Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG) is proud to celebrate Amanda Shafton, OBHG’s National Director of Midwifery, who has been named one of Managed Healthcare Executive’s 2025 Emerging Leaders in Healthcare! This recognition honors professionals driving progress in care delivery, and Dr. Shafton is doing just that through her visionary leadership and commitment to maternal health.
Believe it or not, Dr. Shafton’s path to midwifery began at just 10 years old, when she attended her brother’s birth and felt a calling she’s followed ever since. “I distinctly remember thinking, ‘I need to do this forever!’” she says in her interview with Managed Healthcare Executive.
After earning her midwifery degree from Marquette University, Dr. Shafton launched her career at The Midwife Center for Birth and Women’s Health in Pittsburgh, now the largest birth center in the U.S. Her leadership journey continued at Allegheny Health Network and eventually brought her to OBHG, where she now oversees midwifery integration across the country.
In her MHE interview, Dr. Shafton shared a key insight: “To drive real change, I needed to meet people where they are—most often giving birth in the hospital—and work at a systems level to improve care for many.” At OBHG, she’s doing exactly that—building collaborative models that center midwifery, support OB/GYN teams, and deliver stronger outcomes for patients.
A passionate advocate for expanding midwifery nationwide, Dr. Shafton believes midwives are essential to solving today’s maternal health challenges, from workforce shortages to care disparities and inequities. “Educating hospitals, health systems and individual care team members about the value of midwifery can be challenging,” she says, “but it’s a challenge I’m deeply passionate about and committed to advancing every day. Her leadership and advocacy help to ensure OBHG programs reflect both clinical excellence and human-centered care.
Outside of work, Dr. Shafton’s goal for 2025 is to read 75 books—a reflection of her drive for continuous growth in both life and leadership.
We’re proud to have Dr. Shafton on our team and inspired by the impact she’s making in advancing midwifery across the country. Read or watch her full interview on the MHE website!