About Us

Get to know your HMS Secretariat

HMS Mission

The Helping Mothers Survive (HMS) Secretariat aims to improve the health of women and families during birth. We develop and offer technical support to help implement the HMS training program that uses innovative training strategies for health care providers to strengthen health systems.

HMS Vision

HMS envisions a world in which all women, newborns, and their families are treated with respect and receive safe and satisfying services. Their providers are well prepared and supported to offer high-quality care.

HMS Values

At our core, we value learning, innovation, sustainability, and evidence-based practice.

I have benefitted greatly from this workshop and I am very grateful I attended. Fatima Ahmed Nasr Yousif, village midwife, Rufaa, Al Gazira State, Sudan

HMS Staff

Cherrie Evans

Cherrie Evans is a Senior MNH Advisor and the Director of Helping Mothers Survive at Jhpiego and has her doctorate in public health from Boston University. Dr. Evans has practiced as a midwife in the US in a variety of settings including pre-service midwifery and medical schools. Her main focus has been developing strategies to build capacity of providers to promote maternal survival in developing countries and evaluating the efficacy of these approaches. Most recently, her work includes the field validation of the Helping Mothers Survive Essential Care for Labor & Birth training package and a performance and outcomes evaluation of Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding after Birth and Helping Babies Breathe facility-based training. Dr. Evans provides technical leadership in maternal health for Jhpiegoâs country programs.

Robyn Wade

Robyn Wade is a Senior Technical Coordinator at Jhpiego, providing programmatic support to the HMS Secretariat. Her international experience began working in Higher Education at West Virginia University as a program coordinator for the Intensive English Program â a language program for international students needing to improve their English proficiency prior to entering an academic course of study. After 7 years, she transitioned to the global health industry at Jhpiego to support organizational management to the Technical Leadership Office. In her role, Ms. Wade also supports global advocacyÂ for nurses and midwives through her work with the Nursing Now Campaign at Jhpiego and is a logistical lead for international conference coordination, representing Jhpiego in a variety of global settings across many technical areas.

Leah Elliott

Leah Elliott is a Senior Program Officer at Jhpiego, providing programmatic support to the HMS portfolio. She has 16 yearsâ experience in program design, implementation, oversight, monitoring and evaluation across different technical areas in both fragile and development settings. This includes experience appraising needs and supporting multi-disciplinary teams to resolve challenges, increase learning and improve implementation in 23 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In addition, Ms. Elliott has experience fostering knowledge flow, information sharing, and south-to-south learning with key global stakeholders, including donors, global health agencies, ministries of health and implementing partners.