Alyssa J. Colby, IBCLC, CHW

Community Health Worker

Community health workers (CHW) are lay members of communities who work either for pay or as volunteers in association with the local health care system in both urban and rural environments and usually share ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status and life experiences with the community members they serve. They have been identified by many titles such as community health advisors, lay health advocates, "promotores(as), outreach educators, community health representatives, peer health promoters, and peer health educators. CHWs offer interpretation and translation services, provide culturally appropriate health education and information, assist people in receiving the care they need, give informal counseling and guidance on health behaviors, advocate for individual and community health needs, and provide some direct services such as first aid and blood pressure screening. Some examples of these practitioners are Community Health Aides or Practitioners established under 25 USC 1616 (l) under HHS, Indian Health Service, Public Health Service.

Midwife

Ms. Alyssa J. Colby is a Midwife in Prineville, OR with special training and skill in providing holistic, non-invasive care, education, and emotional support for pregnant women before, during, and after birthing. As a Midwife, Alyssa J. Colby, IBCLC, CHW performs healthcare services for women throughout pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum adjustment to motherhood. Midwifery is the profession of assisting women in prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum transition, informed by the belief that pregnancy and childbirth are natural life processes, not medical conditions. Significant diseases and conditions treated by Midwives include vaginal yeast infections, post partum depression, unnecessary technological or pharmaceutical interventions. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Midwives include pelvic exams, pap smears, breast exams, birth plan creation, parenting education, monitoring and support during labor and childbirth, breastfeeding instruction, newborn care education, and postpartum emotional support.

A Midwife is a trained professional with special expertise in supporting women to maintain a healthy pregnancy birth, offering expert individualized care, education, counseling, and support to a woman and her newborn throughout the childbearing cycle. A Midwife is a skilled and independent practitioner who has undergone formalized training. Midwives are not required to be nurses and may be trained via multiple routes of education (apprenticeship, workshop, formal classes, or programs, etc., usually a combination). The educational background requirements and licensing requirements vary by state. The Midwife may or may not be certified by a state or national organization.