Champion for Mothers and Families
Summer 2026
Over more than two decades, Julie Blumenfeld, DNP, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, has emerged as a national force in midwifery—championing expanded access to midwifery care, reshaping education, strengthening the workforce, and advancing efforts to improve maternal and infant health outcomes while reducing
health disparities.
Blumenfeld, a clinical associate professor and the director of the nurse-midwifery program at Rutgers School of Nursing, is a fellow of both the American College of Nurse-Midwives and the American Academy of Nursing.
Her multiple distinctions also include the Dorothea M. Lang Pioneer Award for 2026. As the American College of Nurse-Midwives Foundation’s highest honor, the Lang award recognizes “visionary leadership in advancing midwifery worldwide.”
At Rutgers, Blumenfeld prepares the next generation of midwives, strengthening the workforce pipeline. Under her leadership, the midwifery program—ranked No. 5 nationally by U.S. News & World Report—offers master’s and doctor of nursing practice degrees, along with a post-master’s certificate. Through the Pathway to Midwifery, students can seamlessly progress from a second-degree bachelor’s in nursing to a master’s in midwifery.
“Educating future midwives is an incredible opportunity to maximize access to a unique model of care,” Blumenfeld says. “The midwifery model is foundationally patient-centered, relationship-based care. In the birth setting, we avoid intervention unless needed for the wellbeing of the pregnant person and their fetus.”
Blumenfeld’s state-level leadership includes founding the New Jersey Midwifery Education Project, launched in 2019 with state funding backed by then-Governor Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health.
“We know that states with more midwives have improved maternal health outcomes,” Blumenfeld says. “State funding for midwifery education is an innovative strategy to dismantle inequities affecting many women and their families. I am incredibly proud to be spearheading this impactful work.”
The Midwifery Education Project has supported professional development and compensation for midwife preceptors, a state-of-the-art midwifery simulation center at Rutgers School of Nursing, and research on midwifery education, as well as providing more than $1 million in scholarships to midwifery students.
A midwife for more than 25 years, Blumenfeld continues to practice at Capital Health in central New Jersey, where she provides care from pregnancy through childbirth and the postpartum period. She earned her doctor of nursing practice degree from Rutgers School of Nursing and is a proud alumna.
Blumenfeld’s interest in midwifery began in Central and South America, where she worked on community-based projects during and after college. The experience exposed her to the power of accessible, relationship-centered care and instilled a global perspective that continues to influence her work.
“I met nurses and midwives who were doing amazing work, and I was really inspired,” she says. “I came home and went to nursing school with the intention of becoming a midwife.”
As immediate past president and legislative chair of the New Jersey Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), Blumenfeld encourages and empowers peers to help shape policy. That commitment was reflected in her presentation, “Midwifery Is Political: How Midwives Can and Should Engage,” at the 2026 ACNM Health Policy Summit in Washington, D.C.
“I would love to see a public messaging campaign about midwifery and the great work we do,” Blumenfeld says. “Inequities in maternal health continue in New Jersey and across the nation. While there is no one single solution, increased access to midwifery care is one way to move the needle and improve those outcomes.”
Grateful for the opportunity to make a difference—and for the esteem of her patients, students, and colleagues—Blumenfeld continues her collaborative work to improve maternal and reproductive health outcomes. As a champion for mothers and families, she remains focused on the work ahead.