Ilana Pena-Sanders, CNM

Ilana truly loves her work with new parents. “I enjoy working with all kinds of people who’ve just undergone a major life event – childbirth! – and supporting them on their lactation/feeding journey,” she says. “I’m here to provide respectful care that validates their experiences, especially during the challenging, vulnerable postpartum period.”

Patient education is a big part of Ilana’s role at the clinic. “My patients know themselves best,” she says. “My job is to provide the right tools and information to help them make empowered decisions about their own health and the health of their families.” Equal access to care is important to her, as well, and as a Spanish speaker, she says, “I enjoy being able to serve a larger community of individuals.”

A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, Ilana earned her doctorate in nursing at Oregon Health and Science University. She is certified as both a lactation consultant and a nurse midwife.

In addition to her work, Ilana loves coffee and living in Portland with her husband, their son and their dog.