Awards 2025

Dr. Amy Stiffarm is a trailblazer in Montana, the region, and nationally. As a scholar, mother, community member, and mentor, she is dedicated to uplifting Native communities through strengths-based approaches that improve health access and delivery. Rooted in her own lived experiences with birth and mental health, Dr. Stiffarm’s passion and work center on Native American maternal and child health, with a focus on Indigenous birth work and ensuring the safety of pregnant people across Montana. In both work and life, Dr. Stiffarm embodies a holistic and compassionate approach that uplifts culture, community voice, and Elder knowledge.
Dr. Stiffarm has produced numerous academic works and leads transformative initiatives throughout Montana and beyond. While pursuing her PhD in Indigenous Health at the University of North Dakota, she recognized cultural safety as a critical pathway to improve Indigenous perinatal mental health and maternal-child health outcomes. Acknowledging the lack of cultural safety resources, she created the “Cultural Safety Practices for Working with Indigenous Birth Givers in Montana” toolkit, published in July 2023. This groundbreaking resource combines her deep knowledge and powerful storytelling, and she has since shared it widely in educational settings with non-Indigenous providers across Montana.
Of particular note is her work with the Montana Obstetrics and Maternal Support (MOMS) Program, where she worked alongside communities and Tribal Health Systems in their own Reservation Immersion Days for labor and delivery nurses to better understand the process, landscape, and barriers when patients receive care both on and off reservation. In addition, Dr. Stiffarm partnered with the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana to create and facilitate a first-of-its-kind Cultural Safety Training for resident physicians, faculty, and staff. The training spanned four months and culminated in a powerful panel discussion at the residency’s annual retreat, where Indigenous mothers and doulas shared their stories, laughter, and a meal with participants. This experience was deeply impactful for all involved. Participants shared:
“Dr. Stiffarm was an excellent presenter who seamlessly presented content that was both challenging to hear but also empowering at the same time. She led us through the session with such skill and grace. We are so fortunate to have had this presentation!” – Resident or Staff Member, Summer 2024
“We (non-Indigenous people) have a lot of work to do to right the wrongs that have been done to Indigenous people and fight the systemic injustices that exist, but I’m so thankful to be educated on this topic and want to be an ally.” – Resident Physician, Summer 2024
Recently, Dr. Stiffarm helped advocate and work with collaboratives and communities to ensure knowledge around the SB 319 Doula Bill, establishing a comprehensive framework for licensing and regulating doulas in Montana to provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to pregnant women during the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. The bill also amends existing state law to include doula services within the Montana Medicaid program, allowing potential coverage for licensed doula services.
Dr. Stiffarm’s leadership, dedication, and commitment to creating culturally safe and responsive systems of care continue to transform maternal and child health in Montana and inspire future generations.