Amita Graham (photo courtesy)
MCHC is pleased to announce that Amita Graham, a Certified Nurse-Midwife, has been a great addition to the Care for Her team since joining in July 2022. Graham works primarily at Hillside Health Center in Ukiah, supporting a woman through all stages of her pregnancy. , such as providing breastfeeding and lactation counseling.
Graham is thrilled to join an established team that is firmly rooted in the community and aligned with her own values.
“My philosophy is the same as MCHC’s, so working here was an easy decision,” said Graham. “I believe in shared decision-making and a patient-centered approach that considers the whole person when providing care.”
After several formative experiences early in life, Graham aspired to work in the field of women’s health. In her twenties, she worked as her midwife’s nanny, occasionally taking her on home visits and seeing her maternity care firsthand.
“The opportunity to observe midwives up close and personal has really opened my eyes to the community, healing and well-being that midwives participate in,” Graham said. “That’s what got me really interested in women’s health and midwifery.”
Years later, when her own daughter was born, the team of midwives who supported Graham made a lasting impression on her.
“I received excellent care. I was simply blown away by the way the midwives helped the patients and made them feel safe and comfortable,” Graham said. “The deal is now closed.”
Graham initially turned her passion for women’s health into a 16-year career as a birth doula, providing emotional and physical support to pregnant and postpartum women and their families. She also spent time supporting her mother and family with community organizations such as United Way and her Arizona Children’s Association.
In 2008, Graham became a board-certified lactation consultant to help women breastfeed their babies. This remains a great passion and focus of her work at MCHC.
Soon after her daughter graduated high school and left home, Ms. Graham returned to the University of San Francisco, where she earned her master’s degree in nursing in 2018 and is certified as a certified midwife and public health nurse. While completing her residency, she trained at several Bay Area hospitals, after which she worked at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and El Rio Community Health Center in Tucson, Arizona. She joined MCHC last year.
Graham also received a Master of Public Health degree in maternal and child health from the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health in 2015. During her time at school, she learned about the large health disparities among people of color in the United States. Many marginalized groups do not receive the care they need and deserve.
“There’s a shortage of healthcare providers that look like those who need it most,” Graham said. “As a black woman, on behalf of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community, it is important to me that they understand that there are people who support and care about them. Species friendliness has been shown to increase positive outcomes.”
After moving to Mendocino County, Graham continued to work with BIPOC midwives in San Francisco, mentoring new midwives of color as part of a larger effort to improve health outcomes in marginalized communities. ing.
In her first year at MCHC, Graham formally established the Care for Her breastfeeding program, giving new moms the chance to meet with her or another midwife for a breastfeeding consultation. Graham is also a member of the Mendocino County Breastfeeding Coalition, where she is an Adventist for She Health, She Ukiah, and helps her Valley work on breastfeeding policies that meet state requirements.
Colleague and fellow CNM member Debery Montano said, “Amita is the most experienced breastfeeding consultant in the clinic and hospital. She is a great resource for the community and we are lucky to have her.”
Personally, Graham enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time outdoors, especially cruising the San Francisco Bay on his 25-foot yacht. She loves gardening and makes teas, salves and ointments from the plants she grows and collects. Graham and her husband have one daughter, who lives in Arizona.
In addition to two master’s degrees, Graham received a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Sciences from the University of Arizona’s Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health in 2004.
Graham said helping women through the big milestones of pregnancy and childbirth is a rewarding feeling that never gets old.
“There are many things I love about my job, especially sharing with people the most intimate moments of their lives,” Graham said. “It’s an honor to be there for people when they’re hurting, open, and needing it most.”
