Celebrating 40 years of Midwifery at Tampa General Hospital

Tampa General Hospital (TGH) believes that where you deliver matters. For 40 years, the TGH Women’s Institute has provided patient-centered care, with midwives walking alongside patients. The Women’s Institute recently celebrated the milestone along with colleagues at USF Health and the midwife community in the Tampa Bay area. Experts highlighted the advances in labor, delivery and midwifery care and team members and midwifery patients recalled memories from the past 40 years.

Midwives have been a part of TGH’s health care team since 1983, comprised of Women’s Health Care (WHC) and the USF Health midwifery team. Rooted in an academic health setting, the USF Health midwifery program includes certified nurse midwives who collaborate with residents and obstetrics and gynecology specialists to provide patients with the highest quality care.

Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) have obtained at least a master’s degree, and some have earned their doctorate in nursing. TGH’s CNMs are specialists in the normal physiology of pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period as well as sexual and reproductive health, family planning and preconception care. Their passion is providing care throughout a woman’s lifespan, from adolescence through menopause, using a patient-centered, evidence-based framework.

The midwifery team at TGH guides patients through pregnancy, labor, delivery and beyond. The team also takes pride in assisting patients with breastfeeding as well as education and awareness around postpartum mental health.

Patients benefit from individual labor rooms equipped with wireless monitoring, hydrotherapy showers and a team passionate about frequent position changes and physiological birth — all overlooking tranquil water views.

Thanks to a collaboration with USF Health OB/GYN physicians, USF Health and Women’s Health Care midwives and the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative PROVIDE initiative, TGH continues to be a leader in the reduction of cesarean deliveries.

Ranked as a top 10 hospital in the nation and the highest-ranked hospital in Florida for Obstetrics & Gynecology by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-24, Tampa General was also named a Best Maternity Hospital 2024 by Newsweek. In addition, TGH achieved a Level IV designation in maternal care from The Joint Commission — the gold standard in accreditation. TGH offers a range of obstetric services, from routine prenatal care to high-risk obstetric and neonatal services, aimed at optimizing outcomes for both mothers and newborns.

When it comes to newborn care, the Jennifer Leigh Muma Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at TGH is one of just 12 regional Perinatal Intensive Care Centers designated by the state of Florida. In these centers, clinicians deliver the highest level of medical care 24 hours a day to premature and sick infants with complex conditions, and to women with high-risk pregnancies.

At the helm of USF’s Midwifery Program is Jessica Brumley, CNM, PhD, FACNM, certified nurse midwife and associate professor and director of the Division of Midwifery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Brumley has been named president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), a position in which she will serve for two years.

“Our skilled and supportive team, which includes highly skilled certified nurse-midwives, world-renowned obstetricians, high-risk pregnancy specialists, complex gynecology surgeons and fertility experts all work together to provide the full spectrum of services, from low-risk birth to high-acuity care,” Brumley said. “Regardless of the challenges that may present themselves, our team has the experience and expertise to support our patients in their care journey.”

Following the latest guidelines from the American College of Nurse-Midwives, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists and other academic organizations, TGH is committed to helping women and their newborns achieve the best outcomes.