RACHAEL P. WINSTON, MSN, RN

Our new program CHAMPS National is introducing us to some incredible leaders in maternal-child health! This week, we celebrate CHAMPion Rachael Winston, MSN, RN, the Director of Women’s Services and CHAMPS National lead at Walker Baptist Medical Center in Alabama.

Rachael has been in the healthcare industry for over 15 years. Her career began as a Patient Care Technician in an intensive care unit (ICU) while completing her degree at Lawson State Community College to become a registered nurse (RN). After starting as an RN in medical and surgical intensive care units, she moved to Mother/Baby and discovered her love for women’s health.

For the past seven years, Rachael has served as Director of Women’s Services at Walker Baptist Medical Center, managing labor and delivery, postpartum, and nursery. As a leader at the hospital, she is dedicated to empowering her patients and staff. Rachael is especially passionate about education and breastfeeding – one of the reasons she decided to enroll Walker Baptist in the CHAMPS National initiative.

“I love my current role because it allows me the opportunity to make a difference in my patients’ lives as well as the lives of my staff,” shares Rachael.

Walker Baptist Medical Center brings in patients from seven surrounding counties, including Walker County, a congressional district with one of the highest incidences of substance abuse in the nation. Rachael makes it her mission to ensure comprehensive, compassionate, and safe care for all patients, promoting practices like breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact, and rooming-in whenever possible.

She tells us: “Breastfeeding is not always easy, but it is WORTH it! Nothing meaningful in life is ever easy.”

Rachael’s dedication to her staff and patients is inspiring. We look forward to working together on CHAMPS National to increase breastfeeding rates and improve maternity care at Walker Baptist.