CARIBOU, Maine — Pines Health Services and Cary Medical Center have announced that Certified Nurse Midwife Bonnie Bouchard has been selected for a prominent state award.
Nominated by her work partner and fellow midwife, Kim Martin, CNM, DNP, Bouchard earned recognition for her dedication and excellence in patient care for women, but more specifically, a special type of care she provides to the Amish community within Aroostook County.
Bonnie Bouchard (Courtesy of Cary Medical Center)
“The request to provide midwifery care for this community started as help here and there, but over time has become a large responsibility she generously fills,” said Martin. “Bonnie has been able to gain the women’s trust and assist them with knowledge about natural family planning, modern contraceptive methods, gynecological care, and dyad postpartum care.
“Her contribution will never fully able to be to be measured, except to say that the ability to be ‘with women’ is not only apparent but embraced by a community that seldom allows outsiders into their homes. She is constantly learning about their customs and traditions, and as a result an unspoken respect for one another has emerged,” Martin said.
Bouchard will be celebrated at the annual Maine Hospital Association meeting and luncheon, which the Maine American College of Nurse Midwives’ has attended for over 20 years.
“This meeting gives us the opportunity to nominate and recognize one of our colleagues,” said Nancy Green, CNM, MSN, CRMS-OB/GYN and Maine ACNM award coordinator.
“Bonnie will be receiving two awards, one from the MHA and the second is from the ME-ACNM affiliate, given for excellence in midwifery and women’s health,” Green said. “We are very pleased to recognize a midwife who is so highly prized by her local community and especially someone from Aroostook County.”
The award celebration will be held at the Samoset resort in Rockland.
Lisa Caron, Pines COO, said, “We are extremely grateful here at Pines to have such a devoted team at our Women’s and Children’s Health Center. We are so proud of Bonnie as well as the entire practice who are truly a shining example of how a team should operate.”
