The Midwife
Kimberly is a Certified Nurse Midwife and Board Certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner who is passionate about providing high quality care, ameliorating maternal health racial inequities, combating maternal mortality and promoting the normalcy of pregnancy.
Kimberly has over 15 years of experience in women's health and has been involved in serving her community, providing education and healthcare services domestically and globally.
Her career trajectory shows that her commitment to underserved communities began as a student nurse partnering with non-profit organizations and churches to provide free health screenings and education. Kimberly has worked in Federally Funded Health Clinics in New Jersey and California, served as a front line healthcare provider during the COVID-19 pandemic through her work at a Walk-IN Clinic and Urgent Care center.
Kimberly envisions a world with a safe haven for the maternity experience of all women. Her goal is to ensure reproductive justice for women and protect the reproductive rights of families globally.
Kimberly obtained a Bachelor’s in Nursing from William Paterson University, and a dual Masters in Science of Nursing as Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and Certified Nurse Midwife from Rutgers University. She then obtained a masters certificate as teacher of health education and school nurse from Felician University. Finally, she completed two years of study at Rutgers University’s PhD in Urban Systems before she relocated to Los Angeles, California, and transferred to Pepperdine University’s PhD program in Global Leadership and Change, where she completed her dissertation on the experiences of Black mothers with high quality maternal care from race concordant homebirth midwives.
Kimberly is an involved member of the American College of Nurse Midwives, California Nurse Midwives Association and the California Coalition of Reproductive Justice.
"When I think of the historic cruelty in maternity wards and the fatality that pregnancy and childbirth represents for women, disproportionately more for Black and Brown women, I am emboldened to continue to fight against the injustices of our healthcare system and to protect maternal and newborn health by the word of God in Jeremiah 22:3:
'Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.'
I am called to protect and defend the maternity experience of women, and I do it with courage, love, intelligence, cultural competence and a global mindset. These principles are what my practice stands on."
-Kimberly Navarro, CNM, WHNP-BC, PhD.
Accomplishments
In this section I highlight some of my important accomplishments such as publications, speaking events, honors and awards.
July 2023
My published PhD dissertation highlights the experiences that Black Mothers had with race-concordant care from a midwife-led homebirth. Mothers described their experiences as High Quality, Personal, Accessible, Family Centered, Mother led, Peaceful/Spiritual, Holistic, Empowering and Encouraging, and Excellent.
December 2023
As an ambassador, I help spread the word about the Community-led Accountability and Transformation in Care experiences and Hospital culture (CATCH) Pilot.
A little about our first project in the CATCH Pilot, the PREM-OB ScaleTM:
Black mothers and parents who gave birth in a hospital setting on or after January 1, 2021 can take part in the first and only valid survey that shows how obstetric racism impacts them, their baby, and their support team of given and chosen kin, including their community birth workers.
We have expanded our eligibility to include all Black mothers and birthing people, age 18 and older, who gave birth in a hospital on or after January 1, 2021, in any of these 12 states: Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
Taking part in the PREM-OB ScaleTM project includes the following steps:
Fill out an online screening form and upload a photo ID
Schedule a time to complete a short, online, video verification call
Complete the PREM-OB Scale SuiteTM, an online survey estimated to take approximately 60 minutes
Receive a $50 e-gift card via email!
The survey uses quantitative data (numbers) to measure obstetric racism and qualitative data (narratives) to gather information about what Black people are experiencing while giving birth in hospital settings. The survey was designed by Dr. Karen A. Scott, the Black Feminist Physician Scientist, Founding CEO, and Owner of Birthing Cultural Rigor, LLC.
October 2023
The Mother Wit Conference is the womb-child of the powerful mother, daughter team, Jasmine Nicole Gibson and Shawnee Benton Gibson. The conference was birthed from the original, one act play/choreopoem that these two gifted ARTivists co-created in 2011, entitled "Mother Wit: Echoes From The Womb". Since the conference's inception, attendees from across the nation have been invited to collectively and co-creatively explore how women, birthing people, their partners, families and communities, navigate the mental, emotional and spiritual impact of infertility, pregnancy loss, pre-term labor, infant and maternal morbidity and mortality, postpartum depression/psychosis and other forms of reproductive trauma.
The conference promotes the free exchange of stories and ideas through educational workshops, performance art and presentations by the most brilliant academics, healers, and practitioners in the reproductive, psychological, and holistic health fields.
February 2021
Melanated Midwives mission is to diversify the midwifery profession and empower Black birth parents with resources and tools to successfully navigate their prenatal and postpartum care.
Melanated Midwives is actively engaged in addressing the maternity health care desert and Black Maternal mortality and morbidity rates on the Southside of Chicago by bringing together Black mothers, pregnant people, politicians, public health workers and community activists.
January 2021
Midwife Mentor supporting aspiring midwives on their individual journey to an education in midwifery through shadowing, mentorship and community building.
April 2021
This project is a great example of how I keep research and quality of care at the forefront of my practice and passion. I was honored to be a selected presenter at the California Association of Nurse Practitioner's 43rd Annual Conference on my Global Study on the Patient Perspective of the Quality of Care of Walk-in Clinics.
March 2021
In this project, I served as the California Nurse Midwife Association (CNMA) liaison for the California Coalition of Reproductive Freedom (CCRF) and presenting during the Reproductive Freedom Week Kickoff Event on March 25, 2021 on: Reproductive Justice and Racial Injustice.
December 2020
This project is a great example of how I use my leadership to advocate for maternal health and promote initiatives to ameliorate maternal health racial disparities. I conducted a thorough historical analysis of childbirth practices in the U.S to provide understanding of the origins of racial disparities built in systemic racism.
September 2020
Since 1999, MMI Board members have served as an advisory and fundraising board to ACAM (Association of Midwives of the Mam Speaking Area). We have been working with this group of 40 Maya midwives from the beginning of their organization which was formed to address issues specific to indigenous midwives and the communities they served
July 2018
Our mission is to provide health services and practical solutions to each woman facing an unplanned pregnancy, in order to allow her to make a rational decision without the undue pressure of her other circumstances. Our emphasis is on helping each woman overcome the fears surrounding her particular challenges so she can move forward equipped with information and confidence.
July 2015
The Heart of a Young Woman is a book of poetry about life, love, relationships, travel, heartbreak, family, God and everything in between. This book of poetry is a collection of poems passionately written and inspired by real life experiences of a young woman that anyone of any age, gender, and walk of life can relate to.
August 2012
Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Education
The journey to my calling
Pepperdine University: PhD in Global Leadership and Change completed July 2023
Rutgers University: PhD in Urban Systems Sept 2013-May 2016
Felician College: Teacher of Health & Certified School Nurse: May 2012
Rutgers University: Dual Masters of Science in Nursing as: Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner & Certified Nurse Midwife: Completed May 2011
William Paterson University: Bachelors of Science in Nursing: Completed May 2008
