The Department of Midwifery, with the support of the Children’s Health Foundation has an industry-leading leadership structure, comprising a Department Head of Midwifery, an Academic Practice Lead and a Research Lead. The leadership team bridges leadership, academic practice, research, and quality improvement to advance the health of families in the London and surrounding communities.
The Leadership Team
Meagan Furnvivall
RM MSc BHSc, BA- Department Head- Midwifery
Meagan Furnivall is a Registered Midwife and the Head of the Department of Midwifery at London Health Sciences Centre. She works collaboratively with midwives, physicians, nurses, and health system partners to strengthen models of care, advance innovation, and improve outcomes for women, newborns, and families. Meagan is an adjunct research professor in the department of family medicine at Western and McMaster University. Meagan also serves as the Ontario Site Lead for the Justice and Equity in Perinatal Services (JEPS) Hub, supporting the implementation of equity-focused tools across hospitals. Meagan is the Founder & CEO of Empower Elle, a company focused on improving comfort, dignity and skin-to-skin contact in the perinatal period. With a strong background in clinical leadership, research, and advocacy, she is dedicated to building connections and mentorship opportunities to enhance midwifery and maternal-newborn services across the region.
As Head Midwife, Megan provides strategic and operational leadership for the Department of Midwifery. She oversees clinical governance, interprofessional collaboration, and system-level integration of midwifery care within LHSC and the broader regional perinatal network. Her leadership focuses on quality improvement, program innovation (such as the Midwifery-Led Bili Clinic and Early Discharge Program), and advancing equity, sustainability, and dignity in perinatal care. Megan represents LHSC midwifery at institutional, provincial, and national levels, advocating for policy and practice transformation that centers women, families, and midwives.
Lauren Columbus
RM, MSc, BHSc- Academic Practice Lead
Lauren is the Academic Practice Lead with the Department of Midwifery and a Registered Midwife with the T.I.M.E. Program Expanded Midwifery Care Model at London Health Sciences Centre. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. She holds a Masters of Health Professions Education at Maastricht University. Her areas of research and academic interest include quality assurance and quality improvement, simulation, team dynamics in birthing units, and psychological safety in interprofessional teams.
Lauren leads the department’s education and professional practice portfolio. She develops and oversees mentorship, onboarding, and continuing professional development programs for midwives and learners, ensuring alignment with academic standards and clinical excellence. Her leadership bridges academic partnerships with McMaster University and other educational institutions, supporting student placements, clinical teaching, and evidence-based practice integration. Lauren also contributes to workforce development and leadership capacity building within the department.
Sarah Redfearn
RM MA, PhD (cand) - Research Lead
Sarah is a Registered Midwife and Practice Partner with Midwives of Middlesex & Area and an active member of the Midwifery Department at London Health Sciences Centre, including as the Research Lead for the Department. Sarah is a Peer and Practice assessor with the College of Midwives of Ontario and a Midwifery Assessor for Accreditation Canada. She is an active instructor, teaching NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) and ESW (Emergency Skills Workshop. Sarah is an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, an Adjunct Clinical Professor at McMaster University, and an Associate CHRI Research Scientist. Currently, Sarah is pursuing her PhD at Anglia Ruskin University in England. Her research interests include trauma-informed care, clinical excellence, and client-led care.
Sarah provides leadership in research, scholarship, and knowledge translation, advancing the department’s role as a hub for midwifery-led inquiry. She supports research design, ethics submissions, data collection, and dissemination, fostering a culture of inquiry that strengthens clinical outcomes and policy influence. Sarah collaborates with local and national researchers to enhance the visibility and impact of midwifery-led research in areas such as continuity of care, shared decision-making, and maternal mental health.
Impact Across Levels
The Impact of Midwifery Leadership
Local Impact
The leadership team has established LHSC as a national leader in innovative, midwifery-led models of care—including the Midwifery-Led Bili Clinic, the Early Discharge Program, and integration into high-risk perinatal services. These initiatives have improved continuity, reduced readmissions, and enhanced patient experience while promoting interprofessional collaboration.
Regional Impact
Through partnerships across the Ontario West Perinatal Network, the team supports knowledge exchange, standardized protocols, and data-driven decision-making. The department also contributes to regional education initiatives, strengthening midwifery practice and equity of access across Southwestern Ontario.
National Impact
Members of the leadership team contribute to national research projects, academic conferences, and policy development through collaborations with organizations such as the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM), the Association of Ontario Midwives (AOM), and Health Canada. Their work informs midwifery integration and innovation across Canada.
Global Impact
The department’s research and innovation—particularly in dignity-centered design, shared decision-making, and maternal mental health—have positioned LHSC Midwifery as an emerging global thought leader. Through collaborations with initiatives like the Justice and Equity in Perinatal Services (JEPS) Hub and the Birth Place Lab, the team contributes to international discourse on respectful, human-centered maternity care.
Research and Innovation Funding
The Department of Midwifery at London Health Sciences Centre has secured more than $1.2 million in research and innovation funding, positioning our team as a leader in advancing evidence-informed, equitable, and innovative models of care for women and newborns. Through national, regional, and philanthropic partnerships, our work integrates clinical excellence with research, education, and system transformation.
As part of the Justice and Equity in Perinatal Services (JEPS) Hub, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, our department serves as the Ontario Lead Site, guiding implementation of the ULab Index to measure and improve equity and respect in perinatal care across Canada. Locally, sustained support from the Children’s Health Foundation has enabled the creation of midwifery-led hospital programs such as the Bili Clinic, Early Discharge Program, and the Limited Term Research Chair in Midwifery, improving newborn outcomes and strengthening interprofessional collaboration.
Innovation is also a central component of our research portfolio. Through the WE Empower Innovation Grant, we have focused on health systems efficiency, clinical innovation, and product development, leveraging various accelerator programs and collaborations with institutions such as Ivey Business School. Together, these initiatives reflect our department’s commitment to integrating compassion, evidence, and technology to transform the experience of childbirth.
Collectively, these grants have elevated LHSC’s Department of Midwifery as a provincial and national leader in midwifery-led research, with growing global impact through collaborations with organizations such as the Birth Place Lab, McMaster University, and the Canadian Association of Midwives. Our leadership team, Meagan Furnivall (Head Midwife), Lauren Columbus (Academic Practice Lead), and Sarah Redfearn (Research Lead), continues to champion innovation that promotes dignity, connection, and equity in maternal and newborn care.
