Amanda M. Shafton, DNP, CNM, FACNM | 2025 MHE Emerging Leaders in Healthcare

National director of midwifery, Ob Hospitalist Group

Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG) provides hospitals with obstetric services.

I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and earned my undergraduate nursing degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I knew early on that I wanted to be a midwife, ever since I was 10 years old and had the life-changing experience of attending my brother Robert’s birth. I distinctly remember thinking, “I need to do this forever!”

I went on to complete my midwifery education at Marquette University and began practicing full-scope midwifery at The Midwife Center for Birth and Women’s Health in Pittsburgh. During my time there we expanded the center, which has since become the largest birth center in the nation. Practicing both in and out of hospital settings gave me a deep appreciation for the knowledge to do out-of-hospital birth and the versatility required of midwifery care.

After about five years in practice, I wanted to expand into more leadership opportunities. I decided to switch roles to provide only hospital-
based midwifery care with Allegheny Health Network (AHN) in Pittsburgh. While working on the growth and expansion of midwifery services I completed my doctor of nursing, executive track [degree program] at Johns Hopkins. By the time I left AHN, I had become director of midwifery for the network.

Following a move to Austin, Texas, to be closer to family, I joined OBHG in a part-time capacity and quickly discovered a passion for high-risk obstetrics and hospitalist care. In early 2024, I was honored to step into the role of OBHG’s national director of midwifery, continuing my journey of advancing midwifery leadership and access to care on a national scale.

Turning point in your career

I’ve always found deep fulfillment in providing individualized care to patients and their families. But over time, I realized that to drive real change, I needed to meet people where they are — most often giving birth, in the hospital — and work at a systems level to improve care for many. By joining policy committees and workflow groups, changing standard operating procedures and updating provider and nursing order sets, I’ve been able to work to change the way care is delivered during pregnancy and birth. This impact continues far beyond what I could achieve as a single provider. That sense of purpose is what fuels my passion and keeps me excited to show up to work every day.

Biggest day-to-day challenges

Midwifery practice in general continues to be misunderstood, underfunded and drastically underutilized in the United States. Study after study shows the benefits of midwifery care: just as good if not better patient outcomes, lower cost of care and improved patient satisfaction, to name a few. Educating hospitals, health systems and individual care team members about the value of midwifery can be challenging, but it’s a challenge I’m deeply passionate about and committed to advancing every day.

Top priority

At OBHG, we thoughtfully design programs tailored to meet individual communities, hospitals, patients and private providers exactly where they are — and where they aspire to grow. Our approach is never one-size-fits-all, which speaks to the adaptability and depth our team brings to each partnership. We focus on delivering the highest-quality OB hospitalist care through a collaborative model that includes OB-GYNs, midwives and other specialized clinicians. As maternal safety champions on the unit, we respond to obstetrical emergencies, care for patients without prenatal care and often extend our services beyond pregnancy to include gynecologic care in many hospitals.

Change one thing about U.S. healthcare

More midwives! I truly believe that midwifery care changes units, improves work-life balance for my OB-GYN colleagues and provides better outcomes for our patients. Other countries recognize the importance of midwifery care and prioritize physician-led care for patients with more complicated medical histories. As we continue to face drastic healthcare provider shortages across the country, utilizing APPs [advanced practice providers], especially midwives, is essential to provide the high-quality care that everyone deserves.

A book or article that everyone working in healthcare should read

I continue to work to recognize and dismantle my own biases to provide better healthcare to my patients. Recognizing my own implicit bias and racism has been very important in my journey not only as a provider but also as a leader. A 2023 article in The New York Times headlined “Childbirth Is Deadlier for Black Families Even When They’re Rich, Expansive Study Finds” is one of many that demonstrate the maternal mortality crisis in our country, the richest country in the world, where Black women are three to five times more likely to die before, during and after childbirth than are White women.

Personal goal this year

I think I’m like most other practitioners and healthcare leaders in that I am constantly trying to find that balance between work and nonwork. I always strive to read more, as I notice my life and my work improve when I’m able to carve out time for myself. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, audiobooks, etc. — I’m trying to read 75 books this year!