Memorial Regional Cancer Center Day Road, 301 E Day Rd, Mishawaka, IN 46545, US

About Ashley Ruiz While she originally thought she would be a high school math teacher, Ashley Ruiz, CNM, switched her sights to nursing after a favorite teacher suggested she consider the field of health care. After taking a health career course her senior year, Ashley decided to attend nursing school. She earned her Associate Degree inf Nursing from Bethel University, Mishawaka, and her BSN from Western Governors University. From there she went to Frontier Nursing University, in Versailles, KY, to study midwifery. There she earned her MSN-Certified Nurse Midwife degree. “In nursing school my passion was oncology and my least favorite rotation was OB,” Ashley says. The change in her direction came when she worked in obstetrics as a registered nurse and noticed how difficult it was for women to find a provider. “I also live in a community with a huge Hispanic population and no OB providers who speak Spanish,” she says. “My goal was to be a resource to women in general, but especially make a difference in the community of women who struggle to voice their needs, questions, and fears due to a language barrier.” In caring for women at all stages of their reproductive journey, Ashley says her goal is to promote the social, spiritual, psychological, cultural, and physical well-being of all the women in her care. She stays current on the latest practices and also learns from each patient, as their unique story or experience help her develop as provider. “Everyone has a different story. And while this may be our 467th time experiencing the same situation with a patient, this might be the patients first time experiencing this fear, question, or complication,” she says. In her own words… Who is or was the most influential people/role models in your life? Lindsey Lawrence—she believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it? Newspaper delivery…it was so awful. I hate being cold, but the people I delivered papers to were the absolute sweetest. What is your favorite food? Movie? Food: tacos…days and days of tacos Movie: Mrs. Doubtfire What was your best/worst subjects in school growing up? Best: Math of all levels Worst: chemistry If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why? My mom…she passed when I was 16, and now as a mom myself, I have so many questions of what her experiences were in becoming a mom, and I would love to tell her all about her grandchildren. In addition to medicine, what are you passionate about? Implicit bias What are your hobbies, interests? I love to sew with a special focus on children’s clothes. Do you have pets? Two dogs: 12-year-old Morkie (Maltese/Yorkie); 9-year-old German shepherd. What is something most people don’t know about you? I’ve never been to a legit professional, paid-tickets-for, concert.