Simona Istrate, CNM, BSN, RN, RNFA
Chief Executive Officer & Clinical Director
From an early age growing up in Romania, Simona was very clear about her life path; she wanted to be a midwife. Simona’s dream came true when she obtained her Nursing and Nurse-Midwifery degree from the University of Bucharest. She soon began practicing Midwifery at the University Hospital in Bucharest, Romania for the next 15 years where she attended 10,000 births.
After moving to the United States, Simona obtained an American license as a Nurse-Midwife in 1996 after meeting requirements at Charles Drew University. Simona is also a Registered Nurse First Assist certified by UCLA, meaning she can assist the surgeon during a cesarean section. She is accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives and is licensed by the California Board of Registered Nursing.
Simona has worked and earned privileges as a Certified Nurse-Midwife at several area hospitals including Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital (PIH) in Whittier, Whittier Medical Center Hospital for the past 17 years, and Women’s Specialty Medical Group. Simona also worked as a Senior Vice President and Director of Midwifery Services for University Physicians Medical Group. Before this, Simona worked as a labor and delivery nurse and RNFA at Whittier Hospital Medical Center and Western Medical Center in Santa Ana.
Finally, in 2004 Simona was able to fulfill her dream of offering women in the Los Angeles area the option of natural and safe out of hospital births. Since this time, Simona has worked tirelessly to provide love and care to families while also expanding the availability of birth services to the LA area. Hundreds of healthy and naturally birthed babies have been brought into this world by the warm and experienced hands of Simona.
Years of dedication, hard work, and demand lead to the grand opening of the West Los Angeles birth center in August of 2013. The new birth center is an extension of Simona’s vision of providing women and their families the option of safe, natural, and empowered birthing.
Currently, Simona is the only Certified Nurse-Midwife in the Los Angeles and Orange Counties to simultaneously own freestanding birth centers, provide homebirth services and possess admitting privileges at a hospital. Even with all these responsibilities, Simona is a preceptor to the next generation of midwives and nurse-practitioners.
Simona possesses expertise, authority, and knowledge, which only the most seasoned obstetrician would possess. She has the motherly warmth, womanly wisdom, and down-to-earth approachability of a midwife. The quality of her care is impeccable. Her experience and skill in helping thousands of mothers give birth naturally is not only reassuring to her patients, but simply awe-inspiring.
Simona is the proud grandmother of three grandbabies, who she brought into the world. In her time off she can be found with her family and dancing with her husband. Simona enjoys visiting other countries to further her knowledge and gain a deeper perspective of other cultures and beliefs.
Simona email: info@simonabirthcenter.com