Joan Combellick, CNM

Joan Combellick, CNM, is a certified nurse midwife who currently lives in Hudson Valley. She is a graduate of the Midwifery program at Yale University and has worked in a variety of clinical settings including a public hospital in New York City; a community health center, free-standing birth center, and migrant farmworker clinic in the Hudson Valley; and an academic training institution at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. She is committed to supporting undisturbed, physiological birth for those who desire that experience. She has also worked in many clinical settings caring for individuals experiencing pregnancy complications who require advanced collaboration with OB/GYN and specialist colleagues. Joan has served as the director of the midwifery program at Yale School of Nursing and has worked extensively training midwifery and medical students. Joan also holds a master’s degree in public health and PhD from New York University. In sum, Joan is strongly committed to the midwifery model of care and prioritizes an individualized approach to care that centers the needs of the childbearing person and their families.

Why should someone choose you to care for their health?
I have extensive experience in caring for diverse individuals with unique medical, emotional, cultural, and psychological needs. I am a team player and believe in building a strong care team to support everyone’s unique care experience.

What is the most important thing your patients should expect from their professional relationship with you? What do you expect from them?
They should expect that I bring an approach of service and attention to their unique needs and perspectives. They should expect that I provide evidence-based, safe care always. They should expect that I welcome their participation in decision-making about their own care and that I welcome their family members and other support people into their care experience as they desire.

In return, it is my hope that patients will agree to openly and transparently engage with their care.

How do you spend your valuable personal time when you are not caring for patients?
I spend my personal time relaxing at the home where I raised my children in Hudson Valley, gardening, reading and writing, enjoying friends and family, and following a consistent exercise routine. I volunteer in support of women seeking asylum in the U.S. due to a history of female genital cutting in their home countries by conducting physical exams and writing affidavits in support of their cases.  I enjoy hiking and backpacking in the wilderness during vacations whenever possible.

Why did you choose your specialty and what is its greatest reward?
I chose to become a midwife because of a desire to be part of improving the care experience of diverse individuals. My greatest reward is the opportunity to be present at many important life events with the people I care for.