Karin Braun, CNM, APRN & Clinical Director 

Karin has been attending births since 1994. Karin started as a nurse and certified direct entry midwife and obtained her CNM degree in 2001. She owned and operated a birth center in Anchorage, Alaska and has attended births worldwide. Karin spent 5 years in the northern Arizona birth community (Cottonwood, Sedona, and Flagstaff) before moving to the East Valley. As a CNM Nurse Practitioner, Karin is able to offer a higher level of care to women and their families; including well woman care, contraception and care across the life span. Karin has four children and one grandchild of her own.

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Dr. Melissa Gibbons, NMD

Dr. Melissa Gibbons is a board certified Naturopathic Medical Doctor and Midwife and has been attending births since 2013. She believes that the body knows what’s best for itself and given the right conditions, can heal itself. She uses this belief to work with her patients to create individualized plans that support the healing process. She became a midwife in order to guide women and their families through the extraordinary time that is the childbearing cycle. She specializes in midwifery, women’s health, fertility, and pediatrics. Dr. Melissa is committed to social justice and equity since there is no personal health without a healthy community and world.

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​Isabelle Krize, Midwife, Doula

​Isabelle is a mom of five, and wife of 18 years to her best friend Josh. She says that she wouldn’t be where she is today without Josh's unwavering support. She has been in the field of birth work for over 13 years. She's done a wide range of work with families here in the valley, starting with massage therapy where she focused on prenatal in-home massage. Isabelle started as a Birth Doula in 2009 and has served over 500 families in that capacity, including Postpartum, Bereavement and Trauma informed Doula care, birth photography, personalized labor prep/birth education and infant advocacy. In 2016 she started her journey into Midwifery and has been working toward her CPM for 6 years. When she's not attending births, seeing clients, and helping out with orientations Isabelle loves spending quality time with family and loves being outdoors.

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Alicia Gannon, EMT-P, LCCE, Birth Assistant

Alicia Gannon is a Nationally Certified Paramedic. While she was in paramedic school, she found her love for maternal health; and has been passionate about it ever since. Alicia has been a birth assistant since 2020 and has been very busy! Alicia married her high school sweetheart in 2022 and loves nature and the outdoors. Alicia is currently working towards her credentialing as a Childbirth Educator. ​

Lori Brill, EMT, Birth Assistant

Lori Brill is a birth assistant and Nationally Certified EMT. After spending a few years working in the Emergency Room setting she realized she wanted to do something more. After having her own unmedicated birth, she discovered her love of maternal health and desire to help other women wishing to have the same experience. Lori is currently studying toward her Masters in Counseling, with a desire to help women navigate their mental health. In her free time, she enjoys going on 4-wheeling trips in her Jeep and taking daytrips with her husband and daughter. Lori also has two dogs who come along on their family daytrips, Bear and Sadie.

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Ariella Chung, Doula and Birth Assistant 

Ariella Chung is the first generation in her family proudly wearing the Guyana flag. Her cultural and family traditions run deep in her passion for birth work. Coming from a background in early childhood education specializing in infants through 4 years of age with special needs, Ariella discovered the options for obstetric care. Coming from a family who grew their food in the backyard, and a mother who raised her on alternative medicine -the mentioning of becoming a midwife and out-of-hospital births at age 14 really planted the seed. By year 18, her start in birth work as a doula began to flourish. She made it her goal to ensure voices were heard, empowered, and physically supported. Her profession in birth work was not only a passion, but the framework and a vital part of her lineage starting back with her great grandmother and grandmother in island midwifery work. Ariella has been intentional with walking towards her calling into birth work, and continues to love serving right alongside families committed for the whole ride. She is a homemaker of all things, vegan, sweet, and nourishing, while also enjoying a healthy amount of dirt out with horses and gardening! 

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​Lora Fiala, SM, CD, SBPE, Evidence Based Birth® Instructor

​Lora has been in the birth world since 2015. It all started with the preparation for the birth of her first son. She wanted an unmedicated birth and was encouraged to take a childbirth class. She and her husband did just that and after the birth of their son, Lora knew she wanted to pass along the knowledge she had gained to other birthing families. Lora fell naturally into the education side of birth as she has a background in elementary education.
After teaching for a few years and going on to have a second son at home she knew she wanted to be more involved in the birth process. She went on to become an Evidence Based Birth® Instructor, Spinning Babies® Parent Educator,  Certified Doula, and a birth assistant. Lora is currently working toward becoming a Certified Professional Midwife.

Elissa Nelson, Front Desk Receptionist and Birth Assistant  

Elissa is a lady of many hats; she is both Front Desk and a Birth Assistant. Elissa was a former nanny for 7+ years and developed a love for children. She went to COC in California and completed her degree in Early Childhood Development, graduating as  Valedictorian with Honors.  After moving to Arizona with her Husband in 2020; Elissa decided to pursue her passion in midwifery and has begun moving forward towards not only birth assisting, but midwifery-friendly birth photography as well as placenta encapsulation. Elissa hopes to have children of her own someday soon, but for now has a cat named Amps whom she loves dearly. 

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Jayme Quaranta, Office Manager, Payroll, Bookkeeping, HR

Jayme is an office management professional with 15+ years of industry experience. She joined the Gilbert Family Birthing Center team in 2022 and manages all staff and coordinates with vendors and ensures State compliances. She oversees the daily operations of the office and plans meetings, conferences and special events for the staff. She is a woman of many hats here at the Center! She possesses excellent leadership and organizational skills and ensures the effectiveness of the company's staff and processes. Jayme has been in Arizona since she was 4, resides in Gilbert now, and has one amazing Daughter that she couldn't be more proud of. Jayme is also a Certified Yoga teacher, A Level 1 Reiki, and a Guided Meditation leader. Jayme also loves plants and animals and has a mini schnauzer named Oliver, and a cat named Binxx whom she lovingly refers to as her fur-babies.

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