Meet Our Staff

Amy Hill

APRN/CNM – Director of Midwifery

Amy began her nursing career in 2005 after graduating from Graham Hospital School of Nursing. She worked at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois for 2 years in medical/surgical pediatrics and the neonatal step-down unit. In 2009, Amy accepted a position in labor and delivery at Pekin Hospital’s The Baby Place. It was there that her passion for women’s health, breastfeeding, and midwifery care blossomed. Over her years as a labor and delivery nurse, Amy realized she had a calling to work with women and support them throughout all physiologic transitions of life. In 2013 she graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Kaplan University. After much research and consideration, she chose to continue her journey at Frontier Nursing University. In 2016, she graduated with her Masters of Science in Nursing and earned her certification as a midwife through the AMCB. Using the midwifery model of care and a shared decision-making process she is able to offer holistic centered care for the families she serves. Amy respects the natural progression of labor with minimal interventions offering a peaceful environment for the laboring woman. In addition to their passion for midwifery, she enjoys spending time with her husband Steve and their 3 beautiful children.

Ashley Jones

APRN/CNM

 I began my nursing career in 2011 after graduating from Illinois Central College as a Registered Nurse. I knew early on in my life that I had a passion for women’s health and serving women and families which drew me to nursing. After graduation, I accepted a position at Pekin Hospital, The Baby Place. It was there that I grew a true understanding and love for pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. I met many nurses and midwives along the way that practiced the midwifery model of care and opened my eyes to the increased need for low intervention midwifery care in our area. I decided to continue my education and received my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Chicago in 2015 and continued on to Frontier Nursing University where I completed my Master of Science in Nursing degree and became a Certified Nurse Midwife after completing my certification at the AMCB in 2019. I am dedicated to supporting women and empowering them through education so that they may make informed choices in their care and be in charge of their bodies and their pregnancy. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my husband Brock, two step-children, and our Chocolate Labrador Retriever Scout.

Justine Sims

APRN/CNM

 Justine is a midwife at our birth center. The journey that led Justine to our facility started with 10 years in various capacities in Cardiac Rehab and Wellness. She then went on to work in Labor and Delivery at BroMenn Medical Center as a nurse where she also obtained a nursing certification in breastfeeding to better serve her patients. As she came to understand that the occasion of birth is not just about the arrival of a new person but also a transformative and empowering experience, she felt called to pursue an advanced degree to start her career as a Midwife! She felt pulled to play a larger part in the decision-making partnership with women during pregnancy and birth, to keep that moment sacred, to honor each new life as it comes into this world. After working in the birth world Justine’s passion for supporting women grew and she found herself looking for birth work that would serve families deeper in a place where birth is not feared and physiologic evidence-based care is supported. When she found the Birth Center, she found her home. She found a place where she could intimately care for women in a way that empowered them through education and support. Believing that all women deserve to feel autonomous, safe, and respected in pregnancy and birth she feels honored to partner with the passionate staff at the Birth Center, who make those values a reality for families every day. She is humbled and grateful to be present and a part of the partnership between women and their providers through all phases of their lives.

Sarah Shoemaker

APRN/CNM

Sarah has spent many years supporting birthing families as a birth doula, prenatal educator, birth assistant at the Birth Center, and L&D RN. She is certified in inpatient obstetric nursing, as a birth doula with DONA International, and now as a nurse-midwife.

 After a traumatic birth with her first child, Sarah became a self-proclaimed “birth nerd” and worked with wonderful midwives to learn more about physiological birth. Her experiences as a birthing woman, doula, and RN further solidified her passion for helping women to navigate the birth process with a focus on support, preparation, and fully informed decision making.

 In her new role as a nurse-midwife, Sarah is excited to use her background in supporting physiological birth and patient education to help families achieve a safe, empowering experience at the Birth Center. 

 Sarah lives in Champaign with her husband, 3 children, and beloved dog, Gemma. When she’s not at a birth, she also enjoys reading, traveling, trying new foods, and singing at the top of her lungs to musicals.

Trish Wierenga

FNP-BC, IBCLC, RLC, PMH-C

 Trish Wierenga has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in central Illinois since 2011 and recently graduated with a master’s degree in nursing and is now a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner.  She is one of only a few practitioners in Central Illinois that is certified in Perinatal Mental Health.

Trish is a member and the current Chairperson of the International Affiliation of Tongue Tie Professionals (IATP), a member and the Vice-Chairperson of the Central Illinois Breastfeeding Task Force (CIBTF), a member of the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), a member of the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA), and is a member of Postpartum Support International (PSI). She has spoken at conferences locally and internationally on the role of the IBCLC and in the assessment and management of tongue and lip tie issues in relation to breastfeeding challenges, airway, and other facets of wellness.  She lives in central Illinois with her husband, Brian and four children.

Stephanie Harper

BSN, RN – Administrator

After graduating from Mennonite College of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2004, I began working in women’s health. I have dedicated most of my nursing career years to caring for, supporting, and educating women in quality outpatient settings. I feel blessed to work with Certified Nurse-Midwives in the birth center model of care since 2018. My passion for birth and empowering women drives me daily to make changes in the local birth culture, decrease birth trauma and promote birth equality. When not at the Birth Center, my world is with my husband, and two children. We enjoy going to sporting events and spending time outdoors together.

Buffy Fleming

Buffy has been working in the medical billing field for over 20 years. In 2017 she landed at The Birth Center and knew this was where she was meant to be. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends being outdoors, shopping, and spoiling her pup.

Margaret Wilkins

Cassi Fife

Certified Nurse Midwife

Trisha Bumbalough

Birth Assistant

Jenni Collins

APRN, CNM

Jenni has known she wanted to work in healthcare for as long as she can remember and has been drawn to birth since attending the birth of her niece when Jenni was just 15 years old. She received her nursing prerequisites at Judson University before returning to central IL to finish her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from OSF St. Francis College of Nursing in 2007. After working more than a decade as a labor and delivery nurse and homebirth assistant and having her own birth experiences, she developed a passion for listening to women, giving them exceptional care, and providing them with options for the healthcare they deserve. She saw a great need for more healthcare providers in this area, especially ones offering respectful, supportive care of women and families. In 2018, Jenni received her masters degree in certified nurse midwifery at Frontier Nursing University. She has dedicated her time since then as an out of hospital midwife serving women and families all throughout central Illinois.

She enjoys spending time with her husband and their six active kids. They live on a few acres in the country just outside of Bloomington. She has a great support system that allows her to fully commit herself to birth work. Caring for others is a huge part of who she is and her passion in life. She also loves to read and learn new ways to improve herself as a wife, mother, and midwife!

Jenni truly believes in the importance of building relationships, listening to your desires and concerns, and working with you to give you a safe and supported experience! She looks forward to meeting your family and working together as a team!

Jamie

BSN, RN

Bio coming soon!

Nayla

Patient Care Coordinator

Bio coming soon!

Amanda

RN

Bio coming soon!

Emmalyn

CLS, Medical Assistant

From a young age, Emmalyn knew she wanted to work with mother's and babies. While her original plan was to attend nursing school, she instead received a scholarship to Eureka College where she studied Psychology and Hispanic Studies. During her time in college, she grew a passion for lactation work, and began shadowing her family friend, Trish Wierenga. In June of 2021 she received her CLS (Certified Lactation Specialist) certification and has since completed all requirements to sit for the IBCLC exam. She began working at the Birth Center in May of 2022 after graduating from EC as a Medical Office Assistant and Lactation Student. Alongside her IBCLC, she plans to earn her certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) in order to best serve lactating mothers and their families. Outside of work you can find her playing music at local venues, leading worship at Cana Lutheran Church in Washington, IL, and spending time with her fiance and several furry and furless pets.

Athena

CMA, CNA

Bio coming soon!