Midwives

Nisha Arikupurathu, CNM

Nisha Arikupurathu is a practicing Certified Nurse Midwife since 2009. She received a BSN degree from Seton Hall University and MSN and midwifery training from SUNY Downstate Medical Center. She returned to SUNY Downstate for her FNP training in 2013. She is a member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and has a strong interest in public health. She completed an AmeriCorps volunteer fellowship, as a midwife, at the Holy Family Services Birth Center in southern Texas working with immigrant/migrant communities. Her diverse experience also includes international volunteer positions working with refugee communities in Bangladesh and Jordan. She is a facilitator for Centering Group Prenatal Care.

Location:
Women’s Health Center
133-03 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11418
To make an appointment, please call:
718-291-3276

Lisa Craig, CM

Lisa Craig is a Certified Midwife. She earned her Master of Science in Midwifery from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in 2022. Lisa is also a certified lactation counselor and is passionate about breastfeeding/chestfeeding. She is grateful for her experience as part of Jamaica Hospital’s Breastfeeding Volunteer Program.

Prior to becoming a midwife, Lisa received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Hofstra University in 2003 and worked for twelve years in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She fell in love with the birth world after accompanying a friend along her pregnancy journey. Lisa lives in Queens and is dedicated to providing families with culturally compassionate care.

Location:
Women’s Health Center
133-03 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11418
To make an appointment, please call:
718-291-3276

Ivonne Dabovich, CM

Ivonne Dabovich is a practicing Certified Midwife since 2001. She is Certified by he American College of Nurse-Midwives and believes in empowering women through education and helping them make informed choices about their health care and the birthing process. Ivonne was born and raised in the Netherlands and speaks multiple languages. Midwifery has been her lifetime passion and she continues to strive to provide you with excellent care.

Locations:
Women’s Health Center
133-03 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11418
To make an appointment, please call:
718-291-3276

St. Albans
111-20 Merrick Blvd, St. Albans, NY 11433
To make an appointment, please call:
718-206-9888

Jeanette Fierro , CNM

Jeanette Fierro is a Certified Nurse Midwife. She received her Master of Science in Midwifery from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in 2003. After practicing midwifery, then spending several years as an obstetric clinical nurse educator in the DC area, she returned to midwifery practice in 2015. She is happy to be back in NYC and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where her passion for women’s healthcare and the birthing process began.

Locations:

East New York
3080 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11208
To make an appointment, please call:
718-647-0240

Medisys Ozone Park
91-20 Atlantic Avenue, Ozone Park, NY 11416
To make an appointment, please call:
718-641-8207

Marsha Fils-Aime, CM

Marsha is a certified midwife for over nine years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Nutrition Science from Brooklyn College in 2006. After graduation, she held a position as a Service Coordinator for a couple of years before deciding to follow her heart/passion and embark in the Healthcare world. Later in 2010 she obtained a Master of Science degree in Midwifery from SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Marsha currently works Full-time at Jamaica Hospital Center. For the past nine years, Marsha’s primary passion has been child birth education and promoting breastfeeding/chestfeeding.
Marsha enjoys spending time with her family, and traveling. She resides in Long Island NY with husband, two sons, and a shih-tzu.

Location:
Hollis
188-03 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11423
To make an appointment, please call:
(718) 740-2060

Rhonda DeGannes , CNM,MSN, WHNP

Rhonda is a practicing certified Nurse-Midwife at Jamaica Hospital Midwifery Service since its inception in 1999. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Long Island University. She worked as a Medical Surgical nurse and later as a Labor and Delivery Nurse for several years at New York University Hospital. Rhonda received a Master’s of Science in Nurse Midwifery from Columbia University and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau Society. She also holds a license as Nurse Practitioner in Women’s Health.
Rhonda takes pride in empowering women to make informed health decisions about their care and the birthing experience

Location:

Women’s Health Center
133-03 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11418
To make an appointment, please call:
718-291-3276

Patricia Fox, CM

Patricia Fox is a Certified Midwife since 2013. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Minnesota and spent many years working in theater arts as a stage and production manager, director, and video designer. As a single mom, she went back to school for her Masters in Science with Midwifery Certification from SUNY Downstate Medical Center. She is also a Registered Yoga Teacher who specializes in Prenatal and Postpartum Yoga, a Birthing From Within Childbirth Mentor, and is a DONA certified Labor and Postpartum Doula. She is committed to working with women in making informed choices throughout their childbearing years and beyond.

Location:
East New York
3080 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11208
To make an appointment, please call:
718-647-0240

Brianna Gehring, CNM

Brianna Gehring is a Certified Nurse Midwife and has been practicing with Jamaica Hospital since 2017. Originally from Portland, OR, she completed a bachelor’s degree in physiology at University of Oregon. She then joined the Peace Corps and it was while working in a rural clinic in Botswana that she decided to pursue midwifery. After her service, she moved to New York, where she studied nursing and midwifery at Columbia University. She is a member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and active in the New York City Midwives chapter.

Location:
Medisys Ozone Park
91-20 Atlantic Avenue, Ozone Park, NY 11416
To make an appointment, please call:
718-641-8207

Sharon Johnson, CM

Sharon Johnson, CM Sharon Johnson is a practicing Certified Midwife since 2006. She received her Master’s degree in Midwifery from SUNY Downstate. She is a member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and believes in empowering women through education and helping them make informed choices about their healthcare and the birthing process.

Location:
East New York
3080 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11208
To make an appointment, please call:
718-647-0240

Caryne Jean-Michel , CNM

Caryne Jean Michel is a Certified Midwife and Certified Lactation Consultant. She obtained her Master of Science in Midwifery from SUNY Downstate Medical Center after being a Doula, Birth Assistant and Lactation Counselor for many years.

Apart from midwifery, her other passions are Infant Massage (trained instructor) and breastfeeding/chestfeeding. Caryne did part of her internship to become an International Certified Lactation Consultant at Jamaica Hospital Breastfeeding Program. This experience compliments her midwifery practice and gave her more experience/expertise with the parents and babies. She strives to meet each patient where they are, as these encounters continue to humble and teach her each and every day. Pronouns: she/her/hers

Location: St. Albans
111-20 Merrick Blvd, St. Albans, NY 11433
To make an appointment, please call: 718-206-9888

Location: Hollis
188-03 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11423
To make an appointment, please call: (718) 740-2060

Melissa Peña, CNM

Melissa Peña, DNP, CNM, completed her Doctorate of Nursing Practice- Midwifery at Columbia University.

While obtaining her Bachelor of Arts, she took an influential class, titled “Sociology of Human Reproduction,” that re-routed her career goals, beginning a 9-year journey towards Midwifery.

A native Brooklynite and Black Dominican-American, Melissa is passionate about serving communities of color, and incorporating her love for racial justice, meditation/Yoga, Feminism, and environmentalism in her care.

She has been working as a Certified- Midwife since September 2021

Locations:

East New York
3080 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11208
To make an appointment, please call:
718-647-0240

Medisys Ozone Park
91-20 Atlantic Avenue, Ozone Park, NY 11416
To make an appointment, please call:
718-641-8207

Laurie Schwartz-Moser, CNM

Laurie Schwartz-Moser is a practicing Certified Nurse Midwife since graduating from SUNY Downstate College of Allied Professionals in 1989. Prior to her career in Midwifery, she graduated from the University of Bridgeport with a BS in Nursing in 1985, working at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in their Labor and Delivery unit. She has been at Jamaica Hospital since 1999 doing full-scope Midwifery and happily serving the women of Queens County. She enjoys being a mentor for midwifery and allied professional students from the NYC metro area in her clinical practice as well as imparting knowledge and education to the women in the community. Her personal philosophy: Every family unit is unique and every delivery is special.

Diana Torres, CM

Is the first Certified Midwife to practice at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and has been providing culturally sensitive Obstetric and Gynecological care since 2004. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Hunter College and her Degree in Midwifery from Downstate university. Diana is a bilingual expert in sexual health and women’s health topics. She is an advocate of education and proudly assists in the education of student midwives and residents. She is a Brooklynite born and raised; current interests include certification to prescribe medical marijuana. Diana shares her years of expertise as a medical contributor and consultant.

Location:
Medisys Ozone Park
91-20 Atlantic Avenue
Ozone Park, NY 11416

To make an appointment, please call:
718-641-8207

Emma Sanger-Johnson, CM

Is a Certified Nurse Midwife, and she joined Jamaica Hospital in 2021. She received a Master’s of Science and Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Columbia University. Emma is passionate about building relationships with families and providing trauma-informed, compassionate care.

Location:
Medisys Ozone Park
91-20 Atlantic Avenue
Ozone Park, NY 11416

To make an appointment, please call:
718-641-8207

East New York
30-80 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11208

To make an appointment, please call:
718-647-0240

Abigail Block, CM

Abigail Block is a Certified Midwife, Lactation Consultant, and Childbirth Educator. She graduated from SUNY Downstate with a Master of Science in Midwifery and interned in lactation at Jamaica Hospital. She was also a doula and birth assistant for 10 years, attending births in hospitals, birthing centers, and homes. Her inspiration to become a midwife came through the compassionate care she received from her own midwife. Abby is committed to providing that same respectful care: evidence-based, holistic, and patient-centered.

Before midwifery, Abby was in the holistic health field and was a modern dancer. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College in Dance and Education, and a Health Coach Certificate from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Location: St. Albans
111-20 Merrick Blvd, St. Albans, NY 11433
To make an appointment, please call: 718-206-9888