BOARD + MEDICAL ADVISORS
PUSH Board of Advisors
Repping
"Houston, we have a problem [...with inequitable maternal health outcomes!]"
Superpowers
Keepin' It Real 24/7, Black Maternal Health Trailblazer, Pastry Chef by Night
Kay Matthews
BOARD MEMBER
Kay Matthews founded the Shades of Blue Project in 2013, shortly after the stillborn death of her daughter Troya Simone. As she built the Shades of Blue Project, she understood that she was not alone in her experience and that the maternal morbidity rates of Black women were only worsening. Also true was that Black maternal mental health support systems were non-existent, poorly managed, or resulted in Black mothers having their children removed from their homes. This lack of Black maternal mental health care and continued ill-treatment of Black birthing individuals spurred Matthews to create the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Method Training. A unique training based on compassion, I.N.S.P.I.R.E. is specific to women of color and minorities and can be implemented by doulas, midwives, clinicians, and those facilitating support groups. She also created Black Maternal Mental Health Week (BMMHW)—a week-long event that focuses on the challenges that persist, viable solutions, community support, and compassion training, held annually from July 19 through July 25.
As a fierce advocate of Black birthing individuals across the world, Kay has worked on and supported key pieces of legislation to help improve their birthing outcomes and experiences, including the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, the MOMS Matter Act, Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Act, and the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act. She was also a contributor to the Raising The Bar actionable framework supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, helping the healthcare sector to embed equity and excellence throughout its work and help achieve optimal health for all.
After 10 years in the Black maternal mental health space, Kay is a highly sought-after speaker. She has delivered keynotes and served on panels for a host of conferences and organizations including the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, 2020 MOM, the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and The Future of Maternal Care Summit, as well as the PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy Stillbirth Symposium. Kay’s expertise positioned her to be a lead author of a groundbreaking research article in Health Affairs and contributed to other work in Frontiers, and her advocacy and community work have been featured in publications such as the Texas Tribune, Community Impact News, and the Houston Chronicle. This two-time published author has also been featured on ABC, CBS, and NBC.
In addition to serving as a Board Member of PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy, Kay also holds active board roles for organizations such as Black Mamas Matter Alliance, 2020 MOM, and MoMMa’s Voices. She was recently appointed as the Leadership Community Chair of the PCORI funded Project through ACHP called Establishing a Research Agenda to Reduce Toxic Stress and Increase Maternal Mental Health Equity. Kay graduated with her associate’s degree in Early Child Care Education and is a licensed community health care worker. She shares everyday life with her husband Troy, and their miracle pup, Duke.
Fun Facts
The successful owner of Extraordinary Cakes and Catering, Kay shifted into full-time advocacy for Black birthing individuals after launching her Non-Profit organization BabyCakes and Brunch, from which the Shades of Blue Project was created. How sweet is that?
Repping
Staten Island transplant to the West Coast
Superpowers
Strategic Mastermind, Corporate Baller, Twin Mom Extraordinaire
Samina Bari
BOARD MEMBER
Samina Bari is the consummate Change Driver and Problem Solver. A natural strategist, negotiator and diplomat, Samina wields a broad external lens of the dynamic ecosystem in which companies operate, and utilizes her keen sense of “seeing around corners” to help organizations navigate effectively. With a distinguished track record as a corporate officer and business/investor strategist who transforms high-growth public companies and has led $40B worth of acquisitions by Pfizer, Nestlé, AbbVie, and Mallinkrodt, Samina brings to the table 30+ years of experience in helping companies to improve their reputation, create differentiation, and increase market cap. And now she's ready to bring that expertise to propel PUSH to the next level!
As an advisor to CEOs and Boards, Samina has a proven track record in identifying maximizing operational effectiveness, executing multi-channel strategies to help shape public opinion, and architecting compelling corporate positioning and strategy. She also hides a cape under her well-tailored suits, regularly stepping in to save her clients from crises like hostile take-over attempts, patent challenges, and cybersecurity breaches. In short, she's no stranger to Housewives-level drama and is ready to throw down.
Samina is also an amazing mom to her twin girls - the result of her decade-long battle with infertility, miscarriage, and high-risk pregnancy - and is committed to empowering women and parents, improving maternal health outcomes, and ushering in (by force, if necessary!) a more just world for her daughters and all future children. That's what we call "pushin' it good!"
Fun Facts
Samina ideated and managed Pfizer’s first, multi-year, and largest-ever national
sponsorship of American Heart Association’s iconic “Go Red for Women” campaign to
catapult Pfizer’s social responsibility to public health. Talk about visionary!!
Repping
Moving the Midwest forward on maternal health from Minneapolis, MN
Superpowers
Creative Collaborator, Helpful Healer, Knows How to Get IT Done!
Lindsey M. Henke, MSW, LICSW
BOARD MEMBER
Lindsey M. Henke, MSW, LICSW is an author, clinical social worker, wife, and most importantly a mother to two beautiful daughters and one sweet and bubbly boy. Tragically, her oldest daughter, Nora was stillborn after a healthy full-term pregnancy in December of 2012. Since then, she has turned to writing to heal her past hurts. Her powerful writing has been featured on TODAY.com and in Pregnancy and Newborn magazine, Huffington Post, and the New York Times.
After her subsequent pregnancy with her second daughter, Zoe, who was born healthy and alive in March of 2014, Lindsey founded and continues to be the Executive Director of Pregnancy After Loss Support (PALS), a nonprofit for parents pregnant after a previous perinatal loss or infant death. PALS has been a beacon of hope for families in the babyloss community and under Lindsey's leadership one of the most outspoken advocates for birth equity in the stillbirth nonprofit space. (Read: We want to be Lindsey when we grow up!)
Since her daughter's stillbirth and her subsequent daughter's birth, Lindsey has also become a passionate advocate for maternal mental health and health issues as a therapist that specializes in reproductive trauma and perinatal mental health.
Fun Facts
Lindsey lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where, during winter she can be found with her nose in a book. The rest of the year she enjoys hiking with her two living children and husband.
Repping
The Big Easy (New Orleans, LA)
Superpowers
The Biggest Heart & Makes a Mean TikTok Video!
Kimberly Novod
BOARD MEMBER
Kimberly Novod, a nationally-recognized speaker and New Orleans-based community activist, knows well the rippling impact of maternal mental health, prematurity, and infant loss - having experienced all three. Driven by the principles of tikkun olam and tzedakah, she envisions a Louisiana in which neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and bereaved families receive the comprehensive support they need to lead meaningful lives.
As founder and executive director of Saul’s Light Foundation, Kimberly has collaborated with hospitals, service providers, and grassroots organizations to realize this vision, advocating for family-centered care, equitable healthcare policies, and directly serving families throughout the state since 2015. In recent years, she successfully advocated for state legislation that ensures families receive a tax credit for stillborn children and that health insurance providers, including Medicaid, cover prescription human milk. In 2022 alone, Saul’s Light provided direct support to over 100 English- and Spanish-speaking families, including education, peer mentorship and financial assistance to offset travel, lodging, and counseling.
Fun Facts
Kimberly came up with the idea to found Saul's Light after asking herself, “What do I do with all the love?” during the heartbreaking process of learning to grieve her son and parent him in death. This true-life hero has also been open about her journey with managing the PTSD which stemmed from Saul's NICU stay.
Repping
Chicago, Is My Kind of Town
Superpowers
Strategic, Creative, Tech Wizard
Brandon Combs, MNA
BOARD MEMBER
Brandon is a non-profit lifer. He fell in love with making the world a better place in middle school and never looked back. His focus has been on strategically linking mission to fundraising and building holistic, effective and efficent organizations. He completed his bachelor's Indiana University-Bloomington (go Hoosiers) and his Master's in Nonprofit Administration from North Park University in Chicago.
He is the Executive Director of Erika's Lighthouse, a national nonprofit focused on providing schools the tools and resources they need to normalize conversations around mental health through education, awareness and peer-leadership. Through developing turn-key, easy to access and understand programs the organization has tripled its impact in schools in just the past year.
After losing his neice, Adeline, to stillbirth, he experienced the sense of helplessness in trying to understand and support his family. No family should ever go through that expereience. Brandon is excited to leverage his skillset and expertise to help PUSH become the largest and most impactful stillbirth organization in the country.
Fun Facts
This "small town" boy from Indiana couldn't wait to escape to a city. On his journey he only applied to one college - Indiana University - and had no backup plan if that didn't work out (thankfully, it did!). Brandon loves to travel with his partner and eat everything he can.
Repping
Holding down the West Coast in Sunny San Diego
Superpowers
The Coolest Kid on the Block, Design Guru, Got the Read on Gen-Z
Erica Hernandez
BOARD MEMBER
With a background in traditional and digital advertising, Erica leads the Account Department at brand consultancy BLVR. She has experience working for award-winning international brands and local start-ups, including Papa Johns, Olive Garden, 3M and Skullcandy. She excels at building strong client relationships and creative strategies that push (...pun totally intended) the business forward.
Erica earned her Bachelor of Arts in Advertising from the Bellisario College of Communications in 2014. At Penn State, she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority and served as Director of Social Enrichment (read: this chick knows how to throw a party!). Within Alpha Delta Pi, she supported The Ronald McDonald House charity as well as Penn State THON, which was a perfect lead-in to joining BLVR, a B-Corp that gives back to charities and supports non-profits with creative executions. In her free time, Erica loves putting her skills to work for friends, SD PSU, and of course, PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy.
Erica moved to NYC after graduation where she worked on several high profile Fortune-500 advertising campaigns, but couldn't shake the West Coast calling her name. In 2019, she set out for San Diego to build a better work life balance and work for smaller brands where she could make a bigger impact. She currently is the Executive Director of Client Experience at BLVR, and was inspired to bring her considerable talents to the stillbirth movement in honor of her beloved niece, Rowan Mae, who was born still after 35 weeks of an otherwise uneventful and cherished pregnancy in 2021.
Fun Facts
The consummate Cool Aunt, in her free time, you can find this former New Yorker hanging out with her dog, watching Penn State football or cooking up dishes that give others major food envy.
Repping
Fayetteville, Arkansas (Go Hogs!)
Superpowers
Razor-sharp Wit, Legal Mastery, Blistering Inner Fire
Jill Wieber Lens, JD
BOARD MEMBER
We absolutely pity anyone who has to argue against Jill Wieber Lens, in court or out. A take-no-prisoners attorney and loss mom extraordinaire, we fell in love with Jill after watching her absolutely demolish a conference seminar about litigating stillbirth and leave the audience reeling. A Professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law, Jill is a leading expert on legal recognition and treatment of stillbirth, and has written extensively about stillbirth within the contexts of tort law, remedies law, criminal law, maternal health care, and reproductive rights and justice, as well as about her personal experience losing her precious son Caleb.
Her work has appeared in the Washington University Law Review, Iowa Law Review, Boston University Law Review, and Boston College Law Review, and has been cited by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She has also been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, and is a past contributor to the Huffington Post. (Yes, really!) Jill is a graduate with honors of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Iowa College of Law, Order of the Coif (that doesn’t mean she has great hair – although she does! – it means she was top of her class, 3rd to be precise). We know all of us at PUSH go a little fangirl-y over Jill, but we just can’t get enough of everything she is doing to drive change, and especially her willingness to ruffle whatever feathers are necessary to get the job done.
Fun Facts
Apparently as nimble on ice as she is with words, Jill skated competitively when she was young. Also, she has donated over 3,000 ounces (that’s almost 34 gallons!) of breast milk.
Repping
“MIA, that’s where I stay” (until he moved to SFO, anyway)
Superpowers
Scrappy, Pragmatic, & Gregarious – everybody who’s anybody knows Chris Bennett
Chris Bennett
BOARD MEMBER
Chris Bennett is a TED-endorsed Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur with a supernatural gift for networking, a passion for solving complex problems, and extensive experience building inclusive community – oh, and his two companies have collectively raised more than $29 million in funding (no big deal).
As the founder and CEO of Wonderschool, a platform to help both educators and caregivers start, operate, and grow their own high-quality in-home preschools and child care programs, Chris has amassed an intimate understanding of the needs of diverse young families, with a particular focus on marginalized and underserved communities. Through Wonderschool he has also built partnerships with several state and local governments to ensure equitable access to early childhood education, and gained valuable experience successfully leading an organization from the startup phase through rapid and massive growth.
As a graduate of the Wharton School and through his experiences raising capital for his companies and helping to launch Black Founders, an organization dedicated to fostering the success of Black entrepreneurs in tech, Chris has forged deep connections with influential individuals across a wide spectrum of industries and media. He stands ready to work his unique brand of magic in service of saving babies from preventable stillbirth.
Fun Facts
As the son of Honduran-American immigrants, Chris is a fluent Spanish speaker. He also graduated top of his class from his University of Miami postbaccalaureate premedical program before realizing he had no interest in becoming a doctor. His TED Talk has over 1.8 million views.
Repping
The mean streets of Woodbridge, CT
Superpowers
Intellect, Empathy, Righteous Outrage
Harvey J. Kliman, MD, PhD
BOARD MEMBER
Dr. Harvey J. Kliman is a leading expert on all things placenta, and a revered vindicator of loss moms across the globe for his renowned ability to accurately identify the causes of previously unexplained stillbirths to give families the answers they deserve.
An MD, PhD graduate in Medicine and Cellular Biochemistry from the University of Chicago, Dr. Kliman is currently a Research Scientist in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine, and the Director of Yale’s Reproductive and Placental Research Unit with a special interest in infertility and pregnancy complications. In addition to his research and teaching activities at Yale, he also consults with doctors and patients to evaluate complicated cases of unexplained infertility, pregnancy loss, and poor pregnancy outcomes, is the innovator of the Estimated Placental Volume (EPV) stillbirth prevention technique, and has been a tireless and devoted advocate for bereaved families for decades.
Fun Facts
Believe it or not, some may consider Dr. Kliman the schlub of his family – his father was the engineer who created the circuit boards for the Voyager 1&2 spacecrafts, his mother a world-renowned scholar of Shakespeare, his wife a dedicated public servant with decades of experience in local government, and his three daughters an accomplished cinematographer, a celebrated avant-garde spatial design artist, and the inventor of the Impossible Burger!
Repping
Greece, NY
Superpowers
Medical Industry Insider, Fundraising Superhero
Rema Yaskulski
BOARD MEMBER
Born and raised in Tennesse, Rema graduated from Middle Tennessee State University before relocating to the Rochester, NY area to start a career in surgical sales. In 2019, Rema joined Rochester Regional Health Foundations as the Managing Director of Hospital Partnerships, where she has secured several multi-million dollar gifts for the Foundations and to fund capital and program needs across the five hospital system.
The daughter of a Jordanian immigrant, it was instilled in Rema throughout her upbringing to take pride in her community and get involved. So when Rema's dear friend and neighbor lost her son to stillbirth, it was only natural for her to step up and use her skills to drive progress on the sorely under-funded area of stillbirth research and prevention.
Rema is a mother of two, serves on the board of PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy and innovative eating disorder treatment center The Healing Connection, and is an avid supporter of LGBTQ+ youth. She has been recognized as one of Rochester Business Journal's "40 under 40."
Fun Facts
Rema is incredibly hardworking, charismatic, and successful, but what really caught our eye was her preternatural talent as an event planner, party host, and auctioneer! Get ready to have fun when Rema's in charge!
PUSH Medical Advisory Board
Joanne Stone, MD, MS
Dr. Joanne Stone is one of the US’s preeminent experts in the field of Maternal Fetal Medicine and a revered prenatal care provider amongst discerning NYC moms, especially those who are expecting again after a traumatic loss.
As Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System, Dr. Stone has a busy consultative and clinical practice and launched the first full-fledged Rainbow Clinic for seamless end-to-end pregnancy after loss care in the United States. She also shares PUSH’s passion for equity and inclusion as her department’s Vice Chair for Diversity and Inclusion.
As if her expertise in multiple gestation pregnancies, prenatal diagnosis, ultrasound, labor induction, and invasive fetal procedures weren’t enough, Dr. Stone is also the immediate past President of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and previously served on the executive committee of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), is the co-author of Pregnancy for Dummies and The Pregnancy Bible, and has been recognized as a Top Doctor in numerous publications including New York Magazine and the New York Times for several years running. (Is there anything this woman can’t do??)
Dr. Stone completed her residency and fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and is the American champion of stillbirth prevention that we’ve all been waiting for. She also delivered the rainbow babies of several PUSH team members, so needless to say, we love her to pieces!
Alexander Heazell, MBChB(Hons), PhD, MRCOG
Dr. Alexander Heazell is (in our eyes, at least!) a veritable stillbirth superhero.
The Professor of Obstetrics and Director of the Tommy’s Stillbirth Research Centre at the University of Manchester, UK, he has published over 230 research papers and written over 20 book chapters. Dr. Heazell splits his time between research/teaching and clinical practice, where he is beloved by his patients and has successfully delivered over a thousand Rainbow Clinic babies into their parents’ arms.
He is the founder of the UK’s internationally renowned Rainbow Clinics, providing specialized care for parents who have experienced a stillbirth in a previous pregnancy, and he has been instrumental in expanding the availability of Rainbow Clinic services to the US.
He also led the evaluation of NHS England's Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle for stillbirth prevention, and was the Chair of the International Stillbirth Alliance from 2013-2017, and a member of the Expert Panel on Maternity Care for the UK Government in 2021. Dr. Heazell is deeply committed to reducing the number of stillborn babies and improving care for bereaved parents.
Dr. Steve Rad, MD, FACOG
Dr. Steve Rad, MD, FACOG is a highly specialized and international expert in Obstetrics, Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine and High Risk Pregnancies (Perinatologist), though he might be better known as "OB to the stars." It's no surprise that Hollywood's best and brightest flock to Dr. Rad - not only is he double board certified, having completed rigorous training with highest honors at prestigious renowned institutions (David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, USC, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCSF Medical Center as well as centers internationally including London, Austria, Israel, Africa), he is also deeply empathic and relentlessly dedicated to building real partnerships with his patients. Between his legendary bedside manner and world-class clinical excellence, Dr. Rad is the number one choice for high-risk patients in the Greater Los Angeles area, and when you hear the way he speaks about empowering the moms under his care and his regard for them as true partners in their own care, it’s easy to see why.
Among few physicians with unique training and expertise in advanced diagnosis and management of a variety of fetal abnormalities & birth defects, advanced fetal ultrasound - particularly brain and heart - multiple gestations (twins, triplets, higher), and all pregnancy complications, Dr. Rad is also well published, actively involved in medical societies, medical research, loves to teach, served as Faculty at UCSF Medical Center, and is currently on the Teaching Service at renowned UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Centers.
He has received numerous top doctor awards including Los Angeles Times Magazine and Super Doctors Rising Stars Southern California every single year since 2018. He is currently on staff at multiple medical centers in greater Los Angeles including Cedars-Sinai, UCLA-Santa Monica, Providence St John's Santa Monica, Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana, California Hospital Downtown LA, and Good Samaritan LA. Dr. Rad's hospitals are affiliated with NICUs at Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, and Children's Hospital LA.
Tracy Shevell, MD
Our first introduction to Dr. Tracy Shevell was from a fellow OBGYN who completed her residency with Dr. Tracy: "There have literally never been as many babies named 'Tracy' at that hospital as there were that year!" And as we've gotten to know Dr. Tracy, it's easy to see why: she is literally like having a super fun, no-BS best friend who also happens to be a brilliant Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialist. WE LOVE HER.
In Tracy's own words, she decided to become an MFM because "I wanted to be the one to help my patients make the tough calls when things got really challenging. I knew that I could figure out a way to use my empathy, the right temperament and clinical skills to deliver difficult news in a way that made sense but also showed how much I cared." (How can you NOT love this woman??) Upon finishing training and moving to the 'burbs with a toddler in tow and one on the way, she took on the role of an attending in MFM and then became the Director of a Perinatal Ultrasound Unit at a major community and teaching hospital. Dr. Tracy describes these years as "some of the most fulfilling times of my life" but she soon found herself dismayed by the trends in medicine. "The time allowed for each patient got less and less. More was being asked of doctors as revenue-based salaries began to become more frequent. I felt patients leaving needing more, needing time, a friend, a referral to a counselor, or just me, their doctor. I wished every patient could have more. I made myself available outside of work and spent so many extra hours giving whatever extra I could."
In short, Dr. Tracy recognized - from the other side of stirrups - the same thing that so many of us patients have: "The system felt broken." And so she decided to forge a new path. Having seen the impacts that unmet mental health care could have on a pregnancy, she took on extra training to be able to serve her patient as a whole person. And when Covid struck, and Dr. Tracy found herself working from her couch to help patients just as effectively as she could in the office, the idea of Blue Moon Perinatal was born.
Dr. Tracy has since pioneered a new model of care which she (and we!) hope to see spread throughout the US. As an independent patient liaison, she uses her clinical knowledge and expertise to help high-risk patients navigate their pregnancies, explaining in real language what is going on, advising what to ask the doctor at the next visit, and coaching on how to approach a non-supportive partner or provider. A two-time NICU parent herself, Dr. Tracy has the resources, the knowledge, and the heart EVERY pregnant person needs. We hope that someday soon, every parent will have a Dr. Tracy in their corner ensuring they feel empowered, seen, and advocated for. Let’s do this! #unitedwepush
Terri Major-Kincade, MD, MPH, FAAP
Dr. Terri Major-Kincade is a racial equity champion, a badass warrior mama, and a double board certified neonatologist and pediatrician to boot.
With over 20 years’ experience as a clinician, perinatal health disparities advocate, and neonatal palliative care and perinatal hospice provider, she brings a deep understanding of the issues facing parents of high-risk infants, especially those in marginalized communities.
She has led several outreach initiatives to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes through partnerships with the March of Dimes Texas, and moonlights as an Amazon Best Selling Author for her book Early Arrival: 9 Things Parents Need to know about life in the NICU. Dr. Terri is fighting racism in healthcare every day to help usher in the day when no baby is lost to preventable causes.
Liesel Teen, BSN, RN
Liesel Teen, BSN, RN is a labor and delivery nurse and the founder of Mommy Labor Nurse. Mommy Labor Nurse equips pregnant women with the tools, knowledge, and confidence they need to erase the unknown, feel in control, and have an even better birth - no matter how they deliver.
With 8 years and counting as a bedside labor and delivery nurse, Liesel knows that knowledge is the key to an even better birth. To date, over 30k women have completed a Mommy Labor Nurse birth class, eliminated fear, and been empowered by Liesel’s comprehensive childbirth education.
Liesel also holds the honor of being one of the *earliest* champions of PUSH's message about ending preventable stillbirth - way back in August 2021, when (at just 3 months old as an org!) she helped us reach an audience of 300,000+ expectant parents with a post on her hysterical and informative Instagram page @mommy.labornurse. That was the day we realized we might just be able to pull off this crazy dream of empowering every pregnant person with the knowledge we wish we had been given, and Liesel has been by our side fighting for change in solidarity ever since!
Heather Florescue, MD
Dr. Heather Florescue is a trailblazing OBGYN with a heart of gold on a relentless mission to save babies’ lives. As an OBGYN in private practice delivering at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Dr. Florescue was the very first doctor in the United States to independently implement the UK Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle stillbirth prevention protocols starting in 2019. She’s a passionate advocate for perinatal bereavement, a mother of triplets herself, and is much beloved by her patients for her empathy, skill, and willingness to fight for their babies – in short, the epitome of what every parent is seeking in their OB.
An M.D., FACOG who graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from the University of Rochester, she completed her residency at the University of Rochester Medical School, where she won several awards for patient care including the Gold Humanism Honor Society for the compassion she showed towards patients. Dr. Florescue is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and actively advocates for her patients and their babies every day through her popular clinical practice in Rochester, NY.
Sarah Pachtman Shetty, MD
Dr. Sarah Pachtman Shetty (also known as Instagram's beloved @healthymamadoc) is a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist at Long Island Jewish Medical Center on Long Island, NY, with a special interest in Obstetrical Critical Care and maternal medical complications in pregnancy. And when she's not rockin' it on the Labor & Delivery floor, she's busy educating parents and creating awareness around pregnancy complications, including stillbirth, as a trusted voice on social media. Dr. Pachtman Shetty completed both her Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and her Fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Her research has focused on preeclampsia and tools that can be used for early diagnosis of severe features to decrease the risk of adverse outcomes for both mom and baby. Originally from Paradise Valley, Arizona, Dr. Pachtman Shetty enjoys fashion, travelling, cooking (especially grilling!) and spending time with her husband and son, Orion, when she is not busy safely seeing moms and babies through pregnancy!
Patty Ng, MD
Dr. Patty Ng is an all-star OBGYN, a crusading champion for pregnant women, and the very first provider PUSH sought out to expand the availability of dedicated pregnancy after loss care in the US through NYC's first "Rainbow Afternoons."
As the founder and medical director at 1060 OBGYN – one of the highest-reviewed private OBGYN practices in NYC – Dr. Ng is revered by her patients for her compassion, thoughtfulness, and clinical aptitude. After suffering the tragic stillbirth of her daughter, she became a passionate advocate for helping loss moms and their families navigate subsequent pregnancies.
Dr. Ng graduated with honors from Syracuse University and SUNY Downstate Medical College, then finished her specialty training at Lenox Hill Hospital. In addition to being a rockstar doctor, she is also a successful entrepreneur and co-founded the luxury women’s health product brand, Ladybits.
Kristen Sharp, MD
Dr. Kristen Sharp is a pioneering OBGYN, a fierce warrior mama, and a passionate innovator in perinatal bereavement and pregnancy after loss.
In honor of her son, Caleb, who died during pregnancy, she founded the Hope After Loss Clinic, the very first practice in the US dedicated solely to pregnancy after loss. As a practicing OBGYN and Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Sharp has equipped scores of next-generation medical professionals to harness their empathy to provide best-in-class care to families expecting again after a perinatal loss.
She earned her degrees from Washington University and the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, and completed her residency at the University of Michigan. She has been awarded so many honors for outstanding patient care and excellence in teaching that we can’t even fit them all here!
James Nicholson, MD, MSCE
Dr. Jim Nicholson is credited with being the first medical provider to rouse PUSH’s founders to battle with his impassioned discourse in defense of expectant families’ rights to autonomy.
As a Family Physician with several decades of experience in family-centered maternity care, Dr. Nicholson has developed a long-standing passion for identifying better methods of term pregnancy management at and beyond 37 weeks gestation. He is uncompromisingly determined to improve mother and baby outcomes, and he has become known as an outspoken advocate against the strict implementation of the “39 Week Rule.”
Dr. Nicholson trained at the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University Medical Center, and has both published a series of major journal articles and given dozens of lectures across the globe. While pursuing a Master’s Degree in Clinical Epidemiology, he published a series of articles on the AMOR-IPAT system of identifying pregnant women who would benefit from induction before 40 weeks of gestation. Several of these publications were “editor’s choice papers” in the prestigious American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
He has successfully obtained superior pregnancy outcomes for women from marginalized communities through the regular use of patient-oriented risk-based preventive labor induction (often initiated prior to 39 weeks 0 days of gestation) and shares PUSH’s passion for equitable and inclusive prenatal care and unequivocal support of human rights.
Jason Collins, MD, MSCR
Dr. Jason Collins is the world’s leading expert on umbilical cord accidents and a tireless advocate for pregnant families.
After a 30 year obstetrical career including training with Tulane Medical Center and founding the Pregnancy Institute to study the umbilical cord’s role in why stillbirth happens, Dr. Collins has studied more than one thousand umbilical cords and piloted the clinical use of real-time fetal heartbeat monitoring technology at home to identify and protect at-risk babies.
Now retired from clinical practice, Dr. Collins has won much respect within the babyloss community as a fierce advocate for pregnant families, frequently volunteering his time and expertise to coach parents through complicated pregnancies and teach them the proven strategies he has identified over decades of experience to help mothers advocate for themselves and their babies.
Dr. Collins is steadfast in his convictions that cord issues may account for a large percentage of unexplained stillbirths and is not afraid to rock the boat in the name of saving babies’ lives – a trait which all of us PUSH deeply admire and respect!
