Celeste R. Phillips, RN, EdD

Dr. Celeste Phillips, an internationally recognized expert and leader in Family-Centered Maternity Care, has pioneered efforts to improve maternity care through family-centered practice for more than 40 years. She is currently president of Phillips and Fenwick, a women's healthcare company. Founded in 1988, Phillips and Fenwick is located in Santa Cruz, California. Over the past 14 years, the firm has helped hundreds of hospitals throughout the US and Canada develop high quality, efficiently operated family-centered maternity programs and facilities.

A graduate of Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing, San Jose State University, and the University of Southern California, Dr. Phillips has an extensive clinical and educational background in maternal-child nursing. She has authored numerous books, monographs, and journal articles. Two of her books received the American Journal of Nursing's Book of the Year Award. A prolific speaker on maternity care, she has served as keynote speaker and faculty member for 60 national conferences and symposiums. She has served two terms on the board of directors of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN) and one term on the board of the International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA). Dr. Phillips' work is well recognized and she has received the Distinguished Professional Service Award from AWHONN and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Women's Health (NAWH).