Beth Tinker, PhD, MPH, RN

Beth Tinker is a clinical nurse consultant/nurse advisor at the Washington State Health Care Authority (state Medicaid agency).  Her nursing experience is in pediatrics, obstetrics, public health, home visiting, and management.

Beth completed her PhD in nursing science at the University of Washington in 2019, where she was awarded the Robert Wood Johnson Scholar Award for doctoral studies.  Her research and clinical interests include health disparities, infant mental health, protective factors for children and families living with complex adversity, breastfeeding, early intervention, home visiting, and public health nursing.

Beth has been at the Health Care Authority (HCA) for more than four years, where she focuses on Medicaid clinical programs and policies across the sexual and reproductive health continuum, as well as care for children and families, with a focus on perinatal and infant mental health.

For more than four years, she has worked with doulas across the state who are largely organized through Doulas4All (D4A), a QTBIPOC-led coalition committed to sustainable and equitable Medicaid reimbursement for birth doulas in Washington.  In partnership with D4A, standing alongside and behind the experts on doula services committing to amplifying and elevating the voices of doulas, Washington hopes to secure budget authority and implement a Medicaid doula benefit that adequately supports the workforce and ultimately facilitates doula services to all who desire and would benefit.  This would promote positive outcomes for birthing people, infants, and families, and address critical inequities.