Interview with Ruth Coates Beeman, April 1, 1994

Interview Summary

The interview covers 1977-1994 [cf. ACNM 17-2]. From 1977-1982, Beeman was a consultant of the AZ Department of Health. There she contributed in many projects including reevaluation of licensing procedures for lay midwives, working in the consumer satisfaction survey in maternity health care for the State Health Department, traveling the rural areas for the development of prenatal programs with the improved pregnancy outcome grant moneys, fighting for funds for prenatal care rather than the NICU-Neonatal Intensive Care Unit resulting in legislature appropriating 0.5 Million Dollars for high risk care. Beeman mentions her publications and recognition coming out of this work.
In 1983, Ruth Watson Lubic, her former student from SUNY Downstate, asked her to become FNS program director for implementation of Kitty/Eunice Ernst's concept of CNEP that makes students to a large part independent of universities. Beeman describes the program: how it started, its curriculum, the doubled credit requirements, successful participants at the administrative and student levels including UK- University of Kentucky.
Beeman remembers early nurse midwife leaders: Hattie Hemschemeyer at MCA beginning in 1950. She remembers the 1957 ICM meeting at Stockholm. Beeman remembers Rose McNaught who was with FNS. [Marion Stracken] was the MCA educational director. Others remembered: [Maggy Miles], Nurses House on Long Island, later to be Nurses House investment fund, [Aileen Hogan], Carmela Cavero. There are Ernestine Wiedenbach, the scholar who developed the statement of philosophy for ACNM and Lucille Woodville who she remembers from ACNM. Vera Keane and Ruth Lubic were Beeman's students in New York City. Beeman remembers the birth of Betty Hosford's second child Ruth-Ann.

Interview LC Subject

Beeman, Ruth Coates Beeman, Ruth Coates--Interviews Childbirth Maternal health services Midwifery Midwives Nursing--Study and teaching

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Interview Usage

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