Women's Holistic Health Grows in Santa Cruz: An Interview with Dana Ramsey

Dana Ramsey Talks Women’s Health with Talk of the Bay Host Suki Wessling

On Talk of the Bay, host Suki Wessling interviews Dana Ramsey, a nurse-midwife and holistic women’s health practitioner, about women’s health and fertility in Santa Cruz and beyond. Indicators of women’s health in the United States show that we are well below the level of health achieved by other wealthy nations. Our numbers are even worse when race and socioeconomic class are considered. The midwifery movement, which was very successful in Santa Cruz, has helped increase positive outcomes. Ramsey says that local physicians are very supportive of midwives, unlike in many communities, and that Santa Cruz has a healthy working relationship between midwives and OB-GYNs. Because of factors beyond our control, Santa Cruz has historically had very little fertility care. Ramsey provides holistic care that starts with looking at the woman’s lifestyle and working outward. She says that using research-based interventions in diet, exercise, and stress management, many women find that they don’t need further interventions.