My name is Whitney Abbott, and I am a dedicated advocate for women's health. With a strong passion for travel and adventure, I continually seek opportunities to expand my experiences. After graduating as a Registered Nurse in 2007, I chose to focus my career on women's health care. My nursing experience in Taiwan ignited my interest in global health, leading me to return to the United States with the goal of becoming a midwife and reducing neonatal and maternal mortality rates.

In 2012, I graduated from the University of Kansas Medical Center as a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) and an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Subsequently, I founded a free-standing birth center in one of Kansas' most underserved counties, collaborating with a local non-profit organization to provide healthcare to women facing significant barriers to maternity care, often at little or no cost.

As an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), I am committed to enhancing breastfeeding rates and support. Most recently, I led the midwifery program at a field hospital in the Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, where I implemented a comprehensive program designed to improve maternal care across 20 critical measures.

I earned my Master’s degree in Global Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in May 2021. I served as a Certified Nurse Midwife for the Chickasaw Nation in Ada, Oklahoma, where I continued to promote and advance women's health initiatives.

I now work as the Midwifery Program Manager, for Community Clinic, aiming at reducing maternal mortality rates through midwifery program development, thereby reducing healthcare deserts. Arkansas currently has the highest maternal mortality rate of any state in the United States.