Displaying items by tag: Birth Center at PCC

Kathleen Britten is a Certified Nurse Midwife. She completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at University of Illinois at Chicago. Kathleen received her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing in May of 2018, and then completed her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in May 2022 to become a Certified Nurse Midwife. Most of her midwifery training was done with the midwives at PCC, which is why she was happy to join the team. Experiencing PCC's mission and team work first-hand is why Kathleen decided to stay as a provider after completing her training. Kathleen's experience as a Registered Nurse was with a home-birth practice and also in the hospital. So, the PCC Birth Center feels like just the right fit and she is honored to be a piece in making out-of-hospital birth and patient-centered midwifery care more accessible. Kathleen is an active member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Illinois Board and is a proud midwife of the LGBTQ+ community. In her free time, she enjoys taking her dogs for walks, spoiling her nephew, and practicing hot yoga. When it gets cold out, you can find Kathleen binge-watching TV shows and trying out new dinner recipes. 

Kamala Krakover is a Certified Nurse Midwife. They received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Columbia University and a Master of Science in Nursing from SUNY Downstate Health Science University. They also hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film and literature. Kamala loves working as a midwife and strives to support and nurture their patients, believing stronger and healthier parents are the foundation of a stronger and healthier community. Kamala's pronouns are she/they.

Jeanine Valrie-Logan is a Certified Nurse Midwife. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Fisk University and a Master in Science in Nursing from DePaul University. She also received a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Global Reproductive Health from the George Washington University. Jeanine completed the nurse midwifery program at Frontier Nursing University in the fall of 2018. She loves being outside with her family and is interested in herbs, plants, and growing food. Jeanine promotes breastfeeding and has co-authored Free to Breastfeed: Voices of Black Mothers - a book that highlights the experiences of Black women who breastfeed.

Berwyn, Ill. – PCC Community Wellness Center (PCC) hosted the American Association of Birth Center’s (AABC) “How to Start a Birth Center” workshop on April 14-15 at the Double Tree Hotel in Rosemont. The two-day workshop addressed the many issues that need to be considered when exploring the development of a birth center.

Chicago, IL – The Birth Center at PCC and New Moms will co-host “Women’s Night Out,” a free community event where women can enjoy an evening of fellowship. Women’s Night Out events foster community, model self-care techniques, and introduce health concepts such as nutrition or physical activity for women and mothers. This month’s event will be held on Thursday, June 29, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at New Moms at 5317 W. Chicago Avenue in Chicago.

Berwyn, IL – On October 27, the Birth Center at PCC celebrated its second year of operations with a festive birthday party for birth center patients. Guests were presented with a Birth Center at PCC t-shirt for their babies, had the opportunity to take a family portrait, and enjoyed refreshments. And of course, there was birthday cake!

Berwyn, IL – The Birth Center at PCC welcomed its 100th delivery on Sunday, June 12. Baby Sawyer takes the honor of being the 100th baby born at the Birth Center at PCC. Brittani Chodl and her wife, Mary, welcomed Sawyer with the support of Sawyer’s older sister, Mia, and great-grandmother.

Oak Park, IL - The first newborn cries were heard in the Birth Center at PCC, Illinois’ first free-standing birth center, as two families welcomed their babies on the rainy fall morning of October 18. Sophia Azalia, daughter of Delilah Noyola and Ivan Ramos was the first baby born at the birth center, located at PCC South Family Health Center in Berwyn. Less than one hour later, Natalia and Roberto welcomed their son, Ryland.

Mary has supported mothers and their families since 1983. She received a masters degree in public service from DePaul University, contributing to her administrative skill set.

Amy Willen received her Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University in 2004 and has since attended births as a nurse-midwife in several settings including both large and smaller hospitals, free standing birth centers, and homes in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Amy believes childbirth is a normal process and loves being able to tailor her midwifery care to support women's choices no matter what setting they choose to give birth in. Amy enjoys traveling internationally and has worked as a midwife in Uganda and Tanzania. She loves learning new languages and is fluent in Spanish. Committed to providing care to underserved communities, Amy is a member of the National Health Service Corps.