title: Pressure from above.
abstract: The author of this guest editorial discusses the new perinatal standards endorsed by the National Quality Forum and goals to improve the health of all Americans announced by the National Priorities Partnership. She discusses the impact of the standards and goals on maternity care and what childbirth educators can do to help implement the standards and advance the goals.
authors.affiliation: DEBBY AMIS is the Lamaze International representative to the National Quality Forum. She is co-author of Prepared Childbirth - The Family Way and co-director of The Family Way Lamaze Childbirth Educator Program. A nurse, Amis has been a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator for more than 30 years and currently teaches early pregnancy classes in Plano, Texas.
authors.forename: Debby
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amis