Association of Ontario Midwives announces appointment of Juana Berinstein and Ellen Kanikatsitsa Blais as Co-CEOs

Media release

TORONTO: The Association of Ontario Midwives (AOM) is proud to announce the appointment of Juana Berinstein and Ellen Kanikatsitsa Blais as the organization’s first-ever co-CEOs. This innovative leadership model reflects a commitment to governance that prioritizes a living Guswentha Two Row Wampum approach focused on righting relations to the original intentions of this treaty agreement with a focus on peace, friendship and respect. 

In this spirit, Ellen Kanikatsitsa Blais and Juana Berinstein's collaborative approach will address the challenges of a rapidly changing health-care landscape. Their leadership will focus on moving key strategic objectives forward, including supporting Indigenous communities in their reclamation of midwifery, advancing racial and health equity in midwifery, fostering sustainable and well-integrated midwifery practice, and advocating for midwives so that pregnant people and families can count on midwifery care for the best possible start.

“Juana and Ellen bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their new roles. Both have dedicated their careers to advancing Indigenous and Registered midwives,” said Tewahséhtha Brant, AOM Board and Indigenous Midwifery Advisory Council member.

Ellen Kanikatsitsa Blais is a Haudenosaunee midwife and has most recently served as the Executive Director of the National Council of Indigenous Midwives and, prior to that time, Director of Indigenous Midwifery at the AOM for five years. Juana Berinstein has been the AOM’s Director of Policy and Communications for 17 years, leading campaigns that led to tangible improvements for midwives, including pay equity gains.

“Ellen and I are honoured and ready to take on this leadership work together,” said Berinstein. “We are excited to work collaboratively to strengthen midwifery. Our focus is on advocating for, supporting and sustaining midwives so they can be well integrated into the health system and in turn contribute to the well-being of all families and communities—including those that face inequities and barriers, such as Indigenous, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ pregnant people and families.”

“Our co-CEO model is not just about sharing leadership—it’s about modelling a transformative approach to governance. Together, we can bring a synergy to the role and a creative force to the association and be an integrative and listening practice, which is needed in this moment when our communities and our health systems are facing multiple crises and challenges,” said Blais.

This collaborative leadership model will have implications that extend beyond the AOM. Althea Jones, AOM Board President, emphasized the impact this appointment will have on the community and the health system. “This marks a significant milestone in the AOM's journey toward fully integrating midwives within the health system, and advancing health equity. Juana and Ellen’s leadership will help propel strategic goals for midwifery, building on the AOM’s vision of midwives leading decolonized and equitable reproductive, pregnancy, birth and newborn care,” Jones said.

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The AOM will arrange interviews on request. Contact Michael Letendre, Digital Media and Communications Specialist, Indigenous Midwifery, at Michael.Letendre@aom.on.ca or (778) 809-2919.

About the Association of Ontario Midwives:

The AOM advances the clinical and professional practice of Indigenous and registered midwives in Ontario. There are over one thousand midwives in Ontario, serving more than 250 communities across the province, funded by the Ministry of Health. Since midwifery became a regulated health profession in 1994, more than 400,000 babies have been born under midwifery care. For more information, visit: https://www.ontariomidwives.ca/midwifery-numbers.