Loral Patchen, PhD, MSN, MA, CNM

Loral Patchen, PhD, MSN, MA, CNM, is Medical Champion for the Perinatal LAW Project and associate chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, medical director of the MedStar OB/GYN Specialty Center, and Section Director for Midwifery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC). At MWHC, Dr. Patchen is responsible for strategic and operational leadership for innovation in maternity services, direction of midwifery services, and implementation of the Safe Babies Safe Moms Initiative, of which the Perinatal LAW Project is a key component. Dr. Patchen also leads several innovative research and intervention programs to promote equity in maternal and child health outcomes. Dr. Patchen’s clinical expertise includes reproductive and sexual health of adolescents and young adults, including direct clinical service at school based health centers. She is board certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, and she is fluent in Spanish as well as English. Her experience prior to joining MedStar Health includes service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras and as a consultant for the World Bank. Dr. Patchen earned her PhD in Public Health Sciences in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, where she also earned a master’s degree in International Economics (Community Health). She has an additional master’s degree in Nursing for Midwifery from Yale University.