Nurse Approved is proud to name Dr. Janell Green Smith, DNP, CNM, as its inaugural Nurse Approved Healthcare Hero, an honor recognizing nurses, midwives, and healthcare professionals whose work, advocacy, and humanity create lasting impact across the healthcare system. A certified nurse-midwife and nationally respected voice in maternal health, Dr. Smith’s legacy continues to challenge healthcare systems to listen, act, and do better.

This distinction honors individuals whose lives and legacies advance equity, compassion, and accountability in care, values that Dr. Smith embodied throughout her career and her life.

Dr. Smith, a South Carolina-based certified nurse-midwife and nationally respected advocate for Black maternal health, died from complications related to childbirth after delivering her first baby. She was 31.

Her death has sent shockwaves through the nursing and midwifery communities, not only because of who she was, but because of what her passing represents.

In a public statement, the American College of Nurse-Midwives called her death “a profound failure of the systems meant to protect birthing people,” adding that it was “both heartbreaking and unacceptable” that a Black midwife and maternal health expert died after giving birth in the United States.

A Midwife Who Lived Her Values

Dr. Smith proudly described herself as a “Loc’d Midwife,” a reflection of both her professional identity and her authenticity. She was deeply committed to respectful, evidence-based, and equitable care and worked to improve outcomes for Black birthing people who continue to face disproportionate risks during pregnancy and childbirth.

Her advocacy included partnering with the nonprofit organization and app Hive Impact Fund during Black Maternal Health Week, supporting parents during early childhood, and amplifying education and resources for Black families.

According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, her life and work reflected “a deep commitment to respectful, evidence-based, and equitable care,” a standard she lived daily as a clinician, scholar, and advocate.

A Scholar Who Persevered Through Loss

Dr. Smith became a certified nurse-midwife in 2021 and earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2024. Her path to the doctorate was not linear.

On Instagram, she shared that the death of her mother in 2023 nearly caused her to abandon the DNP program. She withdrew, then decided to reenroll the following year.

“Moral of the story: The strength He gives in the storms of life is sufficient to carry you through any hurt if you allow it,” she wrote while reflecting on that journey.

For nurses who have ever questioned whether grief, exhaustion, or life circumstances disqualify them from continuing their education, her words remain a powerful reminder of resilience.

Creativity Beyond the Clinic

Outside of midwifery, Dr. Smith was also a photographer who described herself as a “Certified Nurse Midwife catching babies & angles.” Through her lens, she documented engagements, baby announcements, and family portraits, celebrating life’s milestones with the same care she brought to her clinical work.

Her creativity, warmth, and curiosity were integral to who she was, not separate from her identity as a nurse.

Why Nurse Approved Honors Her

Dr. Smith is being named the inaugural Nurse Approved Healthcare Hero not only for her professional accomplishments, but for what her life and death illuminate.

Her passing underscores the reality that Black women, regardless of education, income, or clinical expertise, face disproportionate risks during pregnancy and childbirth due to systemic racism and failures in care.

In honoring Dr. Smith, Nurse Approved recognizes her advocacy for equity, her commitment to evidence-based care, her perseverance through personal loss, and her unwavering dedication to patients and families. Her legacy challenges nurses, healthcare leaders, and systems to do better, to listen more closely, and to act with urgency.

Carrying Her Legacy Forward

A GoFundMe has been established to support Dr. Smith’s husband, Daiquan, and their newborn. According to the campaign description, funds will go toward funeral and memorial expenses, living costs, newborn essentials, and ongoing support.

“Any contribution—no matter the size—will help provide stability, relief, and care during a time when the family needs it most,” the description states. “Please continue to keep the Smith Family lifted in prayer. Every kind gesture, word, donation, and prayer is deeply felt and appreciated more than we can express.”

Nurse Approved joins the midwifery and nursing communities in honoring Dr. Smith’s life, grieving her loss, and committing to carry her legacy forward with urgency, humility, and resolve.