Reedsburg Area Medical Center Health

Year of the Nurse and Midwife - 2020

2020 has been named the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife by the World Health Organization (WHO) in honor of the 200th birthday of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale.  Here at RAMC, we are proud of our nurses and midwives and the valuable services they provide to our community. 

Midwives are specially trained professionals who provide care to women from adolescence to beyond menopause.  This includes care and management during pregnancy, labor, and after birth.  The word 'midwife' means with woman.

Nurses are healthcare professionals who work collaboratively with other members of the healthcare team, including midwives, to provide optimal care to their patients.  Nurses in the Birth Center at RAMC care for childbearing women and families, offering an individualized, compassionate, and safe birth experience.

Debbie Adams started her nursing career here at RAMC in 1982.  She later received her Nurse Practitioner license in 1997 and began seeing patients in the clinic.  In 2005 she became a Certified Nurse Midwife and has been caring for women and families and delivering babies for the last 15 years!

"I moved to the Reedsburg area with my family when I was 10 years old. My husband, Andy and I have raised our three children here. Many people derive a great deal of comfort from being cared for by a familiar face. I enjoy caring for the entire family and our clinic practice style lends itself to being able to develop long-lasting relationships with our clients. My nursing background has uniquely prepared me to emphasize the importance of health promotion and disease prevention. I truly love caring for women and their families during their pregnancy and birth experience. It has been wonderful to be able to offer an alternative type of obstetric care to our community."

Ame Fischer has been a nurse since 2005 and is the newest addition to our midwifery service here at RAMC.  We are excited to being working with Ame as a Certified Nurse Midwife! 

"As a certified nurse midwife, I provide a full range of primary healthcare services for women of all ages, and have a special interest in pregnancy, birth, and lactation. I value the time spent building relationships with my patients in order to provide a more patient-centered and holistic experience for them. As a part of your healthcare team, my goal is for you to feel empowered and supported in a loving and safe environment."

Pam Dregney is the Director of the Birth Center at RAMC.  She became a nurse in 1991 and has been at RAMC for 26 years.

"It is such a privilege to work alongside such a great team of nurses, midwives, doctors, anesthesia, and surgeons.  We are committed to practicing according to up-to-date standards and take pride in offering the latest services available to our patients.  There is nothing like the moment when parents meet their baby for the first time and I love to be a part of it!"

Erin James became a nurse in 2005.  She is the Assistant Director in the Birth Center at RAMC and has been with us for 17 years.

"I enjoy coming to work and no two-days are ever alike.  As nurses, we have a special opportunity to make a family's experience amazing by what we do, say, and how we treat them.  I feel fortunate to work with a top-notch group of nurses, providers, and healthcare personnel at RAMC and am grateful to be in the nursing profession."

Pictured: Debbie Adams and Ame Fischer, Certified Nurse Midwives, along with Pam Dregney and Erin James, Registered Nurses in the Birth Center at RAMC.