Overview
The panel discussed the Reproductive Justice Framework, originated by the Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice. This dynamic conversation will offer insights from ob-gyns’ perspectives, addressing topics such as evidence-based practices that promote informed consent, ethical decision-making in medicine, one’s right to choose, and the physician’s role in supporting patient rights.
The panel was moderated by Alicia Justice, DrPH, MPH and featured opening remarks from ACOG’s incoming president Camille A. Clare, MD, MPH, CPE, FACOG.
Alicia Justice
Alicia D. Justice, DrPH, MPH, is a public health doctor and health equity strategist with over 16 years of population health experience. Her management and implementation expertise has included addressing disparities in commercial tobacco use, designing health systems transformation efforts to optimize chronic disease prevention interventions, and guiding organizations in operationalizing a culture of equity in their work environments to improve workforce and workplan outcomes. Her doctoral research focused on examining the elements that create fairness in the workplace and how leaders can facilitate psychological safety.
Dr. Justice was named one of de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 Under 40 in Public Health honorees and proudly serves on the board of directors for the Center for Black Health and Equity. Dr. Justice graduated with her master of public health degree in health administration and policy from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She completed her doctor of public health degree at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in health equity and social justice.
Camille A. Clare, MD, MPH, CPE, FACOG
Camille A. Clare, MD, MPH, CPE, FACOG, is president-elect of ACOG. She is a board-certified ob-gyn. She received her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, and completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She obtained an MPH in Health Policy and Management at New York Medical College. In 2012, Dr. Clare received the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Excellence in Teaching award. In May 2018, Dr. Clare was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society Iota Chapter in New York as a New York Medical College faculty member.
Dr. Clare has most recently served as chair and tenured professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine and professor of health policy and management of Downstate Health Sciences University School of Public Health. She has also previously served as associate dean of diversity and inclusion at New York Medical College from 2016 to 2020. Dr. Clare has received numerous awards for teaching medical students and residents in her academic career, for 10 consecutive years, from New York Medical College. Dr. Clare will be rejoining the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center with a focus on faculty mentorship and community engagement and outreach. Dr. Clare has recently been named Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women’s Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, her alma mater. She is an active member of ACOG, serving in leadership roles on the Section, District, and national levels, and on several national committees. She is past ACOG District II chair, and immediate past national secretary.
Dr. Clare was recognized as an ACOG Mentor of the Year in 2017 and received the Distinguished Service award on behalf of ACOG District II in 2021. She has also served the global community by providing gynecologic care to patients in Jamaica as a member of the Organization for International Development, which is particularly important to her, as her parents immigrated to the United States from Jamaica for their educational pursuits. Dr. Clare is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Westchester Alumnae Chapter, and has had a lifetime commitment to community service, volunteerism, and mentorship.
Ebony Boyce Carter, MD, MPH, FACOG
Ebony Carter, MD, MPH, FACOG, is an associate professor and director of the division of maternal–fetal medicine in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She serves as the associate editor for Equity for Obstetrics & Gynecology. Dr. Carter’s research focuses on group prenatal care as a tool to promote health equity and is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NIH, and the American Diabetes Association.
Dr. Carter earned her undergraduate degree in human biology with honors from Stanford University, her MPH in health policy from the University of Michigan, and her medical degree from Duke University. She completed residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Harvard integrated program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital and fellowship training in maternal–fetal medicine at Washington University School of Medicine.
Veronica Maria Pimentel, MD, MS, FACOG
Veronica Maria Pimentel, MD, MS, FACOG, is a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Trinity Health of New England and an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. A dedicated advocate for reproductive justice and health equity, she is an active leader in ACOG, where her advocacy has helped shape the national dialogue on respectful maternity care and systemic inequities.
In 2020, she led the successful effort to establish Betsey, Lucy, and Anarcha Memorial Days, honoring the enslaved Black women whose suffering and resilience formed the foundation of modern gynecology. Dr. Pimentel also served as host of ACOG’s Labor of Love podcast, amplifying diverse voices and stories in women’s health. Her research focuses on optimizing postpartum care through an equity lens. She has received numerous honors for her clinical, scholarly, and advocacy contributions, including recognition as a 2025 Women of Innovation Award finalist.