Birth & Family Health Center
La Clinica de Maternidad y Familia

Our Staff:

Founding Members & Management Staff

(Pictured From Right to Left)

Marie Young -

Our Clinic Director. Marie has over 20 years of experience as an administrator in health care services. Before taking on the Directorship of Birth and Family Health Center she brought her warmth, wisdom and guidance to Health For All and The Birthing Project, both programs in the Sacramento area that provide healthcare to the under served.

Brenda Mitchell-

Our Director of Social Services. Brenda completed the her Masters Degree in Social Work in 1993 and has over 30 years of experience helping women access services and care. She guides and trains our staff and is the contact person for social service agencies in the area. Before her work at Birth and Family Health Center Brenda was the Social Worker and Comprehensive Perinatal Service Program coordinator at the Community Center for Health and Well Being. Before moving to Sacramento, she spent 10 years managing a residential and day center for homeless mentally ill women in Los Angeles.

Tanya Khemet-

Has been a Licensed Midwife (LM) since 1998, She is also a ICLVL (lactation consultant). After receiving her Midwifery training in Seattle, Washington at the Seattle School of Midwifery, she furthered her skills and life experience with apprenticeships in Senegal and Jamaica. Before her work with Birth and Family Health Center, Tanya spent 8 years providing care and coordinating service delivery as a midwife and clinic administrator at the Birthing Project Clinic in Sacramento.

Kris Garcia-

Is a Licensed Midwife who received her Midwifery training at a birth center in El Paso, Texas , where she was certified as a midwife by the state of Texas in 1998. As a licensed Midwife in California since 2001, Kris has had numerous volunteer positions, run her own private practice and opened a birth center in the Bay Area. She worked for the Birthing Project Clinic in downtown Sacramento as a volunteer, a Doula and then as a Midwife for 10 years before working as a Midwife at the Birth and Family Health Center.

Bella Blackman-

Is a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) with over 25 years of experience caring for pregnant women. After working as a Registered Nurse in Labor and Delivery she returned to school and was trained in Chicago at Cook County Hospital and University of Illinois in the Masters Program of Nursing. Bella moved to Sacramento in 1994 and worked at the Birthing Project Clinic providing prenatal care for 12 years. At Birth and Family Health Center of The Effort she works as Director of Medical Services and as a direct care provider.

Nilka Douglas is a trained Comprehensive Perinatal Health Worker. She has ten years of experience educating and giving support to pregnant women and is one of our bilingual staff members. Nilka also works as a family planning counselor, assisting our patients when they are deciding what type of contraception to use.

Kenya Owens is a trained Comprehensive Perinatal Health Worker. She provides family planning counseling and is a Teen Services Specialist. Kenya coordinates our efforts to reach out to local schools and youth service providers with our pregnancy prevention program. She has twelve years of experience in health education and is also a certified sickle cell counselor.

Eva Mitchell is our office manager and community liaison. ‘Miss Eva’ schedules appointments, helps patients know how to get the clinic, calls to remind patients of their appointments and then gives them a warm smile and a hug when they arrive. Although she works primarily in scheduling and Medical Records, she always finds a way to encourage our women to take the best care of themselves that they can.

Denise Mercado is our Patient Care Coordinator and main Medical Assistant at reception. Denise helps with check in and check out of the clinic. She schedules any additional appointments that are needed at other facilities such as ultrasound or genetic consults. Denise has 6 years of experience working with the providers as an MA and is also a family planning counselor. She is one of our bilingual staff members.

Soraya Cuevas is our lead back office Medical Assistant. She organizes the patient care and laboratory testing and assists the providers in many ways. Soraya is another one of our bilingual staff members. She has 3 years of experience working with the providers as an MA and is also a family planning counselor.

Nefertiti Khemet is a Nursing Student at Sacramento City College who is currently working as an MA in the clinic helping out in front and back. She is our newest employee and we are pleased to have her with us.

Julie Melchione is a PA (Physicians Assistant) who has worked in Women's Health Care in Sacramento for many years. Julie has been volunteering with us since our first day and we are so grateful for her wonderful work.

Link to Clinic Photo Gallery