Lisa Summers ‘83

90 Outstanding Yale Nurses Recipient

Class of 1983

After graduating from YSN’s midwifery program, Lisa Summers, CNM, DrPH, practiced clinically for 13 years in large midwifery services and in private practice, and served on faculty at Baylor University and Columbia University. She was particularly drawn to “training our future consultants,” and held medical school faculty positions at Baylor, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and Johns Hopkins University.

Always intrigued by the intersection of practice and policy, Lisa jumped at a part-time opportunity to join the staff of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) in 1997 and left 11 years later as the director of professional services. In 2009, Lisa joined the American Nurses Association (ANA) Department of Nursing Practice and Policy. Lisa, along with her ANA team, worked to ensure that nurses–particularly APRNs and midwives–had a “seat at the table” as the Affordable Care Act was debated, passed, challenged, and implemented.

In November 2012, Lisa became the first director of policy and advocacy at the Centering Healthcare Institute, where she works today. She has been privileged to serve on the board of the YSN Alumni Association.

View bios on all of the other YSN 90 Nurses.