My journey into midwifery began years ago when I became pregnant with my first son, Skylar, in 1993. My prenatal care with midwives was personal, informative and empowering.  I immediately knew that I must become a midwife!  I entered nursing school soon after his birth and I was fortunate to get my first job, as a nurse, in the maternity center at Providence. After spending years gaining knowledge of child birth and helping to empower women and families during their birthing experiences, I returned to school to complete my midwifery education.  It was during this training, that I birthed my second son, Kai, at the birth center.  I have been a part of Midwifery and Women’s Health Care ever since! Some days I can’t believe how fortunate I am to live in such an amazing place to enjoy the outdoors with my family and friends, while also being a part of such a progressive birthing community. 

My journey to becoming a midwife started as a child. I was always intrigued by pregnancy and babies. My training as a nurse solidified my desire to work with women and their families during this major life event. I completed midwifery training in Australia that did not transfer to Alaska when I moved here with my husband in 2008. In my quest to find how midwifery worked in Alaska I met and started working with the wonderful midwives of MWHC. I completed state recognized training as a Direct Entry Midwife under the tutelage of Laura Gore then started work as a midwife in the clinic in 2010. I love providing care to women throughout the entirety of their pregnancy journey. I have two wonderful boys who were both born with the expert guidance of the midwives of MWHC. My husband, a born and raised Alaskan man, and I love raising our boys in this beautiful state filled with so many opportunities for adventure.

I am thrilled that my midwifery journey has led me to Midwifery and Women’s Health! Originally from Wisconsin, I spent twelve years as a labor nurse before deciding to pursue midwifery. Attending my sister’s labor and catching my niece solidified my dream of becoming a midwife. I departed the Midwest for Anchorage in early 2020, where I practiced in a birth center and hospital setting. Most recently, I have been working with Maniilaq in Kotzebue, providing midwifery care to surrounding villages in the Arctic. I have spent years bearing witness to the transformative experience of birth, continuously leaving me inspired and grateful to be doing this work. I strive to listen, honor a person as a whole being, and provide individualized, informative care during pregnancy, birth, postpartum and beyond. Alaska truly feels like home. I enjoy being in the mountains, skiing slowly, berry picking, or otherwise adventuring.

Originating from Yukon, Canada, I arrived in Alaska in 2009. My inception to Midwifery was simultaneously the beginning of my Alaskan adventure. I first trained through an extensive apprenticeship in Soldotna and I attained licensure in the State of Alaska as a Certified Direct Entry Midwife in 2012. Other education and certifications include; Certified Professional Midwife, Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, and a Bachelor’s of Kinesiology from Acadia University 2008. I’ve had the honor of providing Midwifery services to Alaskan families for over a decade, with much of that time right here at MWHC. I originally joined MWHC from 2012-2019 and returned to the practice in 2022. In 2020 I established a homebirth practice and proudly continue this service in addition of my work at MWHC. My guiding principles as a Midwife are that each birthing person has a right to feeling respected, informed, and empowered throughout their care. My aim is to secure the trust of the clients I serve, and through shared decision making, they can birth with confidence. When not working I am immersed in family life, with my supportive husband, two incredible daughters, two dogs, and a rascally cat. Both my girls were born at home with Felicity Smith as my Midwife. 

I am delighted to be able to serve this community through my role as a midwife - which literally means “with women”. What an honor to walk alongside families as they navigate some of life's greatest joys and transitions! I have been working in the maternity care field since 2011. First as a lactation consultant, then as a labor and birth nurse and now finally in my dream role as a midwife. My nurse-midwifery training was completed in Atlanta, Georgia at Emory University in the fall of 2018, and I moved to Alaska shortly after. I have enjoyed providing care in both the hospital and birth center settings for several years, and am excited to be working with such a passionate and knowledgeable team. When not in the clinic or catching babies, I can be found wandering in the Alaskan wilderness, playing board games with friends or attempting to learn a new snow sport. My precious family includes my incredibly supportive husband Lee and my sweet son Zion, who was born at home with midwives in the summer of 2020.

It is such an honor to join the amazing team at MWHC! I am so excited to be able to share my passion of pelvic floor physical therapy with the women of Alaska. I grew up in Idaho and started my career as a physical therapist assistant where I was introduced to the practice of pelvic floor PT. It was just beginning to grow with very few people knowing about it or actually providing this service. At that time I was intrigued but never thought it would be something I would do. I returned to school and graduated from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, in 2017, with my Doctor of Physical Therapy. There, I was able to take an introductory course to pelvic floor therapy. I was amazed at how much pelvic floor rehabilitation can have such an impact and change someone’s life. Whether they have had babies or not! After graduating, I moved to Alaska where I was able to learn and grow as a pelvic health physical therapist. I have now been practicing for 5 years specializing in pelvic rehabilitation and am more excited than ever to help women heal and learn how amazing their pelvic floor can be! When I am not in the clinic you can find me enjoying life on the couch watching movies, or out hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, or boating with my husband, our baby girl, and our 2 fur babies.

My goal for all the services I provide is to build a relationship that creates a safe and non-judgmental environment. At the heart of my practice is the belief in the potential for every individual, despite their circumstances, to live a healthy and meaningful life. It is a privilege to hear your story, to help you understand where you come from and how that may be impacting you today. Using tools brought in from PCT, DBT, and CBT, I tailor my approach around you, working to meet your strengths, your unique needs, and your goals, helping you make the changes you want to see in your life as you move forward. I use a holistic counseling approach that integrates ideas from the variety of theories to promote greater understanding and mindfulness with clients. I have the ability to adjust therapeutic strategies based on your needs including the use of meditation, art, and play therapy. Working together, we will find your strengths and build on them. Experiencing mental health needs can feel lonely and scary. Finding the right therapist can be empowering and the missing step to get you to where you want to be. Whatever your struggle, there is hope found in exploration. Reaching out can be the first step to healing. Outside of counseling, I stay inspired by spending time with family and friends, caring for my little one and pets, adventuring outdoors, reading, exercise, gaming, and gardening.

My journey to caring for families started when I birthed my children in 2011 and 2014 with the midwives at Midwifery and Women’s Health Care. I was inspired to make a career change to nursing because of the holistic and empowering care that I received here during my birthing, postpartum and breastfeeding journeys. Being part of the team at MWHC is my dream job! I am passionate about supporting families in their goals. Since becoming a nurse in 2017, I have provided care for families in both hospital and clinic environments. I worked at the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) as a postpartum, nursery and labor and delivery nurse for over four years. Since 2021, I have worked and intermittently continue as a lactation consultant nurse at both ANMC and the Alaska Native Primary Care Center. I earned my BSNS in Biology from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, and my BSNS in Nursing Science from University of Alaska Anchorage. I became an international board certified lactation consultant in 2021, after completing extensive training. My husband and I have called Alaska home for the last 20 years, and our family likes to spend our free time enjoying Alaska through mountain biking, skiing, fishing, and camping. 

Born and raised in a small town in Southeast Alaska, I saw firsthand what advantages and disadvantages our healthcare had and I feel like that has helped shape my career in healthcare. I very much enjoy working with and helping people, especially in the healthcare setting. I love that at Midwifery and Women’s Healthcare, every day is different and I have the opportunity of being a part of the services we provide to women and their families. When not at work you’ll find me enjoying road trips with my family, getting lost in a good book, and thrift shopping.

I joined Midwifery and Women’s Health Care in 2015. I enjoy the challenges that billing brings and have learned so much about midwifery and birth center billing. When not at the office, I love spending time with my husband, eating tacos with friends, reading a good book or immersing myself in the natural beauty of Alaska!

I am most excited to join the Midwifery and Women’s Health Care team to learn about the beauty of midwifery and helping women! The work and dedication provided here is truly amazing. Being here has given me a new perspective and enjoyment of health care! When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, being a foodie, and adventuring Alaska!

Growing up in Austria it was very clear to me early in life that I was supposed to become a midwife. I was always drawn to pregnant women and babies. I was fascinated by their stories of pregnancy and birth. After completing my training in Austria, I moved to Switzerland and delivered thousands of beautiful babies in picturesque Swiss hospitals.. After meeting my husband, a lifelong Alaskan, I left my home and moved to Alaska. Quite soon after arriving in Anchorage I connected with midwives here and started working as a birth assistant. I had never attended a birth outside of a hospital before and I was in love. After our first daughter was born I decided my needs as a mother to my children outweighed my desire to continue working full time. Shortly after she was born her sister came and I became a full time stay at home mom until the day I got a call from the midwives at Anchorage Birth Center. When they offered me a position as the birth center manager it became clear I missed having midwifery in my life. Now I work behind the scenes but still get to enjoy birth and babies. In my free time I enjoy spending time on our boat out in Prince William Sound, traveling to Hawaii and other foreign countries, hiking, biking but most of all I love spending time with my family.

Hey there! My name is Chloe Briggs and I am from North Carolina! I am so excited to be living here in Alaska for the next few years. I have a huge heart for babies and their families and I am just so excited to be able to work here! I love to get outdoors and have recently taken up snowboarding and bike riding. I love spending time with my husband and getting to experience Alaska with him! I look forward to potentially meeting all of you!