Professor, Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Sciences

Here is what Ana's nominator had to say about her:

Ana is a superstar. I've been lucky enough to share spaces with her and see her dedication to patients, diversity, and equity. She is a great advocate for patients & is always willing to educate them; her trauma informed approach helps her be respectful & caring. She is also passionate about equity & diversity; she is always willing to listen, learn, and give her perspective. I consider her a role model & have heard the same from my colleagues! 

- Brittany Ojeda, Patient Navigator, Pediatric Heart Center

Overview of journey at UCSF:

I started at UCSF in 1999 as a student at the School of Nursing, graduating in 2002 as a certified nurse-midwife. After working in the community for five years, I returned to UCSF in 2007 as faculty in the department of OBGYN, located at San Francisco General. There I split my time between clinical care, administration, and education, with a focus on anti-racism and structural change. I enjoy the creativity that my position affords, giving me opportunities to co-create new ways of providing sexual and reproductive healthcare, developing curriculum and programs, and disseminating our work so others can benefit. I am passionate about centering the needs of our community, the resilient and thriving low-income residents of San Francisco, and diversifying the workforce of tomorrow to better match that community.  

What’s on your reading list?     

Right now I am reading My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem and Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. I like to read more than one book at a time and alternate between fiction and non-fiction. The last two books I read were Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts alternating with The King Of Crows by Libba Bray (last in a young adult fiction series my daughter got me into).  

What’s your ideal weather?     

I love warm weather and particularly warm nights. This makes it hard to live in San Francisco or even California because it is so rare that we have warm nights. I like the possibility that warm nights offer, like the day is still happening and anything is possible. Being an immigrant from the tropics, I always feel more at home when it is warm.  

What brought you to healthcare?   

Can you tell us about your professional journey? I came to health care through my work as an advocate for women and families. My love for midwifery was born out of seeing how midwives held the space for pregnancy and birth as a place of transformation and empowerment for birthing people, carrying over into other areas of their lives. The beauty of our work is that we don’t just care about what happens in the exam room or the labor room but rather the totality of the family’s life, their goals, their joys, their sorrows. It is our job to expand the definition of health to what is important for families to thrive, and that means getting involved in efforts to address structural oppression and inequity in society.  

What do you like to do outside of work?   

Outside of work I like to spend time with my family, my husband James and my two kids Amelia (16) and Luis (12). I love cooking and consider myself a “vibration” chef in the tradition of Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, cooking without recipes and just seeing how flavors come together. I also like exercising, crafting, gardening and listening to music.  

Meet other outstanding women of UCSF Health through Our Spotlight.