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— Our Story —

We built what we
couldn't find anywhere else.

The founders of Excellence in Gyn at a clinical education event

Excellence in Gyn was founded by three certified nurse-midwives who spent years watching capable clinicians hesitate at the same clinical thresholds — not from lack of intelligence or commitment, but from lack of accessible, high-quality continuing education built for practitioners who already know what they're doing.

We come from different practice settings — hospital systems, community clinics, private practices across the Pacific Northwest — but share a frustration with how much essential gynecological care lives outside the standard curriculum. We built ExcellenceinGyn as the education we wish we'd had. Grounded in evidence, designed for the pace of clinical life, and built by practitioners who still see patients every week.

— How We Got Here —

Three clinicians.
One long conversation.

The idea for Excellence in Gyn grew out of a series of conversations between Lori, Jennifer, and Heather that started informally — hallway consults, post-shift texts, shared frustrations at conferences — and gradually became something more intentional.

We kept arriving at the same realization: the gap in practice-ready gynecological education wasn't a resource problem. It was a design problem. Existing CE was built around passive consumption. We wanted something clinicians could actually use the next morning.

So in 2024, we started building. Not a platform. A curriculum — grounded in how we were already teaching each other, and structured for the way busy clinicians actually learn.

2010 – 2023
Decades of clinical practice
Combined decades in midwifery, gynecologic surgery, hospital systems, and community-based care across the United States and Pacific Northwest.
Early 2024
The curriculum gap becomes undeniable
After years of informal peer education and mentorship, the founders agree: the CE that clinicians need doesn't exist in a form that works for practicing providers.
Late 2024
Module 01 content development begins
Lori, Jennifer, and Heather begin structuring the first module: Implementing Menopause Care into Practice — built around the questions they're most often asked by peers and students.
2025
Excellence in Gyn launches
Continuing Education by Midwives, LLC is founded in the Pacific Northwest. The first cohort opens enrollment for Module 01 in spring 2026.
— What We Believe —

The principles
behind the curriculum.

Practice-first design

Every module is built around what a clinician will do differently on Monday morning. Theory without application isn't education — it's noise.

Mentorship over gatekeeping

Clinical excellence shouldn't be a secret passed only between colleagues who happen to know the right people. We share what we know, openly, with anyone who wants to learn.

Evidence is a living standard

We update curriculum as the evidence changes — not on a publishing cycle. The guidelines that shaped practice five years ago may not be the ones that serve patients best today.

— The Founders —

The clinicians
behind the content.

Lori Swain, DNP, CNM, MSCP, FACNM
— Founder —

Lori Swain

DNP, CNM, MSCP, FACNM

Lori is a CNM in full-time clinical practice, bringing the midwifery model of care to patients across the lifespan — with a specific focus on midlife and gynecologic care. She is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) and is committed to partnering with patients as they navigate the transitions and complexities of midlife and beyond.

"The patients who need the most support are often seeing providers who were never taught how to give it. That's the problem we're solving."

Jennifer Ham, DNP, CNM, MSCP, FACNM
— Founder —

Jennifer Ham

DNP, CNM, MSCP, FACNM

Jennifer has served as a CNM to families across a variety of organizational models throughout the United States since 2011. She is currently working as a clinician with interest in longitudinal care and holds expertise as clinical faculty, in systems quality improvement, and is a published author on the topic of mentorship. She earned her MSCP in 2015 and is a fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives — one of the highest honors in the profession.

"Mentorship changed how I practice. Building that into a structured curriculum is the natural next step — and something the profession genuinely needs."

Heather Carrion, CNM, MSCP, RNFA
— Founder —

Heather Carrion

CNM, MSCP, RNFA

Heather began practicing midwifery in 2010, first in a Philadelphia-area practice where she gained invaluable GYN experience mentored by the physician-owner, then moved to Oregon in 2015. In January 2024 she transitioned to GYN-only care, earned her MSCP designation in October 2024, and completed RN First Assist training for gynecologic surgery in August 2025. Throughout all of it, she has provided patient-centered care — and would now like to help other clinicians become comfortable doing the same.

"I had exceptional mentors who taught me to love GYN. Not every clinician is that lucky. This curriculum is an attempt to close that gap."

— Get in Touch —

Questions, partnerships,
or just a conversation.

contact@excellenceingyn.com