNP
Kristen Cook graduated from the University of Florida in 2016 with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP). She previously worked at North Florida Regional Medical Center as a registered nurse. Kristen’s primary focuses are on contraceptive counseling and perinatal mental health.
Shelley Russell, ARNP & CNM
Shelley Russell has more than 3 decades of experience as a certified nurse-midwife. In her early career, Shelley was a Labor and Delivery nurse at the North Florida Regional Medical Center, where she worked with Dr. Anthony Agrios.
In 2006, Shelley earned her Master’s in Nursing from the University of Florida. She is both a Certified Nurse Midwife and an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner.
Ronnie Jo Stringer, CNM
Born and raised in a small town in Western Pennsylvania, Ronnie Jo completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Waynesburg University in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. Four years later, she returned to college and earned a Master of Science from Georgetown University in Washington DC.
Before relocating to Florida in pursuit of a career in midwifery, Ronnie Jo practiced as a Registered Nurse at Georgetown University Hospital for 4 years. Ronnie Jo’s medical focus includes areas of specialty low-risk obstetrics, adolescent gynecology and contraception. She has practiced midwifery since 2008.
When asked what she loves about being a midwife, Ronnie Jo answered:
“I love that I have the opportunity to be a part of the most important times in a woman’s life. I strive to help women and their families to have the best possible experience.”
While being under the care of an experienced midwife is an extremely safe route for an expectant mother, it’s not for everyone. Utilizing a midwife is most appropriate for women who are healthy and experiencing a low-risk pregnancy.
Additionally, midwifery care is available wherever a mother chooses to give birth—whether that is in a traditional hospital setting or whether she chooses a community birth. If you’re expecting and interested in midwifery care, we’d love to help.