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Meet our Presenters
Jennifer Almanza, DNP, APRN, CNM Dr. Jennifer Almanza (she/her) is a nurse-midwife and reproductive health leader whose journey began at 19 while supporting a friend’s birth. Since then, she’s blended clinical expertise in Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, and NICU care with community-rooted advocacy. A Bush Fellow and Doctor of Nursing Practice in Midwifery, Jennifer has helped advance research on birth equity at the University of Minnesota. She co-chairs the Minnesota Maternal Mortality Review Committee, serves on multiple statewide perinatal committees, and is a founding member of the Indigenous and Midwives of Color Committee. As Advanced Practice Nurse Specialist at HealthPartners and Park Nicollet, she champions respectful, evidence-based care — and still catches babies at Regions Hospital.
Kerry P. Appleton, MAN, RN, NBC-HWC
Kerry believes in the power that a menu of choices can provide to individuals during critical life moments. She currently works across one health system with individuals and teams, building-out an evidence-based menu of options and coaching team members to transition self-care from a special event to many small pauses throughout the day. Kerry considers her patient care population to now be healthcare workers, and her current assignment includes 6,700 Team Members!
Nicole Beckmann PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC Nicole Beckmann is a pediatric nurse practitioner, nurse scientist, and nationally recognized leader in advanced practice education and clinician wellbeing. She serves as the Director of Advanced Practice Research & Education at Children’s Minnesota and Director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program at St. Catherine University, where she leads initiatives that strengthen clinical readiness, resilience, and evidence-based practice across the pediatric workforce. With a career spanning frontline patient care, academic leadership, and interdisciplinary research, Dr. Beckmann’s work centers on how clinicians navigate trauma, moral distress, and the “second victim” experience while still sustaining compassion, purpose, and presence for the patients and families who depend on them. Her scholarship includes projects focused on post-pandemic wellbeing among pediatric advanced practice providers, post-traumatic growth, legacy-building interventions for families in crisis, and innovative educational models that develop reflective, resilient clinicians.
Emily Bourgeois, MSN, RNC-NIC, NPD-BC Emily started her nursing career as a new graduate nurse on a NICU, PICU, & Pediatric float pool and quickly learned that NICU was her passion. Prior to her current educator role, Emily worked as a NICU travel nurse, charge nurse, preceptor, interim educator, and peer mentor. She graduated with her Masters' of Science in Nursing Education in 2018 from Capella University and has worked as a NICU Clinical Educator in the acute care hospital setting since that time, serving in various roles supporting multiple NICU locations within the M Health Fairview organization. With a deep passion for supporting the NICU population and the nurses that care for them, in her time as a NICU educator, she facilitated the standardization of NICU orientation across 5 hospital locations, was the lead educator supporting the roll-out of Tele-NICU across 9 hospitals (both rural and metro locations), is a Lead STABLE Instructor & NRP instructor, and supports both initial and ongoing nursing education for the NICU nurses across the organization. Committed to professional development and evidence-based care for our tiniest patient population, Emily is an advocate for nursing professional advancement through education.
Jill Branovsky, BSN, MA, RNC-MNN, IBCLC Jill serves as the AWHONN Minnesota Section Secretary/ Treasurer. She is the Patient Care Manager at Mercy Hospital, overseeing the Mother Baby Center’s Postpartum and Lactation departments. Jill earned her BSN from Winona State University in 1992 and a Master of Arts in Nursing Leadership in 2013. She holds certifications in Maternal Newborn Nursing and is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
Rhianna Britton, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM Rhianna Britton is a Professional Development Specialist at M Health Fairview. She provides support to the Birthplace units within the Women’s and Children’s Service Line at all 9 delivering hospitals within the M Health Fairview system. Rhianna earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota College of Nursing and her Master’s degree in Nursing Education from Walden University. She is certified in Inpatient Obstetrics and Fetal Monitoring. Her 17 year career has been entirely in caring for laboring patients and their babies and she holds a strong passion for caring for families experiencing a fetal loss, training nurses in the physiology of fetal monitoring, and providing content around disease processes that effect our patient population.
Martina Burn, MD Dr. Martina Burn is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. She completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency and Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship at the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Burn’s clinical and research work is dedicated to reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, with a particular emphasis on improving outcomes for high-risk pregnant patients and supporting long-term health beyond pregnancy. She serves on both the Minnesota Department of Health’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee and its Fetal and Infant Mortality Review HIV Team. Her research portfolio includes numerous publications focused on leveraging pregnancy as a critical window to advance patient health and antibiotic stewardship, specifically through the safe evaluation and de-labeling of penicillin allergies.
Sarah Coleman, MPH Sarah Coleman joined Healthy Birth Day, Inc. as State Expansion Director in March 2023. She holds degrees from Illinois State University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where she earned her Master of Public Health. During her MPH, she collaborated with the Iowa Maternal Quality Care Collaborative on the AIM Patient Safety Bundle and authored a Grief Support Toolkit now implemented in hospitals nationwide. With more than 20 years in Maternal Child Health, Sarah has worked as a doula, childbirth educator, La Leche League Leader, program manager, and nursing educator. She also served as a classroom teacher, charter school principal, and K–12 administrator in Denver. In her role with Healthy Birth Day, Inc., she supports state partners and expands the Count the Kicks program across the U.S. A dedicated advocate for health equity and lifelong learning, Sarah is passionate about building relationships and advancing evidence-based initiatives.
Lori Dorn, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, CNML Lori Dorn is an RN with over 30 years of experience caring for women their families. She worked as a staff nurse and charge nurse in high-risk labor and delivery units for over 19 years. For the last 10+ years she has worked as a leader in Labor & Delivery in roles as a Patient Care Supervisor, Assistant Nurse Manager and Nurse Manager at various facilities. Lori has maintained certifications as an Inpatient OB RN, Electronic Fetal Monitoring and as a Certified Nurse Manager and Leader. Lori has been an active member of Minnesota AWHONN for over 20 years with past roles as MN Section Chair, Twin Cities Chapter Coordinator, and a member of the Education Committee. Currently, Lori is the manager of Labor & Delivery at North Memorial – Maple Grove Hospital.
Beth Elfstrand, MD Elizabeth Elfstrand is a recently retired general OB/GYN who worked at Haugen OB/GYN for over 31 years. During her career, she was actively involved at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. She participated in peer review for over 25 years, was department chair for four years, and was the OB Medical Director for 10 years. She worked on patient projects for many years and chaired the Allina Pregnancy Care Council which oversaw the quality initiatives at all the Allina birthing centers. She was also involved with the founding of the Minnesota Perinatal Quality Collaborative. Beth was an active member of Minnesota Mortality Review Committee for over 10 years. She is involved in her local ACOG section and was the chair of MN ACOG in 2018. She currently serves as a Minnesota Medical Association Trustee and is involved in advocacy at both the state and national level.
Cresta Jones, MD Dr. Jones is an associate professor in maternal fetal medicine at the University of Minnesota and is also board certified in addiction medicine. She serves as the co-chair of the Minnesota Maternal Mortality Review Committee and her research and clinical care focus on substance use in pregnancy.
Miranda Klassen Miranda Klassen is the Executive Director of the Amniotic Fluid Embolism Foundation, a non-profit organization she founded in 2008 after surviving an AFE during the birth of her son. Miranda is a co-investigator for the Amniotic Fluid Embolism Registry and Biorepository and has authored several publications on AFE and support after a severe maternal event. She is a frequent lecturer and serves on multiple boards and maternal health initiatives. She lives in San Diego with her husband Bryce a critical care nurse and their son, Van.
Kathryn Mercado, DNP, APRN, NNP-BC Dr. Kathryn Mercado is an Assistant Professor and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) Program Coordinator at St. Catherine University. She began her career in neonatal nursing in 2007 and has practiced as a board-certified NNP since 2012. Dr. Mercado’s clinical experience spans the full continuum of neonatal care, including Level I nurseries, Level IV neonatal intensive care units, and outpatient neonatal developmental follow-up programs. She currently serves as a lead neonatal nurse practitioner at HealthPartners, where she remains actively engaged in advanced neonatal clinical practice. Dr. Mercado earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Connecticut, her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Kennesaw State University. Her professional interests include neonatal education, workforce development, quality improvement, and advancing evidence-based care for high-risk infants and families.
Cheniqua Morales, BSN, RNC-MNN, C-EFM, C-ONQS Cheniqua Morales is the Perinatal Patient Safety Nurse at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and Co-Chair of the NYC AWHONN Chapter. She also serves as Lead Faculty for Simulation and Clinical Training at the Partnership for Maternal & Child Health of Northern NJ and is an AWHONN EFM and OPS Instructor, as well as an OBLS Instructor. Known for making learning fun and engaging, Cheniqua leads interdisciplinary simulation trainings and transformative quality improvement initiatives while pursuing her Master's in Nursing Education with a focus on simulation.
Annie Sterle Annie is a maternal health advocate, speaker, and documentary filmmaker whose journey into advocacy began after surviving a rare and often fatal complication of childbirth known as Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE). Following her recovery, she created the award-winning documentary, 24 Days Without You, which captures the clinical complexity and emotional aftermath of her experience and serves as a powerful tool to improve outcomes for future patients. Annie's work has been featured in hospitals, academic institutions, and national conferences, where it continues to spark important conversations about crisis preparedness, provider communication, and trauma-informed care. Annie lives in Minneapolis with her family.
Nicole Stecker, MN, RN, IBCLC, LCCE Nicole Stecker has dedicated the past 16 years to birth work, passionately empowering birthing individuals through diverse birth experiences. She is committed to providing evidence-based information and advocating for patient-centered care. Nicole champions shared decision-making with all members of the healthcare team, fostering collaboration between patients and their providers. Throughout her career, Nicole has actively participated in various local workgroups and organizations, striving to improve birth outcomes. She currently serves as a Clinical Program Specialist at United Hospital in St Paul, while also maintaining her private practice as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
Kristin Waite-Labott BSN, RN, CARN, CPRC With over three decades of nursing experience, Kristin has firsthand knowledge of the difficulties faced by nurses. Having personally experienced the challenges of mental health and substance use, she found recovery in 2005. She has created a lifeline for nurses seeking support and understanding by founding WisPAN, Wisconsin Peer Alliance for Nurses, providing a safe space for nurses to find support, share experiences, and build resilience. She has published a book called “An Unlikely Addict”, about her story of recovery and a textbook called “Substance Use Disorder in Healthcare Professionals”. She is a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse, CARN, and a Certified Professional Recovery Coach, CPRC.
Alicia Weyrauch, RN Alicia has been an L&D nurse for eight years at The Mother Baby Center at Abbott Northwestern. She enjoys being a member of the Birth Equity Committee and Unit Based Council as well as co-leading the Preceptor Pilot Program. In her free time, she enjoys exploring in nature with her children, reading, gardening, and taking ballet.
Nanette Vogel, MS, RNC-OB, C-EFM, NPD-BC, FAWHONN Nanette graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, and from Bethel University with a Master of Science degree in Nursing Education. Her clinical experience includes level II newborn, antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum nursing as a staff nurse, nurse preceptor, and charge nurse. She has been working as a professional development specialist and fetal monitoring expert for over 25 years and currently works at M Health Fairview where she oversees orientation, professional development, and competency for over 700 nurses at 9 different hospitals. Nanette is adjunct faculty at several universities in the Minneapolis/St Paul area. She is an AWHONN Fellow and has been an AWHONN volunteer for over 25 years. She is currently the AWHONN MN Section Chair and a member of the 2025 AWHONN National Convention Planning Committee. Her greatest professional joy is developing nurses and nursing students.
Marika Vukomanovich, DNP, RNC-OB, C-ONQS Marika Vukomanovich is a Registered Nurse and a Nurse Educator with over 30 years of combined experience in labor and delivery, postpartum/newborn care, and prelicensure nursing education. She is an Assistant Professor at Metropolitan State University and a labor/delivery nurse at Lakeview Hospital. Marika has a strong commitment to advancing patient care, education, and professional development in the nursing field. She is actively involved in AWHONN MN Section as the Membership Coordinator and in Minnesota Perinatl Quality Collaborative (MNPQC), and has a deep dedication to improving outcomes for women and newborns. Marika is excited to contribute to the AWHONN MN state conference, fostering collaboration and sharing valuable insights regarding postpartum urinary retention with the nursing community. |
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