Faculty Tags: Current QI Faculty
Samantha Sommerness Reimer, PhD, DNP, APRN, CNM
Dr. Samantha A. Sommerness Reimer, PhD, DNP, APRN, CNM (Sam) began her nursing career in 1993 in the care of women and children in the US Army. Her professional nursing practice is diverse as she holds a certification as a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), spent 6 years in the United States Army as a labor and delivery nurse and was deployed to Bosnia for 1 year during Operation Joint Endeavor. Sam is a passionate educator and health care consultant and has held a variety of positions, including full-scope midwifery, developing obstetrical care models for health systems, and faculty and facilitator roles for national projects to improve patient safety, team communication, and quality of care for mothers and their newborns within the hospital environment. Since 2015, Sam has been a full-time educator and after serving at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing for 8 years, she now serves as an Associate Professor and Director for Engagement and Outreach for the University of Northwestern, St. Paul (UNWSP) School of Nursing. Additionally, she is passionate about igniting the nursing profession and believes this should start in high school (HS). Starting in 2025 she partnered with UNWSP and Southwest Christian High School to teach an exploratory course focused on what nursing is and how to prepare for this wonderful career. This course is now in several schools and also offered online. She holds a DNP and recently completed her PhD. She enjoys researching perinatal substance use disorder (SUD) and conducting implementation science projects in the area of inpatient obstetrics. She speaks nationally on SUD, perinatal safety, and is a published author
Becky Gams, MS, APRN, BC-WHNP, cEFM, FAWHONN
Becky Gams has over 35 years of obstetrical nursing experience as a bedside nurse, educator, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse for the Women’s and Children’s Service Line at Fairview Health Services.
She is currently the co-lead of the Zero Birth Injury Initiative at MHealth Fairview, a perinatal safety initiative aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and preventable birth injuries with Dr. Bethany Sabol, MD. She is a tireless champion for families experiencing a pregnancy or neonatal loss and for reproductive rights. She is a long-time member of the leadership and education committee for the AWHONN Minnesota section and was inducted as an AWHONN Fellow in 2025.
