*NEW RELEASE* AIM for Safer Birth Podcast episode with Congresswoman Lauren Underwood and HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. CLICK HERE to listen now!

AIM Clinical Champions

Multidisciplinary clinical engagement and support is integral to the success of AIM. AIM’s Clinical Champions are a team of engaged, AIM trained, multidisciplinary, expert care providers equipped with the knowledge and training required to amplify AIM’s work and support clinician interest and learning in AIM.

Health Professionals
AIM-OB-Hemorrhage
AIM-Severe-Hypertension-Pregnancy

Tamika Auguste

MD, FACOG

Tamika C. Auguste, MD is a board-certified OB/GYN that has multiple publications on patient safety, simulation, and medical education. She has been in practice for 18 years. Dr. Auguste is the current Chairwoman of Women’s and Infants’ Services at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Professor of OB/GYN at Georgetown School of Medicine.
Read More
Dr. Auguste is also the a Past Chair of the DC Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and former ACOG Board member as the Fellow at Large. She is actively involved with patient and staff safety issues and uses simulation for team training across all perinatal units in MedStar Health.

Dr. Auguste has been involved with AIM through webinars and assisting with developing content for the program. Now as a clinical lead, she is excited to be able to support AIM across a larger platform. Her own department has been an early adopter of AIM bundles. Dr. Auguste’s passion is in legislation and policy in women’s health care both locally and nationally and on equity in healthcare delivery.

Julie Blumenfeld

DNP, CNM, IBCLC, FACNM

Julie Blumenfeld, DNP, CNM (she/hers) is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and Fellow of the American College of Nurse Midwives. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor & Program Director of the Nurse Midwifery and Dual Women’s Health/Nurse Midwifery Programs at Rutgers School of Nursing. She began her work in healthcare as a Peace Corps Volunteer and has spent the past 20 years providing midwifery care at Capital Health in Trenton, NJ. Dr. Blumenfield is also dedicated to serving the community in Trenton. Since 2001, she has worked in a variety of roles in the city serving at-risk infants, children, youth, and families. Most recently, she serves as the clinical consultant to a new Spanish-language community doula program.
Read More
Dr. Blumenfeld is a passionate advocate for creating lasting change through health policy. She is the Chair of the NJ Maternal Care Quality Collaborative, serves on the NJ Maternal Mortality Review Committee, and the NJ Board of Medical Examiners Midwifery Liaison Committee and is Chair of its Health Equity Sub-Committee. Additionally, she was a member of the New Jersey DMAHS/DOH Doula Stakeholder Committee (2019-2021). Dr. Blumenfeld is active in the American College of Nurse Midwives at both the local and national levels. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the College’s State Government Affairs Committee and President of the New Jersey Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives.

Dr. Blumenfeld is committed to quality improvement in the clinical setting as demonstrated by her new position as an AIM Clinical Champion. She was inspired to take on this new role by both her work collaborating with AIM and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to develop change packages for their hemorrhage and hypertension bundles, and actively implementing AIM bundles in the hospital to address severe hypertension in pregnancy, obstetric hemorrhage, and the safe reduction of primary cesarean birth. She is looking forward to the opportunity to use her own experiences with AIM to inspire midwives to participate in their state AIM related projects and encourage them to incorporate the evidence-based patient safety bundles into their workplace.

Health Professionals
AIM-OB-Hemorrhage
AIM-Severe-Hypertension-Pregnancy
AIM-Safe-Reduction-Primary-Cesarean-Birth
Health Professionals
AIM-OB-Hemorrhage
AIM-Severe-Hypertension-Pregnancy
AIM-Safe-Reduction-Primary-Cesarean-Birth

Julie Blumenfeld

DNP, CNM, IBCLC, FACNM

Julie Blumenfeld, DNP, CNM (she/hers) is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and Fellow of the American College of Nurse Midwives. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor & Program Director of the Nurse Midwifery and Dual Women’s Health/Nurse Midwifery Programs at Rutgers School of Nursing. She began her work in healthcare as a Peace Corps Volunteer and has spent the past 20 years providing midwifery care at Capital Health in Trenton, NJ. Dr. Blumenfield is also dedicated to serving the community in Trenton. Since 2001, she has worked in a variety of roles in the city serving at-risk infants, children, youth, and families. Most recently, she serves as the clinical consultant to a new Spanish-language community doula program.
Read More
Dr. Blumenfeld is a passionate advocate for creating lasting change through health policy. She is the Chair of the NJ Maternal Care Quality Collaborative, serves on the NJ Maternal Mortality Review Committee, and the NJ Board of Medical Examiners Midwifery Liaison Committee and is Chair of its Health Equity Sub-Committee. Additionally, she was a member of the New Jersey DMAHS/DOH Doula Stakeholder Committee (2019-2021). Dr. Blumenfeld is active in the American College of Nurse Midwives at both the local and national levels. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the College’s State Government Affairs Committee and President of the New Jersey Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives.

Dr. Blumenfeld is committed to quality improvement in the clinical setting as demonstrated by her new position as an AIM Clinical Champion. She was inspired to take on this new role by both her work collaborating with AIM and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to develop change packages for their hemorrhage and hypertension bundles, and actively implementing AIM bundles in the hospital to address severe hypertension in pregnancy, obstetric hemorrhage, and the safe reduction of primary cesarean birth. She is looking forward to the opportunity to use her own experiences with AIM to inspire midwives to participate in their state AIM related projects and encourage them to incorporate the evidence-based patient safety bundles into their workplace.

Health Professionals
AIM-OB-Hemorrhage
AIM-Severe-Hypertension-Pregnancy
AIM-Safe-Reduction-Primary-Cesarean-Birth
AIM-CPPPSUD

Veronica Gillispie-Bell

MD, MAS, FACOG

Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell is a Board-Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist and Associate Professor for Ochsner Health in New Orleans, Louisiana. She earned her medical degree from Meharry Medical College and completed her residency training at Ochsner Health System. She has a Master of Applied Science in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Additionally, she has received certification in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.
Read More
Dr. Gillispie-Bell serves as the Senior Site Lead and Section Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ochsner Kenner. Additionally, she serves as the Medical Director of Quality for Women’s Services for the Ochsner Health System and is the Medical Director of the Minimally Invasive Center for the Treatment of Uterine Fibroids.

Clinically, in addition to providing obstetric care, Dr. Gillispie-Bell performs advanced laparoscopic and robotic assisted laparoscopic procedures and is known nationally for her expertise in management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with fibroids.

Dr. Gillispie-Bell is also the Medical Director of the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative and Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review for the Louisiana Department of Health. In this role, she leads initiatives in the state of Louisiana to improve birth outcomes for all birthing persons in Louisiana and eliminate the Black-white disparity gap.

In addition, Dr. Gillispie-Bell serves in several leadership roles promoting efforts to achieve health equity while also serving in several local and national leadership roles. She has received many accolades for her clinical, academic, and community services contributions.

In her quality roles both in her own health systems and throughout birthing facilities in Louisiana, she has led the implementation of AIM Patient Safety Bundles. She believes using improvement science founded in a good implementation team and measurement is the key to success.

Elena Jenkins

RN, BSN

Elena Jenkins, RN, BSN is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Nursing with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She has been caring for birthing people for over 16 years as a Labor and Delivery nurse, Maternal Transport nurse, Charge nurse, and has served as a preceptor and mentor to many.
Read More
Elena is currently the Nurse Manager of a high-risk Labor and Delivery Unit in an Urban Hospital serving a majority non-white population in the St. Louis region of Missouri. She is a member of the 2022-23 AWHONN Emerging Leaders Cohort, and the Team Lead for the Birth Equity Initiative at her institution, striving to implement strategies to address implicit bias, maternal health disparities, and promote conditions of optimal births for all people while specifically addressing racial and social inequities.

Elena has been integrally involved in the implementation of several the AIM Patient Safety Bundles with multidisciplinary team members at the hospital level. She specifically focuses on the implementation of the Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy and Obstetric Hemorrhage Bundles.

Health Professionals
AIM-OB-Hemorrhage
AIM-Severe-Hypertension-Pregnancy
Health Professionals
AIM-OB-Hemorrhage
AIM-Severe-Hypertension-Pregnancy

Elena Jenkins

RN, BSN

Elena Jenkins, RN, BSN is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Nursing with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She has been caring for birthing people for over 16 years as a Labor and Delivery nurse, Maternal Transport nurse, Charge nurse, and has served as a preceptor and mentor to many.
Read More
Elena is currently the Nurse Manager of a high-risk Labor and Delivery Unit in an Urban Hospital serving a majority non-white population in the St. Louis region of Missouri. She is a member of the 2022-23 AWHONN Emerging Leaders Cohort, and the Team Lead for the Birth Equity Initiative at her institution, striving to implement strategies to address implicit bias, maternal health disparities, and promote conditions of optimal births for all people while specifically addressing racial and social inequities.

Elena has been integrally involved in the implementation of several the AIM Patient Safety Bundles with multidisciplinary team members at the hospital level. She specifically focuses on the implementation of the Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy and Obstetric Hemorrhage Bundles.

Health Professionals
AIM-OB-Hemorrhage
AIM-Severe-Hypertension-Pregnancy

Tersh McCracken

MD, FACOG

C.H. “Tersh” McCracken, III, MD, FACOG has practiced Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Billings Clinic in Billings, Montana since 1992. After serving as a math and science teacher in the Peace Corps, he received his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine and completed his residency training at the University of Cincinnati.
Read More

At the Billings Clinic, Dr. McCracken served on the Board of Directors for ten years and has served on the Leadership Council. He has been the Billings Clinic Chair of the Department Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Family Birth Center director. Dr. McCracken is currently the Medical Director of the Montana Obstetrics and Maternity Support grant and chairs the Montana Maternal Health Leadership Council.

Dr. McCracken has served ACOG in several roles including the Chair of ACOG District VIII. He has served as a Board Examiner for ABOG and has an appointment as Clinical Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. McCracken actively implements the AIM patient safety bundles specifically the severe hypertension in pregnancy and obstetric hemorrhage bundles. Dr. McCracken believes in the importance of collaborating with AIM because it enables the delivery of safe high-quality care to our mothers and their new families.

Tiffany Messerall

DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB

Tiffany Messerall is the Evidence-Based Practice Lead for OhioHealth where she is responsible for system and organizational leadership of evidence-based initiatives. Dr. Messerall holds a Bachelor of Science in zoology and a Master of Science in neuroendocrinology from Miami University. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing, a Master of Science in nursing with a specialty in women’s health, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice in women’s health from the University of South Alabama. As a board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner, Tiffany’s work includes a focus on the advancement of maternal health.
Read More
Tiffany’s experience with AIM is multifaceted. Dr. Messerall has served as the organizational lead for implementation of the AIM Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy patient safety bundle at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, a tertiary center with 6,200 annual births and 90+ OB/GYN providers. She also has experience with state-level AIM patient safety bundle engagement through a partnership with the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center and the Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative. In addition, Tiffany has been actively involved with the AIM National Team as a content expert on the development of the AIM Sepsis in Obstetrical Care Patient Safety Bundle.
Health Professionals
AIM-OB-Hemorrhage
AIM-Severe-Hypertension-Pregnancy
AIM-SOC
Health Professionals
AIM-OB-Hemorrhage
AIM-Severe-Hypertension-Pregnancy
AIM-SOC

Tiffany Messerall

DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB

Tiffany Messerall is the Evidence-Based Practice Lead for OhioHealth where she is responsible for system and organizational leadership of evidence-based initiatives. Dr. Messerall holds a Bachelor of Science in zoology and a Master of Science in neuroendocrinology from Miami University. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing, a Master of Science in nursing with a specialty in women’s health, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice in women’s health from the University of South Alabama. As a board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner, Tiffany’s work includes a focus on the advancement of maternal health.
Read More
Tiffany’s experience with AIM is multifaceted. Dr. Messerall has served as the organizational lead for implementation of the AIM Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy patient safety bundle at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, a tertiary center with 6,200 annual births and 90+ OB/GYN providers. She also has experience with state-level AIM patient safety bundle engagement through a partnership with the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center and the Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative. In addition, Tiffany has been actively involved with the AIM National Team as a content expert on the development of the AIM Sepsis in Obstetrical Care Patient Safety Bundle.
Health Professionals
AIM-Severe-Hypertension-Pregnancy

Jamie Morgan

MD

Jamie Morgan M.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Morgan earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She completed both an obstetrics & gynecology residency – serving as Administrative Chief Resident – and a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical School. She has published over 20 scholarly articles with a research focus on maternal disease states in pregnancy.
Read More
As a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Dr. Morgan monitors and cares for women with high-risk pregnancies complicated by maternal medical disease, major obstetrical complications, or significant fetal abnormalities.

She currently serves as the Director of OBGYN Simulation and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. She has been named as a Texas Monthly Super Doctor Rising Star every year since 2019.

Dr. Morgan has become increasingly involved in quality improvement work and related research efforts on the local, state and national level. Locally, Dr. Morgan directs maternal safety efforts related to postpartum hemorrhage and preeclampsia and is an active member of her obstetric service line’s Quality Assurance Practice Improvement committee. At the state level, she currently serves as the Deputy Medical Director for the Severe Hypertension safety bundle at the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). In this role, she helps lead statewide implementation of safety standards related to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy at all Texas maternity hospitals.

Dr. Morgan is also a committed member of the national Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) Patient Safety and Quality Committee, which aims to address, track and improve maternal health and safety efforts through the development of quality metrics and clinical checklists.