Eve L Espey, MD

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Biography

Eve Espey, MD MPH is Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Ob/Gyn and Family Planning fellowship Director at the University of New Mexico. She is past President of the Society of Family Planning and Chair of the ACOG Contraceptive Equity Expert Work Group as well as President of the Council of University Chairs of OB-GYN. Dr. Espey won the Margaret Sanger Award, 50th anniversary of Planned Parenthood of Rocky Mountains 2014 and the Rashbaum Award for Excellence in Family Planning from Physicians for Reproductive Health in 2013. She gave the ACOG Irvin Cushner Memorial lecture in 2014 and 2017 and addressed the United Nations in 2015 on the topic of intimate partner violence in Native American Women. She was instrumental in helping Complex Family Planning achieve ACGME subspecialty status and is a member of the ABOG Family Planning Division. She was recognized for her lifetime’s work in promoting Family Planning by the Family Planning Fellowship National Office in 2017; she has won a medical student teaching award each year of her 25 years as faculty in the Department of OB-GYN. She has twice won best clinical faculty at UNM, chosen by 4th year medical students.

As Past President of the New Mexico Perinatal Collaborative and Department Chair of the Department Dr. Espey is dedicated to improving access to women’s healthcare in New Mexico. She has led projects in reducing maternal mortality from obstetric hemorrhage and implementing immediate postpartum LARC in hospitals throughout the state. She works with medical students, residents, fellows, midwives, nurse practitioners and pharmacists as a colleague and educator. She has numerous publications in contraception, abortion and medical education and has presented locally, regionally and nationally on these topics.

Personal Statement

I have been working in New Mexico for 29 years, first as a staff physician at the Gallup Indian Medical Center for 6 years, and now as a faculty member at the University of New Mexico for 23 years. It’s been a privilege to work in the state and to both provide and receive education from colleagues, staff, learners, and patients. I have focused much of my career on education and mentoring, particularly of medical students and also on research, primarily related to contraception/postpartum contraception and to advocacy for reproductive health, rights, and autonomy as well as birth equity and safe maternity care. In my clinical practice, I care for maternity patients, both outpatient and inpatient; the main focus of my practice is on family planning, including contraception and abortion care.