Vicki Penwell, LM, CPM, MSM, MA is a Licensed Midwife and the founder and Executive Director of Mercy In Action, has attended births since 1981 (starting in Alaska) and is responsible for the safe delivery of more than 15,500 babies in the Philippines since 1991, at no cost to the parents, and with outcomes 4 times better than the Philippines national average, even though the birthing population is mixed-risk. This has been accomplished by midwife-led care in community birth centers serving the poor that stresses low intervention in normal birth and high intervention in birth emergencies, and constant After Action Review to improve in all aspects of midwifery practice.
Vicki also serves as Executive Director of the Mercy In Action College of Midwifery, a 4-year Bachelor of Science midwifery college accredited in the USA. In recent years, Vicki created a post-graduate Diploma in International Midwifery & Maternal/Child Health under the college that has scholars in dozens of countries on four continents.
Vicki has a Master’s degree in Midwifery from the USA and another Master’s degree in Intercultural Studies from the Philippines. She lives with her husband of 41 years in Olongapo, Philippines. Vicki travels to teach midwives around the world, and still occasionally attends births and helps with disaster response and outreach when the need arises.
