EAST CASCADE WOMENS GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- CERTIFIED NURSE - MIDWIFE
- Department: Certified Nurse Midwife
Biography
Alexa knew that she wanted to catch babies when she was 10 years old and saw her little brother born, but didn't know about midwives until much later. The holistic approach focused on listening to women, supporting a normal human process, and using evidence to educate and empower women to make their own decisions completely resonated with her. Once she figured this out, she switched from pre-med to nursing and then worked as a labor and delivery nurse for 2 years while attending graduate school at Georgetown University to become a certified nurse-midwife. After graduating in 2014, she worked at a small community hospital birth center and then a large high risk facility in Northern California.
She is passionate about providing gentle trauma-informed care and has a particular interest in perinatal mood disorders, prenatal education, and supporting both low and high risk women during childbirth. When she's not catching babies, she loves eating good food, traveling, adventuring outdoors with her husband and three small children, running, hiking, biking, skiing, and baking treats.
Education
Georgetown University - Washington, DC
Certifications
Certified Nurse-Midwife
Previous Peri Vernon CNM | Certified Nurse Midwife
Next Ciara Thomson-Barnett CNM, WHNP | Certified Nurse Midwife
Job Titles:
- Department: Nurse Practitioner
- Women 's Health Nurse Practitioner
Andrea Daube, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, grew up in on the tip of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (with a minor in Women and Gender-Studies) at the College of St. Scholastica and earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Women's Health at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. During her time in school, Andrea had the privilege of providing prenatal care to women in Kampala, Uganda and postoperative and postpartum care to women in Manila, The Philippines.
Andrea practices trauma-informed care influenced by her years working as an advocate for victim/survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Her prior medical experience includes working at a domestic violence shelter, an independent abortion clinic, and at multiple Planned Parenthood Affiliates. Andrea currently teaches a class at Oregon Health & Sciences University and serves as the Regional Representative for Nurse Practitioners of Oregon.
Keenly aware of the long-standing history of the medical field dismissing women's concerns and pain, Andrea takes the time to ensure patients are truly heard. She also recognizes the importance of making gynecologic exams and procedures more accessible with an array of anxiety and pain management options.
In her role as a nurse practitioner, Andrea believes in building long-lasting relationships with her patients and specializes in birth control, abortion care, vulvar conditions, miscarriage management, gender-affirming care, and in-clinic gynecologic procedures.
Andrea moved from Minnesota to her husband's hometown of Bend in 2020. When not caring for her patients, she can be found tending her backyard chickens, sampling local beer, gardening, and trail-running in the desert with her two mini Australian shepherds.
Education
University of Minnesota Twin Cities - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Certifications
Job Titles:
- CERTIFIED PHYSICIANS ASSISTANT
- Department: Certified Physicians Assistant
Biography
Christina (Chrissy) Davis grew up in Bend, Oregon, and is thrilled to be practicing obstetrics and gynecology in her hometown. She received her undergraduate degree in exercise science from Colorado's Fort Lewis College, then Master's of Physician Assistant degree from Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, California. A board-certified physician assistant, Chrissy is interested in all aspects of obstetrics and gynecology and loves caring for women in Central Oregon.
Her spare time is spent with her husband Jon and their sons Byron and Evan taking part in all the fun activities Bend has to offer. She loves mountain biking, running, skiing, snowboarding and exploring the High Desert Museum with the family. If you see her around town and she doesn't recognize you, it's probably her identical twin sister who also lives in Bend!
Education
Samuel Merritt College - Oakland, California
Certifications
Certified Physicians Assistant
Previous Ciara Thomson-Barnett CNM, WHNP | Certified Nurse Midwife
Job Titles:
- Department: Certified Nurse Midwife
- Women 's Health Nurse Practitioner
Growing up in Wyoming, Ciara has always fostered a strong interest in providing health care to rural communities. She received an undergraduate degree in political science from The University of Oregon. Realizing her passion for women's health care, Ciara shifted her focus from politics and completed her undergraduate in nursing from Oregon Health and Sciences University and received her graduate education at Yale School of Nursing. During her time at Yale, Ciara traveled to Laos to train nurses in the Salavan Province on how to decrease maternal-infant mortality rates in their communities.
As a dual certified-nurse midwife and Women's health nurse practitioner, Ciara uses patient-centered care as a way to empower women to make informed health care decisions. She realizes that pregnancy can be a time of great change and enjoys navigating her patients through it. She enjoys all the aspects of midwifery and women's health with a particular focus on contraception, midwifery model of pregnancy care, menopause care and miscarriage management. Ciara enjoys providing routine and holistic prenatal care in office.
When not caring for her patients, Ciara can be found enjoying many of Central Oregon's outdoor activities!
Education
Yale School of Nursing - Orange, Connecticut
Certifications
Certified Nurse-Midwife, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
Previous Alexa Smith-Ellison CNM | Certified Nurse Midwife
Next Christina Davis PA-C | Certified Physicians Assistant
Job Titles:
- Member of the Medical Team
- about Doctor
- Department
Job Titles:
- Member of the Medical Team
- about Doctor
- Department
* While Dr. Howell is no longer seeing patients in the clinic, she will be rotating on-call part-time in the Family Birthing Center *
Dr. Jane A. Howell received her undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of South Dakota and completed her residency at Indiana University Medical Center. She then made her home in South Bend, Indiana, where she practiced in a single specialty OB/GYN group for nine years. She joined us in Central Oregon in 2001 where she is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and has enjoyed our community and her practice ever since.
Outside of work, Dr. Howell loves to hike, paddleboard kayak, quilt and spend time with her husband, son and much-loved dogs.
Education
Indiana University Medical Center - Bloomington, Indiana
Certifications
Job Titles:
- about Doctor
- Department
- Member of the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Janelle Strom is a member of the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and a Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetrics/Gynecology. She received her B.S. in Zoology from North Dakota State University, and her medical degree from the University of North Dakota. She completed her residency training at Creighton University in Omaha Nebraska and completed her MBA from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. Dr. Strom was also an enlisted member and a commissioned officer in the North Dakota, and Nebraska Air National Guard. Although Dr. Strom enjoys all aspects of obstetrics/gynecology, she has special interest in the minimally-invasive surgical procedures which allow women who require surgery to recover more quickly. She is an active member of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, and has experience in advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgical procedures.
Dr. Strom joined us after living and practicing in Central Minnesota for over 20 years and is thrilled to be a part of our community. Married with two sons, she enjoys golfing, gardening and cooking in her spare time.
Education
Creighton University - Omaha, Nebraska
Certifications
Job Titles:
- Member of the Medical Team
- about Doctor
- Department
Dr. Megan Smith has been practicing obstetrics and gynecology since 2007. She grew up in Connecticut, obtaining a degree in Neuroscience from Trinity College. A love of science led her to do a year long genetics research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health before attending University of Connecticut for medical school. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Dr. Smith practiced in Seattle for 14 years before relocating with her family to Bend.
Dr. Smith enjoys the relationships that can be formed by taking care of women in all stages of life. She strives to practice evidence based medicine that is rooted in a foundation of listening to the patient. She practices full scope obstetrics, including low risk and high risk pregnancies. She also has a special interest in gynecological surgery (minimally invasive, hysteroscopic, and vaginal) as well as adolescent care and menopausal health.
Megan is married and has 2 young boys. Her husband is a pulmonary/critical care doctor in Bend. She enjoys watching her boys play sports, running after her labrador and corgi, hiking, skiing, and any activity involving water.
Education
University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia
Certifications
Job Titles:
- Member of the Medical Team
- OBSTETRICIAN - GYNECOLOGIST
Dr. Miriam Champer grew up in Eugene, Oregon and received a bachelors degree from the Univeristy of Washington. She then moved to New York City where she received her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed her residency in Ob/Gyn at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. She is now delighted to have returned to the Pacific Northwest to practice obstetrics and gynecology.
Dr. Champer is passionate about all aspects of obstetrics and gynecology but is particularly interested in gynecologic care for teens and young adults, contraceptive management, minimally invasive surgery, and both high and low risk obstetrics.
Outside of work Miriam enjoys hiking and trail running, discovering new music, and spending time with family.
Although Dr. Regan Gage grew up in Washington, DC, she has deep roots in Central Oregon. Her grandfather was the first pediatrician in Bend and also the mayor in the 1970's. She spent a lot of her childhood in Bend and is excited to call it home.
Dr. Gage received her undergraduate degree in architectural engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2000 and her medical degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC in 2011. Before medical school, she worked as a construction engineer and lighting designer in San Francisco. She also worked in Spain and the Galapagos Islands as a teacher and guide and is fluent in Spanish.
Before joining us in Central Oregon, she completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Mountain Area Health Education Center in Asheville, North Carolina. Dr. Gage enjoys all aspects of obstetrics and gynecology with particular interests in high-risk obstetrics, infertility, holistic approaches to medical care, and vaginal surgery.
In her free time, Dr. Gage enjoys reading fiction, dancing, stand-up paddleboarding and spending time with her husband and two young daughters.
Education
University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Certifications
Job Titles:
- OBSTETRICIAN - GYNECOLOGIST
Dr. Julie Wheir received her undergraduate, medical degrees, as OB/GYN residency training at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She enjoys all aspects of obstetrics and gynecology, but has a particular interest in delivering babies and minimally-invasive surgery. She is also committed to establishing personal relationships with her patients with a focus on patient education and preventive medicine.
Active in many outdoor activities, Dr. Wheir enjoys running, mountain biking and skiing with her husband and their three children.
Job Titles:
- CERTIFIED NURSE - MIDWIFE
- Department: Certified Nurse Midwife
Biography
Born and raised in Central Oregon, Peri is honored to provide holistic, evidence-based, compassionate care to the members of her community. After completing her undergraduate degrees through Central Oregon Community College and Linfield College, she pursued her passion in midwifery and women's health at Georgetown University. Throughout her education, she participated in several volunteer programs to provide health care in underserved areas in the Dominican Republic and Southeast Asia.
As a Certified Nurse Midwife, Peri enjoys supporting her patients at every stage of life from adolescence, pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. She loves empowering women to make informed decisions about their health and strives to give care that helps her patients thrive. Peri shares a special interest in trauma informed care, contraception, preconception health, prenatal care, gynecologic health, and labor preparation.
When she isn't seeing patients, you can find Peri enjoying Central Oregon's beautiful hikes, golfing, spending time with her family (plus her two boston terriers Major and Morty), and performing with a local Hawaiian dance group!
Education
Georgetown University - Washington, DC
Certifications
Certified Nurse-Midwife
Previous Stevie McLaughlin ABPP, PHD | Clinical Psychologist
Next Alexa Smith-Ellison CNM | Certified Nurse Midwife
Job Titles:
- CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
- Department: Clinical Psychologist
Biography
Dr. Stephanie McLaughlin received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and her doctorate in clinical psychology from Brigham Young University in Utah. She emphasized in neuropsychological/cognitive assessments in graduate school but learned quickly she liked working with patients in therapy as well. She completed her post-doctoral training at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas in group psychology and is a board-certified clinical psychologist. She has worked and trained in a variety of clinical settings, including outpatient and inpatient psychiatric centers (Rawson Neal Hospital in Las Vegas, Huntsman Mental Health Institute - University of Utah) and medical clinics (e.g., neurorehabilitations and pain management). Prior to starting at ECWG she worked in a private practice setting and developed a passion for work with parents and families navigating pregnancy and childbirth related issues, such as adjustment to parenthood and perinatal anxiety and depression. She is thrilled to be at ECWG to facilitate access to mental health services and collaborate with other care providers. She has trained with Postpartum Support International and the Gottman Institute (Bringing Baby Home) to inform her work. She typically utilizes a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) approach in therapy, though frequently draws on other models as needed.
Dr. McLaughlin collaborates with the patient on how their identities and cultural backgrounds will be considered in treatment. She also believes in tracking outcomes, meaning the patient provides feedback regarding their experience in sessions.
Dr. McLaughlin likes the outdoors and visiting new places with her son and partner and dog and is a semi-retired ultimate frisbee player.
Education
University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Nevada
Certifications
Certified Clinical Psychologist