Our Team & Advisory Board

Christin Price, MD joined PNQIN in March 2022. She is an administrative physician leader with over 7 years of experience driving strategy and implementation of care management and community and public health programs focused on improvement healthcare quality, decreasing costs, and achieving health equity. She has extensive experience with accountable care organizations, substance use disorders, population health management, and community health initiatives. Christin earned her medical degree from Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She completed her internship and residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as an Infectious Disease fellowship.

Christin is a proud mother of sons Matthew (21) and Liam (18) and is their biggest fan when they are on the basketball court. In her spare time, Christin loves going for long walks, reading, cooking, wine tasting, and working out.

Kali Vitek Espinola, MPH, CCBE joined PNQIN in May 2020. She earned her degree from the Boston University School of Public Health with certificates in Maternal and Child Health and Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation. Kali has participated in several research opportunities related to pregnancy and childbirth and became a Certified Childbirth Educator in December 2023.

In her PNQIN role, Kali is primarily responsible for managing projects under the Massachusetts Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Initiative, which implements statewide patient safety bundles to reduce severe maternal morbidity and mortality. She is passionate about using education, public health frameworks, and quality improvement to help people grow their families safely, joyfully, and equitably.

Kali loves spending time with her family and friends outdoors, whether it be hiking in the woods or reading on the beach. When the weather keeps her inside, she is happy to spend the day watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy with her husband Joey and their two dogs, Aoife and Penny.

Molly Fraust-Wylie joined the PNQIN team in January 2024. She brings extensive experience as a NICU Family Advocate & NICU Parent to her role, demonstrating a deep commitment to health equity, family integrated care, maternal health and wellness, reproductive/fertility challenges, loss, and grief. Her approach revolves around healing through shared experiences, storytelling, and amplifying marginalized voices. Molly’s professional background also includes marketing and communication experience. In her PNQIN role, Molly will recruit, hire, and lead five community members with lived expertise for a PNQIN Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC).

Molly is the chief chaos officer of her home where she enjoys cooking and dancing in the kitchen with husband, Adam, and her two sons, Max (11) and Renzo (7), hiking and exploring in Vermont with her family, keeping tabs on new restaurants in the Boston area, hyping up her friends, traveling, and snuggling with her two dogs, Sprocket and Stevie Nicks. After going into premature labor at 26 weeks and landing on bedrest for six weeks, Molly delivered her first son at 32 weeks. A month and a half long NICU stay followed by 2 additional complicated and high-risk pregnancies and a loss led Molly to her ongoing work in advocacy, personally and professionally.

Cheryl Slater, MSN-ED, RN, NPD-BC, RNC-NIC brings a wealth of experience as a neonatal nurse with a strong commitment to neonatal education nationally and globally. With 22 years of experience as a nurse educator in NICUs at Boston Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital, Cheryl has been actively involved in numerous neonatal quality improvement projects. Her collaboration with organizations such as VON, COINN, and NRP/AAP, along with her leadership in improving neonatal health in Ethiopian NICUs, showcases her dedication to advancing neonatal care on a global scale.

As a passionate advocate for the care of opioid-exposed newborns, Cheryl’s involvement in projects like Eat, Sleep, and Console at Boston Medical Center reflects her commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by this vulnerable population. Currently pursuing a DNP PMHNP at Boston College, Cheryl’s academic pursuits align with her desire to contribute to equitable care for opioid-exposed neonates and pregnant individuals.

PNQIN Co-Chairs, along with the Administrative Director, play a key role in determining and overseeing implementation of PNQIN’s yearly priorities as well as shape the long-term vision of PNQIN’s growth and sustainment.

Mimi brings over 30 years of clinical, educational, and leadership experience as a highly skilled and focused nurse. She excels in managing and facilitating successful projects, demonstrating a keen focus on the macro level and outcome measurements. Mimi has served AWHONN on their Board of Directors and as President in 2013, and continues her involvement in state-level activities. Mimi has also completed a fellowship in Quality and Safety with the VA and continues to advocate for improvement in maternal and newborn health.

Mimi is currently a postpartum staff nurse and lactation consultant at Mass General and is leading the Baby Friendly re-designation at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her three grandchildren!

PNQIN Co-Chairs, along with the Administrative Director, play a key role in determining and overseeing implementation of PNQIN’s yearly priorities as well as shape the long-term vision of PNQIN’s growth and sustainment.

Kristie Leeman, MD is an accomplished neonatologist with over fifteen years of experience providing neonatal care. Currently serving as the Associate Medical Director of the Boston Children’s Hospital NICU and Director of Quality for the Division of Newborn Medicine at BCH, Kristie’s commitment to quality improvement and safety has been evident throughout her career. Her leadership in multidisciplinary teams, dedication to trainee education, and extensive experience in quality improvement projects make her an ideal candidate for the Neonatal Co-chair position.

PNQIN Co-Chairs, along with the Administrative Director, play a key role in determining and overseeing implementation of PNQIN’s yearly priorities as well as shape the long-term vision of PNQIN’s growth and sustainment.

Ronald Iverson, MD, MPH is a general OBGYN at the Boston Medical Center. He is the Vice Chair of Obstetrics and director of quality and safety for the department of OBGYN. He is an Associate Professor in the BU School of Medicine.

Dr. Iverson began to focus on QI as a provider leading hospital change then trained as an Improvement Advisor in 2015 at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement. He has been involved in hospital level QI in his department, implementing obstetric care bundles and participating in hospital wide projects and trainings. He has experience in the use of simulations to build and reinforce quality efforts. He also participated in the development of the AIM “Obstetric Care for Women with Opioid Use Disorder” care bundle measurement process.

PNQIN Co-Chairs, along with the Administrative Director, play a key role in determining and overseeing implementation of PNQIN’s yearly priorities as well as shape the long-term vision of PNQIN’s growth and sustainment.

Yeradmi (Jer-ad-me) Gomes has dedicated over 12 years to the healing arts, beginning her journey as a Reiki practitioner and expanding her expertise into Meditation, Yin and Restorative Yoga, and, most recently, Somatic Experiencing. Her deep love for children, paired with over 20 years of experience nurturing families, has made caregiving an integral part of who she is—rooted in her upbringing and years of hands-on care.

In 2017, Yeradmi felt a powerful call to birth work. After laboring for nearly 80 hours and giving birth during the height of the pandemic, she knew it was time to embrace this calling fully. Birth work seamlessly combines her healing arts practice with her vast experience supporting families.

Yeradmi brings warmth, intuition, and deep reverence to her work, honoring the unique needs of each family she serves. With utmost care and a wealth of experience, she creates space for healing, support, and connection during life’s most sacred and transformative moments.

Andrea Kelley, MSW/MPH, LICSW is a public health social worker who recently joined the PNQIN Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC). Professionally, she is a therapist working with adolescents and adults in an outpatient practice, with a particular focus on the LGBTQ+ population. Previous work has included integrated behavioral health in a pediatric setting, working with juveniles in the state’s public defender’s office, and researching hoarding disorder. Personally, Andrea is mom to two spirited kiddos. Her high-risk pregnancies, time spent with one child in the NICU, and experience with postpartum depression helped inspire her interest in the work of PNQIN. 

Jessica Paulino, is a Maternal Health Advocate, Birth doula, Death Doula, Grief worker, and Yoga Teacher, she is the Founder of The EMA Project and Golden Flor Wellness created to support your wellness needs and offer inclusive spaces for all birthing folks. She was raised between Boston and Santo Domingo, D.R., she is the proud daughter of immigrants and pays respects to her Taino lineage and Teachers.

Jessica created The EMA Project Inc., with big dreams and tons of love in memory of her sonshine, Edward Manuel Arnold (EMA). An organization that supports families impacted by grief, neonatal loss, and/or pregnancy loss. Founded in 2021, after experiencing the premature birth and death of Eddie Manuel, she understood the need for additional support, tools, and resources in our community through ancestral work and healing. Grief is love and all of it is honored here. Services include coaching, support, advocacy, and bringing awareness to maternal health with a focus on closing the higher mortality gap in BIPOC birthing persons. She has a passion for movement work, circle building, liberatory frameworks, and healing through restorative and social justice practices. She has deep community ties and thrives on connecting others to the resources and support they need. As a Birth and Death Doula, she is especially passionate about supporting birthing persons who have experienced loss.

She is active in multiple organizations and is a member of the Mind the Gap Coalition for the Moms Matter Act, a legislative bill in Massachusetts that supports perinatal mental health resources that was passed under the largest Maternal Health Bill in Massachusetts. Jessica lives in Boston, the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Nipuc, Pawtucket, Massachusett, Pokanoket, and the Wampanoag people.