Provider Bio

Shirley Ma, CNM, WHNP-BC, is a certified nurse-midwife and women's health nurse practitioner with Women's Healthcare Associates in Portland, Oregon.

From the Provider

"People truly are the experts of their own bodies. My job is provide the best care possible—but most of all, to listen, guide and coach them in meeting their health goals within the context of their unique lived experience and circumstances. Through that, I hope that we are able to build the type of relationship and trust that allow us to be open in sharing our stories and vulnerabilities.”

About the Provider

While her classmates at UC Berkley were debating medical school, Shirley was still wondering which direction to go when she responded to an advertisement to become a labor coach/doula and later, a prenatal healthworker at Asian Health Services. There, she supported monolingual immigrant families through language interpretation, education and help navigating the healthcare system. Inspired by the creativity and resourcefulness she witnessed as people sought community and connection, Shirley went on to complete her education and training in nurse-midwifery and still enjoys caring for Asian immigrants and people of Asian descent today. In her practice, Shirley provides cares for people during pregnancy, birth and postpartum and reproductive and wellness care across the age spectrum. In addition to building relationships, one of the things she enjoys most is learning about the traditional food practices of different cultures and helping her patients preserve those. 

Raised in the Bay Area of Northern California, Shirley enjoys running, hiking, camping and most other outdoor activities. She is excited to be in the Pacific Northwest with easy access to all of her favorite things.

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Hospitals

• Providence Portland Medical Center

Certifications

• Certified Nurse-Midwife, American Midwifery Certification Board, 2021
• Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, National Certification Corporation, 2021

Education

• Graduate Degree:

  Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Midwifery and Women's Health Nursing Practice, University of California, San Francisco, 2021

• Undergraduate Degree:

  Bachelor of Science, Nutritional Science with a minor in Chinese Language, University of California, Berkeley, 2014