FSU College of Medicine 2017 annual report 2017 Annual Report - FSU College of Medicine | Page 53

2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T 51 PAVING THE WAY TO BETTER BIRTHS “When the Women’s Center first came to Stuart, [registered nurse and childbirth educator Marjorie] Jordan had difficulties finding the necessary [consulting] physician. That did not surprise her. ‘I would say that 90 percent of physicians don’t want to work with midwives,’ she says. ‘They don’t want people to have babies outside of a hospital. I guess in medical school, they’re trained to think of birth not as a natural process but one where anything can happen.’” That paragraph appeared 30 years ago in a Sun Sentinel newspaper article about “Marjie” Jordan’s well-woman and birthing center in Southeast Florida. Although her facility has closed, physicians now are more open to non-hospital births. Jordan and her husband, Bud, remain enormously grateful to the obstetrician-gynecologist who took a leap of faith by becoming The Women’s Center’s longtime medical director. In October, when they announced an endowed scholarship for students at the FSU College of Medicine’s Fort Pierce Regional Campus, they named it after her: Heidi McNaney-Flint. “She exemplifies everything that the College of Medicine says it teaches its students about patient-centered care,” Jordan said of McNaney-Flint, now the campus’s clerkship director in obstetrics-gynecology. The Jordans have become strong financial supporters of (l-r) College of Medicine Dean John P. Fogarty, Marjorie Jordan, Heidi McNaney-Flint, College of Medicine development officer Chrys Goodwyne and Bud Jordan. that there had to be a better system.” Says Lomax-Homier, who’s an OB-GYN herself: “Marjie Florida State. Though Marjie attended Georgia State, her Jordan continues to downplay the significance of her heart belongs to FSU. Her husband, who works at Merrill accomplishment of founding a birthing center in the 1980s. Lynch in Stuart, got a bachelor’s in accounting at FSU. He’s She remains steadfast in her commitment and gratitude to a Golden Chief in the Seminole Boosters and a life member Heidi McNaney-Flint for lending her medical expertise when of the Alumni Association. In addition, he was a founding few offered support to the project.” member (and is past president) of the Economic Council of Martin County, as well as the St. Lucie River Initiative. At The Women’s Center, Jordan and McNaney-Flint educated a generation of young mothers. Now, this But as Fort Pierce Campus Dean Juliette Lomax-Homier scholarship will educate a generation of young physicians. It’s says, this endowed scholarship was Marjie’s baby. She wanted designed for Fort Pierce students interested in family-centered to honor McNaney-Flint. maternity care programs with a focus on patient education in “I owe her so much,” Jordan said. “She educates her patients.” Jordan, in fact, is one of those patients. Earlier, in another physician’s care, Jordan had a “horrible” childbirth experience. Her baby died. She was heartbroken. Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Jordan invites you to contribute to the McNaney- Flint endowment – or honor your doctor by endowing a scholarship of your own. But she also was determined: “With all my years as an OB For endowment details, contact development officer Chrys nurse and nationally accredited childbirth educator, I knew Goodwyne at 850-644-3353 or [email protected].