In Memoriam: Sister Angela Murdaugh - Changemaker
On October 11th, Sr Angela Murdaugh, FSM, CNM, FACNM passed away, and we would like to take some time to celebrate and honor her life. A Franciscan Sister of Mary for 62 years, she was a visionary midwifery trailblazer as well as a beloved friend, colleague, and mentor.
A Birth Center Trailblazer
During her 84 years, Sister Angela touched the lives of many. In 1971, she went to the Rio Grande Valley after receiving a master’s degree in nurse-midwifery from Columbia University. She was appalled to discover that women in that area were forced to travel at least 25 miles to receive basic prenatal and childbirth care. This led her to establish Su Clinical Familiar in Raymondsville, the first freestanding birth center in Texas in 1972. She went on to establish birth centers in Harlingen at Su Clinica Familiar in 1977, in Brownsville at the Brownsville Community Health Center in 1980, and in Weslaco at Holy Family Birth Center in 1983. These birth centers served primarily indigent families. Holy Family Birth Center is now in its 41st year. In addition to prenatal care and delivery services, the birth center focuses on childbirth education, postpartum home visits, social services, clinic transportation and childhood immunizations. Sister Angela created partnerships that allow her staff to visit local schools and factories and teach general health concepts as well as healthy pregnancy and baby classes.
“For one brief, shining moment there was a Camelot—an oasis of what midwifery should be,” Sr. Angela said. “A moment when professors sent their best, most forward students from all over the United States there. I always got the cream of the crop.” Methods were “high touch, low tech.”
An Advocate for Change
Sister Angela's vision, energy, and compassion touched the lives of thousands, from under-resourced individuals and families who she treated with dignity to the students and midwives she mentored and challenged. In addition to her work within birth centers, she helped establish policies and licensing requirements for birth centers, as well. Her advocacy gained respect and acceptance for the midwifery profession; her striving to ensure that all people have access to quality medical care reflected her deep compassion and commitment to social justice.
Sister Angela’s vision of improving health services led her into legislative and administrative arenas, as well. She was instrumental in obtaining an attorney general’s opinion that defined the legal basis for midwifery practice in Texas. She also served on the Texas Department of Health’s advisory committee that authored the Texas Birth Center Rules and Regulations in 1986.
An Educator & Mentor
Sister Angela was a master clinician and prominent educator of nurse-midwives in the United States. She created one of the first midwifery fellowships in the United States, hosting structured mentorships for over over 100 nurses and 100 clinical nurse midwives during her 36 years of clinical service.
A Founding Mother
She was known as one of the Founding Mothers of the American Association of Birth Centers, serving on the first AABC board of directors. She was also part of the team that wrote the Standards for Birth Centers. Sister Angela is also a past president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
A Spiritual Director
After 35 years of full-time clinical practice and service directing, Sister Angela retired in 2007 and transitioned to her second career as a spiritual director where she was instrumental working in prison ministry.
We are eternally grateful for Sister Angela's life of servitude to childbearing families, the midwifery profession and the birth center model.
We invite you to join AABC in honoring Sister Angela's legacy through a donation to Holy Family Services and the AABC Foundation.