As we close out 2025, we’re reflecting on a year filled with growth, collaboration, and meaningful progress in perinatal and neonatal education. From conferences across the region to statewide initiatives, global partnerships, and the expansion of our own TNM team, this year reminded us why we do this work: to strengthen care, support professionals, and build community. We’re grateful for every partner, every hospital, every learner, and every colleague who crossed paths with us in 2025—and we’re excited to share some highlights from this incredible year.
At TNM, our mission is to empower caregivers with the tools, strategies, and insights they need to feel confident in their roles and proud of the care they provide. We partner with individuals who not only bring expertise to their specialty, but who also embody our commitment to trust, collaboration, and a culture of excellence—because the care you deliver truly makes all the difference.
Launched in 2025: Our New TNM Website
We’re excited to share that The Nurses Miller launched a brand-new website in 2025, thanks to the expert work of Michael McCormic Jr. The updated site is cleaner, easier to navigate, and better reflects the growing scope of our work.
Looking ahead, our goals for 2026 include expanding the site to offer on-demand educational opportunities for perinatal and neonatal professionals, as well as launching a dedicated page for live educational offerings throughout the year.
We’re always gathering ideas and want to feature content that matters to our community. If there’s a topic you’d love to see us teach or a resource you hope we’ll develop, please reach out anytime—we’d love to hear from you!
TNM Trains AWHONN Obstetric Patient Safety Instructors
The Nurses Miller trained four new AWHONN Obstetric Patient Safety (OPS) instructors right here in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to the expert guidance of visiting instructor trainers Bernie Breslin and Aly Willard. Our team also had the honor of joining AWHONN leaders in St. Vincent to help bring OPS education to nearly 50 nurses and midwives across the Caribbean—a meaningful week of collaboration, mentorship, and international partnership. Next month’s newsletter will be fully dedicated to OPS, but until then, here’s your action item: Do you need to spend down your education funds before year-end? Register now for our January OPS class.
Conference Highlights From an Incredible Year
This year was full of connection, education, and community as we traveled to conferences across the region—sometimes as vendors, sometimes as attendees, and always as enthusiastic participants.
We kicked off the year at the Pot of Gold Conference in Spokane over St. Patrick’s Day. This event never disappoints with expert presenters and familiar friends.
Lacey attended the AWHONN on the Hill conference, joining more than 150 nurse leaders from across the country to advocate for legislation that supports maternal–newborn health. She even had the chance to meet her local representative and Senator Bernie Sanders while discussing the importance of Medicaid funding and more
The Fall OR/WA AWHONN Conference, held at the beautiful Skamania Lodge along the Columbia River, remains our favorite annual event to attend. Lacey and Kellen spent time at the booth connecting with hundreds of our professional friends! Deidre presented an excellent and highly applicable session on conducting neuro assessments on neonates to help screen for neurologic insult preceding HIE. The Miller kiddos made friends with neighboring vendors—plus trying out the vibrating labor bed in a fit of uncontrollable giggles. (A true conference memory!)
Earlier in the year, a Midwestern AWHONN district held its first-ever Rural Health Summit in Iowa. We connected with attendees and conference committee members and look forward to joining them in the future.
Deidre and Lacey also joined the neonatal nurses at the Pacific Northwest NANN (PNANN) conference in Lynnwood—our first time attending!
We look forward to seeing friends and colleagues at conferences throughout 2026. Stay tuned to find out where we’ll be—and to snag that sweet TNM swag!
Publishing Statewide Guidelines: Oregon’s Mobile Simulation Future
This year brought an exciting milestone in our work to support high-quality perinatal care across Oregon. One of the most impactful publications produced by The Nurses Miller team was a comprehensive report submitted to the Oregon Perinatal Collaborative (OPC) outlining the development of a statewide Mobile Simulation Program (MSP).
Lacey Miller, Jessica McElreath, Deidre Miller, Sharna Clark Aaen, and Kellen Ruiz collaborated to design a detailed proposal that would guide the creation, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of an OPC MSP. Their combined expertise includes perinatal and neonatal best practice, regulatory requirements, simulation standards, professional education, quality improvement, and hospital operations. The goal was to provide Oregon with a practical, evidence-based roadmap for bringing high-quality simulation training to hospitals of all sizes, including those in rural and underserved regions.
The contract team applied a deeply collaborative and iterative process. Leaders across Oregon helped strengthen the report through statewide surveys and listening sessions, offering valuable insight into current practices and needs in birthing hospitals. Their input made sure the final recommendations were both realistic and responsive.
If you’d like to learn more about the process, the recommendations, or how to establish a state or regional MSP, you can request a copy of the report by reaching out directly to the OPC.
Our Partnership With Washington State: Supporting Perinatal Substance Use Care
The Nurses Miller is honored to continue our statewide partnership with the Washington State Department of Health through September 2026, supporting hospitals in strengthening perinatal substance use (PSUD) care and achieving Center of Excellence designation. As we expand this work—especially with a focus on rural needs—we’re inviting hospitals and clinicians to connect with us for support, collaboration, and access to evidence-based PSUD resources. If your hospital is interested in joining as a collaborative partner or would like assistance in meeting COE criteria, reach out to The Nurses Miller.
Contributing to Washington’s Safe Deliveries Initiative - Promoting Vaginal Births
Lacey is working closely with the WSHA Safe Deliveries Roadmap (SDR) team to promote vaginal births and safely reduce cesarean sections across Washington State. A highlight of this partnership was gathering expert insights from perinatal leaders across the state to support updates to the Safe Deliveries Roadmap: Labor Care Guideline. Serving as editor, Lacey is grateful to work with the dedicated contributors who shaped these recommendations. Professionals can access the updated guideline through the WSHA website or by connecting with the Safe Deliveries Roadmap Director, Jenica Sandall at jenicas@wsha.org.
Welcoming New TNM Contractors in 2025
We were thrilled to welcome several new TNM contractors this year! One of our ongoing goals at The Nurses Miller is to bring together passionate, skilled caregivers to create a strong, collaborative hub of professionals for hire. By expanding our team with experts who share our values, we’re able to offer clients the highest quality service and support.
Mackenzie Wright, BSN, RNC-OB, is a high-risk labor and delivery nurse with extensive experience in perinatal care and clinical education. She currently works as a resource nurse across six hospitals in the Portland area, supporting delivery units with nursery levels of care ranging from Level II to Level IV. Her background as a former U.S. Army nurse shapes the steady, skilled, and compassionate care she brings to every patient and team she supports. For the past five years, Mackenzie has been a leader in perinatal nursing education for her hospital system—developing and facilitating simulation training for more than 500 of her nursing colleagues. When she’s not at the bedside or teaching, Mackenzie is chasing her two young daughters or getting lost in a good book.
Madeline Hall, BSN, RNC-OB, is a perinatal nurse educator living in Portland, Oregon. After several years at the bedside, she began teaching classes in obstetric and neonatal emergencies and transitioned fully into education and professional development in early 2025. She also teaches adult and neonatal care courses across the region for The Nurses Miller. Active in her regional AWHONN chapter, Madeline is committed to improving maternal outcomes, with special interest in neonatal resuscitation and stabilization. She enjoys life with her husband and two children, along with reading, puzzles, wine, and weight lifting.
Jessica McElreath, M.S., B.S., RN-C, is a Labor, Delivery, Recovery, Postpartum nurse, clinical educator, and consultant focusing on the unique needs of rural perinatal care. She has worked the full obstetric spectrum from urban high-acuity and high-volume to frontier, low-volume critical access hospitals in both Washington and Oregon. Recognized for her rural health expertise, she joined TNM and played a key role in developing a mobile simulation program proposal for the Oregon Perinatal Collaborative. She strives to empower birthing women, their families and practitioners through knowledge and connection. She is passionate about cooking seasonally and baking with a lot of butter, but dreads answering daily, “What's for dinner, Mom?”.
Sharna Aaen Clark, MSN, RN, NI-BC, RNC-OB, CHSE, holds a BSN and an MSN in nursing informatics. After 12 years as a high risk OB nurse, she transitioned to academia at Washington State University College of Nursing. She currently runs simulations and instructs in the skills lab as a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Center for Experiential Learning. Sharna was delighted to join the TNM team! She develops education and simulation content, and works on several TNM projects. In her spare time, she enjoys time with her family, as well as baking, reading, camping, travel, and photography. She would like to eventually have chickens and a flower garden.
Washington State Maternal Mortality Report
Another vital work from our TNM team this year was Lacey’s participation with the Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel (MMRP). The report released in December — Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel: Maternal Deaths 2021–2022 — summarizes pregnancy-related deaths across the state, evaluates preventability, and issues recommendations for improving maternal care statewide.
Lacey has served on the panel for over five years, lending her expertise in patient safety and quality to this critical work. In her words: “This is the hardest work I do. It is also the most important work to do. It is an honor to work alongside a multidisciplinary group of experts with the shared goal to save lives. I believe through this work, the hearts and lives of people and families around the state, country, and the world will benefit.”
The 2025 report was published in December and can be found on the Washington State Department of Health website or by reaching out to MMRP leadership.
Thank you for being part of The Nurses Miller community. Your commitment to compassionate, evidence-based care is what drives everything we do. We can’t wait to learn, collaborate, and grow with you in 2026.
Warmly,
The Nurses Miller Team