HAWAI'I AFFILIATE OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF NURSE-MIDWIVES
Mahalo for this detail from BACKYARD - oil painting by Eve Furchgott www.blueheron1.com
ABOUT HAA
In 2011, a group of certified nurse midwives began the process of organizing a Hawai’i state ACNM affiliate. The national ACNM Board of Directors approved this affiliation, and bylaws were approved by the original members to establish the non-profit 501(c) (6) on May 11, 2021. In 2019, certified midwives joined HAA, as Hawai'i became the 10th state to license CMs, a certification equivalent to CNMs in the practice of midwifery as defined by ACNM. As of March 2023, HAA is in its third Executive Board cycle.
The acronym “HAA” was chosen, as the Hawai'ian word “Ha''means “the breath of life.” The first breath is deep and usually harder to inhale than ongoing breathing; therefore we equated our first breath as an organization to “Ha.”
Reflective of national goals for CNMs and CMs, and the families they serve, initiatives of HAA include, but are not limited to community building: supporting students, working, and retired midwives; education: professional and public; advocacy: addressing barriers to practice, expansion of access to birth choices and full spectrum reproductive healthcare, elimination of gender bias, ending racial discrimination, and addressing the impact to families who historically have experienced discrimination. As an organization, HAA is committed to equitable, ethical, accessible, and quality healthcare for all. HAA serves the community through hosting networking events, public relations campaigns, and other local initiatives.