Certified Nurse Midwife Brie Abbe has joined the Care for Her team. She is a graduate of Frontier Nursing University, who recently moved her family to Ukiah from Bar Harbor, Maine to work with MCHC. Abbe’s family includes her partner (Mwaura Ngoima, an artist), and two children, Olida, age 5, and Rio, age 11.
Midwives, such as Abbe, with a strong background in nursing and genuine compassion for patients, have a multitude of job opportunities at their fingertips. She intentionally chose this area and this job, out of hundreds of jobs across the nation, because of the strong team at MCHC and the beautiful rural location. Dr. Smith, lead OB/GYN, states, “Our team intentionally chose Brie, out of numerous qualified candidates, because she aligns with our philosophical approach that patient care is a great privilege and responsibility. We feel very lucky to have such a kind, intelligent and motivated midwife join us.”
Throughout her life, Abbe has been dedicated to health, learning, teaching and equality. She has worked as a health science educator, teaching high school students about sexual health, and spent time working with the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, in Malaysia. She later gained experience on the mother/baby unit at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, as a registered nurse, where she assessed, supported, and cared for postpartum patients and their newborn babies.
Abbe most recently worked at a critical access hospital in rural Maine for nine years, as a labor, delivery, and mother/baby nurse. There she provided comprehensive nursing, lactation care, and served as a childbirth educator. Outside of employment and education, Abbe connected with local stakeholders in her area to support programming for Women’s, Trans, and Gender-Fluid Health
Abbe loves to work in communities where multiple generations are enjoying their lives in proximity, sharing in moments such as the birth of a grandchild. Journeying with families, through the life-changing experience of childbirth, is an honor for all midwives and Abbe is no exception. She talks about one of her intentions as a midwife, “It has been and will always be my goal to connect with and empower families to trust their instincts. Certainly, learning from healthcare professionals and other parents whom you admire is important, and equally important is to listen to what your instincts are telling you.”
“MCHC’s Care for Her program is a midwifery-based model, in which our OB/GYN physicians are an amazing source of support and back-up, providing consultation for our midwives and direct care for complex pregnancies and deliveries.” MCHC’s Interim CEO Rod Grainger states, “We are so blessed to have this unique model of care which is the perfect fit for Mendocino County and adding Brie to this team will only serve to strengthen the care we provide.”
MCHC Health Centers includes Hillside Health Center and Dora Street Health Center in Ukiah, Little Lake Health Center in Willits, and Lakeview Health Center in Lakeport. Learn more at www.mchcinc.org.
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