Lindsay Pettit, RNP, CNM

When my daughter was born she was sick and stayed at the hospital for about 7 months of her first year.

That experience gave me such empathy and compassion for people going through difficult times. You just assume your baby is going to be normal and healthy. I had to leave the hospital without a baby, and that was very tough. But I felt very blessed that she was receiving good care there. It really made me want to help other people and pay it forward.

I’ve been doing this work for almost 40 years now. My philosophy of care is that you take care of the entire person. I spend time with each of my patients and get to know them as people.

Anybody can do the physical part of being a doctor, but it’s connecting with patients from an emotional point of view that makes this work so meaningful. I walk down the street now, and people come up to me with their children, whom I helped deliver. When you connect on such a personal level, people appreciate it and remember it forever.