Baylor Professor Recognized For Her Work to Help Moms and Babies
Mary C. Brucker
Dr. Mary Brucker, a professor of nursing at Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas, has received the Recognition Award by the National Perinatal Association for her individual contribution to the field of maternal and child health.
"It was a great honor and I was extremely surprised to receive this award," Brucker said. "Caring for women and babies has been my lifelong passion. Healthy women become healthy mothers with healthy babies for a bright future for our society. It's a privilege to be a nurse-midwife, and teaching here at Baylor provides a whole new level of opportunities to educate others who share the same passion."
Brucker has served the nurse-midwifery profession for more than 30 years and is known to her colleagues as a leader, educator and clinical practitioner of excellence. Her accomplishments include directing, fostering and sustaining the Parkland School of Nurse-Midwifery and promoting the move of nurse-midwifery into the graduate nursing education program at Baylor. She is a prolific author contributing to a broad variety of journals in the obstetric, nursing and midwifery fields. She also provides extensive service to boards and committees dedicated to the health of women and families such as the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Lamaze International and the March of Dimes.
The award was presented at NPA's annual meeting, held this year in New Orleans. Other award recipients included Dr. M. Christina Glick, neonatologist from Jackson, Miss. Sharon Schindler Rising from the Centering Pregnancy and Parenting Association; and Dr. Scott Berns and Liza Cooper from the March of Dimes and the Indiana Perinatal Network.
The National Perinatal Association is a national, multi-disciplinary organization whose mission is to promote the health and well-being of mothers and infants, enriching families, communities and the world. Membership includes families, health care providers, educators, parents, hospitals, state perinatal associations and others who join together to influence public policy, ensure appropriate services and support for pregnant women and families, and promote cross provider and family communication.