What is a nurse midwife, and why are they essential to the health of communities? In this Amherst College Loeb Center Alumni-in-Residence event, Jodie Simms-MacLeod AC ’09 will share her journey as a health professional: how she found midwifery as a career, why it is foundational to community health, the challenges of finding her voice as a leader, and how Jodie brings her passion for public health and reproductive justice to direct clinical care.

Jodie Simms-MacLeod AC ’09 is a Certified Nurse Midwife and Midwifery Director at University of Tennessee Medical Center. In her current role, she provides direct patient care and leads a team of midwives with the aim of providing equitable, relationship-centered care. As a healthcare provider and leader, Jodie is galvanized by the understanding that the clinical care she provides to women and their families has ripple effects throughout the entire community: that is, midwifery and public health are deeply interconnected.