Director, Midwifery Track/ Practice Assistant Professor

Abby Howe-Heyman is a passionate nurse educator, researcher, and midwife. She has been working with pregnant and birthing people and their families for over twenty years and as a nursing educator for over decade. She is energized by working with students as they acquire the knowledge and skills to care for families throughout the lifespan, particularly during the life-changing childbearing period. In her research, Dr. Howe-Heyman has sought to explore barriers to implementing evidence-based practice in the perinatal setting

The Penn Midwifery program prepares students to manage the care of well patients from menarche through menopause with an emphasis on safety, advocacy, and social justice for birthing people and families.

 

In midwifery, we know that learning happens in so many settings- in the hospital, birth center, home, and clinic; in the community; online; in the library; in the lab; and, of course, in the classroom. A good teacher helps students thread all of those experiences together by identifying and referencing the most important themes in a course, engaging students in conversation, and pushing them to consider differing opinions and ideas.

Education

  • PhD, Vanderbilt University, 2017
  • MS, SUNY Downstate Health Science Center, 2000
  • BS, Columbia University School of Nursing, 1998
  • BA, Smith College, 1991