Ozarks Healthcare has added midwifery services to its Women's Health clinic, offering a new collaborative care option for pregnancy, childbirth and routine well-woman care.
Certified nurse midwives Tabitha Young and Shelley Mitchell will lead the new program, working alongside the hospital’s obstetricians.
Young brings a clinical background in neonatal intensive care, labor and delivery, and lactation services. After previously working as a labor and delivery nurse at Ozarks Healthcare, she earned her master's degree in midwifery from Frontier Nursing University in Versailles, Ky. She also holds nursing degrees from Missouri State University and Western Governors University.
Mitchell also holds a master's degree in midwifery from Frontier Nursing University, with prior nursing degrees from Central Methodist University and Three Rivers College. Her clinical background is focused on women’s health and labor and delivery.
The new program operates under a collaborative model, meaning the midwives work closely with physicians to ensure patients receive appropriate care while delivering their babies at the hospital.
“When people hear ‘midwife,’ they sometimes think of home births,” Young said. “That’s not what we do. We are certified nurse midwives who provide care in the hospital, working alongside physicians to make sure patients receive the care they need when they need it."
Mitchell noted the program aims to emphasize patient education and shared decision-making during the prenatal and delivery process.
According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, midwife-led care for low-risk pregnancies is often associated with lower rates of medical interventions, such as cesarean sections and inductions.
In addition to pregnancy and childbirth support, certified nurse midwives serve as primary women’s health providers. Young and Mitchell will offer preventive and ongoing care, including annual well-woman exams, birth control management and routine screenings, such as ordering Pap smears and mammograms.
Ozarks Healthcare Women’s Health is currently accepting new patients for the midwifery program. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 417-256-1838 or visit www.ozarkshealthcare.com/services/womens.
