Melinda Kent is the Associate Director of CMQCC's Maternal Data Center (MDC). She joined the team in May 2023 as a clinical lead and the Clinical Lead for the Low-Dose Aspirin (LDA) to Prevent Preeclampsia and Preterm Birth Initiative. She was promoted to the MDC role in November 2023.
A passionate perinatal leader, her interest in health promotion, advocacy, program planning, and implementation began early in her career. She earned her Bachelor of Science in health education in 1995. After working several years as a labor doula, she became a labor and delivery registered nurse, where her love for perinatal quality and process improvement was discovered. Being a lifelong learner, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis on Nursing Education years later.
Prior to joining CMQCC, Melinda was involved in numerous CMQCC QI Academies and has presented as guest faculty on "Sustaining Quality Improvement." She brings a unique skill set and over two decades of healthcare experience to the organization, from bedside nursing to leadership roles. She has held positions in clinical IT for a large non-profit hospital supporting perinatal units across five states and as the Nursing Outcomes Coordinator for a hospital just miles from Skid Row in Los Angeles. Melinda holds NCC certifications in electronic fetal monitoring, in-patient obstetrics, and obstetric and neonatal quality and safety.