Birthwise Midwifery has a diverse faculty of working professionals who bring years of midwifery experience to our academic program.

Sarah Ackerly, ND, CPM               

Sarah is a Naturopathic Physician and CPM with a busy family practice and home birth practice. She graduated from National College of Naturopathic Medicine and was a faculty member at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, OR.  She practices in Topsham, ME and has been on the Birthwise faculty since 1995.

Holly Murphy, CPM  

Holly received a BA in Religion and Philosophy from Saint Mary's College (1999) and graduated from Birthwise in 2005.  She maintains a private practice, Birch Moon Midwifery, on the Blue Hill Peninsula.  Holly is an active member of several midwifery organizations, including NACPM, MACPM, and MANA.

Janet Beardsley, CNM, MSN

Janet moved to Maine in 2004 from Vermont, where she had been practicing as a CNM since 1996.  She has worked in Portland and Lewiston, and is now part of the Maine General Midwifery Service in Winthrop and Augusta.  She has a B.A. from Hampshire College, B.S.N. and M.S.N. from Case Western Reserve University, and is currently pursuing an Adult Nurse Practitioner certificate at UMass Boston.

Ellie Daniels, CPM  

Ellie Daniels, CPM, is an apprentice-trained community midwife. She founded Morningstar Midwifery in 1983. She also owns The Green Store, “a general store for the 21st century. Ellie has been on the faculty at Birthwise Midwifery School since its early days. Through her practice, her teaching, and her Board work, she weaves together her passions for midwifery and business.

Susi Delaney, MA, CPM  

Susi is a graduate of Birthwise. She runs a small homebirth practice - Red Tent Midwifery - based in Gray, ME. She holds a bachelor's degree in History from the University of Rochester  and a master's degree in History & Sociology of Science from the University of Pennsylvania. She is on the Board of the Association of Midwifery Educators.  She is the Clinical Manager of Birthwise.

Heidi Fillmore, CPM, NHCM

Heidi is the founder & current Executive Director of Birthwise. She has a Bachelors degree in Architectural Technology from Southern Illinois University (1982) and graduated from the Midwifery Training Institute in 1987. She has been practicing midwifery in Maine and New Hampshire for 23 years and has been a faculty member since the founding of Birthwise in 1994. She is currently a member of the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council Board of Directors.

Robin Illian, CPM  

Robin is a homebirth midwife with a practice in Portland, ME.   She has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Biology from James Madison University (1999) and is an alumni of Birthwise. Robin attended births and was part of the midwifery community in California and Colorado, before moving to Maine.

Maureen Smith, CPM, NHCM  

Maureen is an alumni of Birthwise Midwifery School and is an active home birth midwife in both Maine and New Hampshire. She joined the Birthwise faculty in 2002.

Morgan Titus, ND 

Morgan is a Naturopathic Doctor practicing in the Augusta area.  She is currently finishing her midwifery training.

Heidi Toews, NP  

Heidi was a member of the first class at Birthwise in 1994 and went on to receive her BSN from University of Southern Maine. She currently works as a Family Nurse Practitioner  in the Lewiston area. 

Kathy Amsden, LCSW, CP

Kathy is a licensed clinical Social Worker in private practice in Auburn, ME.  She is new to the Birthwise faculty in 2011. 

ADJUNCT FACULTY

Larry Greer, grief counselor

Brenda Surabian, CPM

Nell Tharpe, CNM

Emily Murray

Lindsay Bushnell, CPM

Delores Carbonneau