Maria Smilios

Maria DeMarinis Smilios is a product of Flushing Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) having been born there, volunteered as a teenager and later attended the nursing school. Maria began her career as a Labor and Delivery Room nurse. During this time, she studied the benefits of breastfeeding and shared her knowledge with her patients and families. As a Childbirth Educator, the topic of breastfeeding and the benefits to the infant and mother were shared with her expectant couples. Maria obtained a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Nursing from Long Island University and is a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Maria became an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) over twenty years ago. She has assisted and consulted with numerous pregnant and lactating women. Maria has grown in her role as a nurse and is currently the Director of Nursing for Maternal and Child Services as well as the Ambulatory Care Centers. It has always been her passion to provide and deliver the best care to all patients and to provide expectant women and new mothers with information so that they may make informed decisions. The future of our community is in the newborn babies. Therefore, providing them with the best possible beginning and nutrition is essential.

In her spare time, Maria enjoys daily fitness classes at the gym, cycling, hiking, reading, cooking and baking. Most of all, she enjoys time with her family. Maria is married and the mother of three sons and three daughter-in-laws: Nicholas (Rita), Christopher (Megan) and Lucas (Lily). Like their mother, her sons were born at Flushing Hospital Medical Center. All were breastfed and when added up, she fed for a total of 7.5 years.