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We are pleased to introduce you to our committed team of midwives. They all have their own unique approach to the practice of midwifery and are looking forward to meeting you.
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Debbie Smith, R.M.
Debbie Smith began attending births as a labour support (doula) in 1978. In 1984 she started a Midwifery study program in Michigan at a freestanding birth center. From there she started practicing as a primary caregiver in Ontario and Michigan. On October 2, 1993 she graduated from the Michener Institute of Applied Health Sciences in Toronto. On January 1, 1994 she became one of the first 60 midwives to be registered to practice with the College of Midwives of Ontario. Debbie is a member of The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (SOGC).
She also has a busy role being involved in many Committees in her area, and has been a Clinical Preceptor for the Midwifery Education Program since 1995. Debbie has worked as a labour support provider, child birth educator, midwifery advocate and has also been a midwifery consumer. She and her husband Barry have lived in Lambton County since 1975 and have 3 grown children – Brian, Randy and Dayna. She loves outdoor activities, visiting with friends and a good book. She has two beautiful granddaughters, Zoe and Mia and a cute little grandson, Porter. Debbie is proud to say that she ‘caught’ her two granddaughters and assisted her son-in-law Troy in catching Porter too.
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Cynthia Thoren, R.M.
Cynthia graduated from Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto in 2004 with the degree of Bachelor of Health Sciences in Midwifery. Since 1993 Cynthia has been providing labour support for women from Sarnia to London. She has organized a Midwifery consumer group, served on the midwifery provincial funding board, taught prepared childbirth classes and also worked as the office manager of Midwifery Services of Sarnia-Lambton.
As a midwifery student, she trained in London at two different midwifery practices, London Health Sciences Centre, and the Middlesex Public Health Unit. She also participated in clinical placements in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, with the lactation consultants, and IV team.
Although midwifery is currently the main focus in her life, she also enjoys windsurfing, sailing, swimming, knitting and visiting with friends and family. |
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Jenna Konkle R.M.
Born in a little town in Niagara, Jenna went abroad and completed her midwifery training through Newlife International School of Midwifery located in the Philippines. She started catching babies in 2006, and since then has acquired an Associate of Science in Midwifery through the National College of Midwifery (Taos, NM), and her Certified Professional Midwife through the North American Registry of Midwives. Serving the impoverished women and families in the Philippines, at such a significant time in life, had a profound effect on Jenna. She moved home at the end of 2008 ready to learn about and impact women in her own culture. More recently, Jenna completed the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program at Ryerson to become a Registered Midwife here in Ontario and is currently completing her first year of practice in Ontario with the midwives in Sarnia. Since being in Sarnia, Jenna has become involved with the Prenatal Educators Meetings at CHSD as well as the Breastfeeding Council. She loves experiencing new places, meeting new people, and being apart of everything thatʼs going on!
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Xiaojuan (Joanne) Yan, R.M.
Xiaojuan (Joanne) was trained and worked as an obstetrician in China for more than 15 years. She started attending births in 1989 when she was under her obstetrical graduate study. She also got intensive midwifery training before she worked as an obstetrician. Joanne was a senior Ob of a level III and Baby Friendly Hospital of China, and she was also a professor of a provincial medical university before she relocated to Ontario, Canada in 2008 with her family. During her work in China, Joanne also assumed other roles as a child birth educator and a breastfeeding advocator. In addition, she joined some research projects in Ottawa Hospital and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute to promote maternal and fetal health over the past 10 years. Several peer reviewed research papers have been published in high impact international journals.
Being fascinated by the midwifery models of Ontario, Joanne registered and finished the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program (IMPP) at Ryerson University in 2010. She has attended a lot of births during her midwifery clerkship in Ontario, as well as in Sarnia since she joined our midwifery practice middle of July, 2011. Recently, Joanne has become involved in some teaching activities in IMPP, Ryerson University, and community activities to promote midwifery care.
Joanne really enjoys the beauty of Sarnia, and she would love to support you to have your beautiful baby! During her off time, she enjoys meeting her friends and family.
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Sandra Krall, Practice Administrator
Sandra joined the practice as practice administrator in April, 2000. She manages the Sarnia office by making client appointments and does bookkeeping among other things for the practice. She enjoys working with the midwives and has great admiration for the work they do and the amount of time and energy they have to care for their clients.
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