Poirier to be honored by UW-Eau Claire
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Tuesday, July 29, 2008 3:22 PM CDT
For the Herald
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Alumni Association will present awards to seven alumni and friends of the university on Saturday, Aug. 2 at a luncheon and ceremony in conjunction with summer commencement.
“These intelligent, creative people are dedicated to responding to societal needs as well as developing their own talents,” said John Bachmeier, UW-Eau Claire director of alumni relations. “The university is proud to recognize them for their personal success and for their important contributions to the community.”
Roberta Poirier is one of two who will receive the Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award, which recognizes distinguished service to the community, state or nation in a manner that brings credit to the recipient and UW-Eau Claire.
Poirier received a bachelor of science degree in nursing from UW-Eau Claire in 1974. She finished her degree despite the death of her husband in 1973, which left her as the single parent of six children ages 4 to 15. She was a staff nurse at Bloomer Hospital from 1974-76.
In 1977, she received a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Minnesota. She was director of nurses in Shawano Medical Center from 1977-79 and in Port Sulfur, La., in 1980. She returned as an instructor to UW-Eau Claire in 1980-81.
In 1982-83, she taught nursing at District One Vocational School. She received certification as a nurse midwife from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1984 and did a fellowship at Holy Family Birth Center in Weslaco, Texas, in 1985.
She served as a staff nurse-midwife at Ramsey Clinic in St. Paul, Minn., from 1985-86 and for the Blue Diamond Medical Clinic in Bloomer from 1986-88. She returned to Ramsey Clinic as director of midwifery service from 1988-99 and grew the program from a staff of four to a staff of 13. The midwifery service served immigrants from South East Asia, South Africa, Eastern Europe and Central America living in St. Paul, Minn.
Under Poirier’s direction, the service started 15 small outreach clinics in different neighborhoods. After a merger with Group Health, Poirier served as a staff nurse-midwife with HealthPartners/Ramsey Clinic from 1999-2006. She was a nurse-midwife with Eau Claire Women’s Care from 2002-04 and an instructor at UW-Eau Claire in 2006.
Poirier then retired. She continues to serve as director of the Bloomer Area Food Pantry, which she has overseen since 1999. She also continues to serve as an active member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
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