J.E.D.I. Champion of the Month: Marie Meakin
The J.E.D.I. office would like to recognize Marie Meakin for her contribution to LifeBridge Health’s justice, equity, diversity and inclusion efforts. Marie has been in the medical field for over 30 years. She has 30+ years of nursing experience and 11 years as a CNM. She specializes in prenatal care, perinatal mood disorders, birth control and LGBTQ+ care.
She is serving on the newly formed J.E.D.I. Council at Sinai and has been working in the OB/GYN department to cohort prenatal care in the form of focus groups and group learning to support mothers in the community surrounding Sinai Hospital. She is actively working to advance health equity with the work she's doing.
Q1. How long have you been with LifeBridge Health and what is your current role?
A. I have been with LifeBridge Health since early October 2024. I am currently the director of the CenteringPregnancy Program at Sinai as well as a provider for the OB/GYN department.
Q2. You bring so much passion into the work you do — what motivates you?
A. Supporting and empowering women to take charge and guide their own health care has been a driving force in my career. I have seen what some in the medical field have done to marginalized, underserved women. I do what I can to support them to find their voice, have bodily autonomy, reproductive freedom and access to high quality health care.
CenteringPregnancy is a model of group prenatal care that has well documented benefits to both mothers and providers, and I am excited to bring this back to the Sinai Hospital community. Our goals at Sinai are to reduce racial disparities, preterm birth and postpartum depression, as well as increase birth weights of babies, breastfeeding rates, patient satisfaction and provider satisfaction.
Seeing women come into their own power and autonomy inspires me every day. Making connections and relationships with patients and family over the course of their prenatal care and beyond is what keeps me motivated. I have patients that I am in contact with, and continue to come see me, years after their pregnancies. Patients can see me before, during and after pregnancy through menopause and beyond.
I have always been about making connections and relationships. That is the foundation and overarching theme of my career since I graduated nursing school in 1989.
Q3. Since starting at LifeBridge Health, what have you found most rewarding?
A. I have found the people here at LifeBridge Health so friendly and supportive. I could not ask for a better team and level of support for the CenteringPregnancy Program. I am amazed every day at the enthusiasm and support for our program.