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Stevenson Memorial Hospital celebrates 30 years of Midwifery Program

May 14, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Stevenson Memorial Hospital is celebrating a 30-year partnership with the Alliston Midwives – Caring Hands Midwifery Services.

The anniversary coincided with International Day of the Midwife on May 5.

Members of the original midwifery team, as well as clients and families, SMH midwifery staff, SMH leadership, hospital partners and local dignitaries gathered at the hospital on May 4 to celebrate the special milestone.

In 1994, the province passed legislation establishing midwifery services, and a small, dedicated team of midwives founded Caring Hands Midwifery Services in Alliston.

A partnership with the hospital was created two years later, and the first birth at SMH by a midwife occurred on September 26, 1996.

The New Tecumseth community has welcomed and supported midwifery services, with approximately half of the births at the hospital delivered by the midwifery team.

The SMH midwifery team has now grown to eight midwives on staff.

Over the 30 years of the program’s existence, close to 5,000 births have been delivered by the midwifery team at SMH.

“Our integrated midwifery-hospital partnership is unique and such a valued service for our community,” said SMH Vice President of Clinical Services Marnie Lightfoot, who also works as Chief Nursing Executive. “This partnership brings together midwives, nurses and obstetricians and offers a collaborative model, working together to provide the best care experience for birthing parents and their families. Our obstetrics staff and professional staff are privileged to work alongside such a caring team, and I look forward to seeing this partnership continue to thrive.”

In 2024, the partnership was enhanced through the Midwifery Integration in New Tecumseth (MINT) Program.

The MINT program is a postpartum program that provides support to families upon the birth of their infant, including breastfeeding support, newborn care, and mental health services.

The program is located in the hospital’s Obstetrics Clinic.

“We are proud to partner with Stevenson Memorial Hospital, working alongside such a professional and supportive team,” said Holly Ryans, Lead Midwife at SMH. “Providing this services is important to our growing community, and it’s a privilege to do so with a team that shares our philosophy of safe, high quality labour and delivery services close to home.”

Midwives perform their duties both in hospitals and during home births. Women and families choosing to have a home birth have increased over the years, but most still choose to be at the hospital.

“Provincially, it is between 15 and 20 per cent,” Ms. Ryans explained. “Here in Alliston, it’s closer to ten per cent because they like to come to this small, personalized care type of hospital. There are people who are better candidates than others for a home birth. If there are any risk factors, we do recommend a hospital delivery.”

For more information about the SMH Midwifery program, visit online at stevensonhospital.ca/midwife-clinic.

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