2026 West Virginia Perinatal Summit

Presentation: Compassion Fatigue (Schedule Link)

Dr. Daniel Barnett is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he has joint appointments in the Department of Health Policy and Management and in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society. Dr. Barnett’s research focus areas include psychosocial resilience dimensions of public health & healthcare system functioning during and after disasters. He received his MD degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and he completed his MPH and residency training in General Preventive Medicine at Johns Hopkins.

Presentation: A Case for a “Banana Bag”…Wernicke’s Encephalopathy in Hyperemesis Gravidarum (Schedule Link)

My Maternal-Fetal Medicine journey began at University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) in 1995. My interest in endocrinological disorders during pregnancy led to an observational study of subclinical thyroid disease during pregnancy at Parkland Hospital. This study also led to the development and implementation of an unprecedented multicenter treatment trial of women identified with subclinical thyroid disease in early pregnancy by the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network for which I was the PI. This study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine, and showed that screening and treating pregnant women with subclinical thyroid disease did not result in improved infant IQ at age 5 years. I also served as PI for UTSW’s clinical site and the alternate PI for the UAB site for the MFMU Network. I also served on the highly successful Opioid Prescription After Cesarean Trial (PACT) and was the director of the UAB Comprehensive Addiction for Pregnancy Program. In 2024, I joined West Virginia University as Chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences.

My career in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at three prominent U.S. academic centers and spanning more than three decades has provided me a broad range of clinical experiences and led to expertise in designing and conducting large, collaborative, patient-centered perinatal research, mentoring junior investigators, and implementing evidence into practice.

Presentation: Perinatal State of the State (Schedule Link)

Kimberly M. Farry, MD, FACOG, is an obstetrician and gynecologist who has served the Buckhannon, West Virginia community since 1996. She is currently the Quality and Medical Director of WVU OB/GYN Outpatient Clinical Services at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Dr. Farry’s distinguished career includes extensive service as both a hospital-employed physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital and as a practitioner in private practice. Dr. Farry earned her Bachelor of Science from Davis & Elkins College in 1985. She subsequently attended Temple University School of Medicine, where she obtained a Master of Science in 1987 and a Doctor of Medicine in 1991. Her professional affiliations include serving as a staff physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Braxton County Memorial Hospital, and as an Assistant Professor at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. Dr. Farry is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and maintains membership with the West Virginia State Medical Association.

A dedicated leader in her field, Dr. Farry has been deeply involved with the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership for many years. She has held key leadership roles on the Access to Care Committee and the Executive Council of the Partnership’s Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) project. Dr. Farry currently serves as Chair of the WV Perinatal Partnership’s Board of Directors and of the Central Advisory Council.

Dr. Farry resides in beautiful Upshur County with her husband, Glen, where you can find her on the side of the hill on a snowy night, hooking up a winch to save her husband and, more importantly, the truck, from certain death.

Presentation: The Other 97% of the Day: Sitting Less, Moving More, and Pregnancy Health (Schedule Link)

Dr. Bethany Barone Gibbs is trained in cardiovascular and physical activity epidemiology and studies the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic disease through healthy lifestyle behaviors. Her research has recently focused on sedentary behavior, a behavior distinct from moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. She recently completed two clinical trials testing whether interventions that target reduced sedentary behavior can improve blood pressure and cardiovascular health in desk workers (NHLBI-funded RESET BP Study) and pregnancy health (AHA-funded SPRING Study). She is the Principal Investigator of an ancillary study to measure objective sedentary behavior and activity, pulse wave velocity, and heart rate variability among young women in the nuMoM2b Heart Health 2 Study cohort, approximately 10 years after their first pregnancy.

She leads the West Virginia University site for the Pregnancy 24/7 Study linking the 24-hour activity cycle across pregnancy with pregnancy outcomes (NHLBI), and is Co-PI of a follow-up study of the intergenerational effects of prenatal activity on offspring health (Pregnancy 24/7 Offspring Study, NHLBI). She also co-leads the Mountain Mama & Baby Cohort Study, an exclusively Appalachian cohort supported by the West Virginia CTSI (NIGMS), where she is studying rurality and health behaviors (vaping, cannabis use, physical activity, diet, sleep, and stress) as they relate to maternal-fetal health health outcomes.

Presentation: What to Expect When You’re Expecting Policy Change: Implications of Medicaid Policy Change for Maternal and Infant Health (Schedule Link)

Stephanie Glier, is Senior Director of Federal Advocacy at the American Academy of Pediatrics, where she leads the AAP’s advocacy related to children’s coverage, access to care, and the delivery, financing, and quality of care. Before joining the AAP, Stephanie worked on national health policy issues from within the federal government, in non-profits, and philanthropy.

Presentation: Creating Informed & Empowered Experiences by Making Birth S.A.F.E.R. (Schedule Link)

Jen Hamilton is a labor and delivery nurse, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, and a viral digital creator with over 6 million followers. Her debut book Birth Vibes: Stories and Strategies for an Empowered Birth, was an immediate #1 New York Times bestseller, offering a warm, clinically grounded guide to navigating childbirth with confidence and calm. She is the founder of Hot Mess Express, a nonprofit offering judgment-free house cleaning and organizing for women in need, and a passionate advocate for dismantling systemic racism and misogyny in obstetrical and gynecological care. A 2026 President’s Award recipient from the American Nurses Association and a frequent presence in outlets including CNN, The New York Times, and The Huffington Post, Hamilton has become one of the most recognizable voices in modern nursing through her signature blend of clinical expertise, frank humor, and deep empathy.

Presentation: A Case for a “Banana Bag”…Wernicke’s Encephalopathy in Hyperemesis Gravidarum (Schedule Link)

Maureen Schmitt recently retired after working in a Level 4 Labor and Delivery for over 40 years. For the past 18 years, she worked closely with the Maternal Fetal Medicine team, assisting with invasive procedures and coordinating care for antepartums admitted with complications in pregnancy. She led multidisciplinary outreach education to referring facilities and rural emergency departments related to pregnancy complications and neonatal stabilization. Her passion surrounds optimization of interdisciplinary communication in a large healthcare system.

Presentation: Understanding Neurodivergence in Pregnancy and Postpartum Care (Schedule Link)

TaKiesha Smith, CD(DONA), CBS, CLC, CCHW, is a nationally recognized Maternal Health Advocate and Educator whose work sits at the intersection of birth equity, community care, and inclusive lactation support. Founder of A Caring Doula, LLC and Neuro Spicy Birth, she reimagines culturally responsive, trauma-informed care for neurodivergent, marginalized, and Black birthing communities. TaKiesha serves as Coordinator of Outreach & Community Lactation Support at MelaMama Inc., is the Indiana State Ambassador for Count the Kicks, and sits on the board of the Indiana Breastfeeding Coalition. A Pathway 3 IBCLC Candidate, she equips audiences with practical, actionable tools to advance equity in maternal and infant health.

Presentation: Welcome Remarks (Link)

Amy N. Tolliver, MS, has served as the Executive Director of the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership since 2013. Under her 10+ year tenure, she has grown the organization from a project under the WV Community Voices to an independent not-for-profit corporation with a $5M+ operating budget. The Partnership, incorporated in 2019, now has seven full-time employees, ten full-time contractors and numerous other special project contractors who all contribute to the important statewide work of the organization. Amy came to the position with 20 years experience in state and federal policy development focusing on legislative and regulatory health care policy.

She served as the Government Relations Specialist and Director of the Political Action Committee for the West Virginia State Medical Association for 15 years and also served as Budget Analyst for the West Virginia House of Delegates Finance Committee and as Program Coordinator for the West Virginia Child Care Association. Ms. Tolliver earned her BS in Business Management from Marshall University and an MS in Business and Industrial Relations from Marshall University Graduate College. She serves on the Board of the DRESS Syndrome Foundation and organization with a vision to see a world where severe adverse drug reactions are predictable, recognizable and treatable. Amy is the mother of two beautiful children, Emma and Eli, with whom she loves spending time downhill mountain biking and snowboarding.