Westside Midwives is a collective of three registered midwives, Camille Bush, Liz Grose and Kelly Hayes. We provide fully funded midwifery care in a shared care model offering home or hospital births at either St. Paul’s or Children and Women's hospital. During the spring of 2006, the three of us, along with midwife Jeanne Lyons, decided to join forces and open Westside Midwives, after recognizing a lack of midwifery services in this area of Vancouver. In January, 2007, Jeanne left Westside Midwives for a well deserved sabbatical. Shortly after opening we were pleased to have our office manager, Lindsey Ponzio, join the team.

Camille Bush,
Registered Midwife

Apprenticeship, formal direct-entry midwifery education in the USA and a Canadian nursing degree have all contributed to my midwifery background. Over the years I have had occasion to assist families giving birth in California and Illinois in the USA; Holland and Germany in Europe; and as well a variety of settings in BC. I've provided midwifery care in rural group practice in the Kootenays, in urban partnership in Vancouver and in community based programs working with pregnant adolescents. In life, my greatest lessons about birth have come from the families I've assisted, my three children, and the wisdom of my Appalachian midwife grandmother who helped the neighbour ladies.

Currently and prior to the beginning of regulated midwifery in 1998 I've been a part of the Midwifery Practice at BC Women's located in the Women's Health Centre. To me the connection between midwifery and women's health is a natural one. I have been committed to both since the beginning of my apprenticeship in 1974. Just recently I found myself extending a mutual congratulations to the mother of the first baby I ever caught on our 30th anniversary on March 9th.

Kelly Hayes,
Registered Midwife

Kelly has been involved with midwifery for over a decade and is a graduate of the U.B.C. midwifery programme. She has worked on Salt Spring Island, Victoria and in Vancouver. Kelly is the mother of three wonderful children ages 10, 12 and 16. "I believe midwifery is about the sharing of information and about providing support and encouragement so that families can enter into parenthood with confidence. I learn something from every family and for me that is the most rewarding gift of all."

Liz Grose,
Registered Midwife

I first became interested in pregnancy, birth, and babies at the tender age of five. My mom, a pediatric nurse, had plenty of obstetrical textbooks that I quickly acquired as my own. I was fascinated with the pictures of the pregnant women and their babies. While I was doing my first degree at Guelph University (BaSc: Family and Social Relations), I heard about the Midwifery university program and instantly knew that this was the path that I wanted to pursue. In 2001 I went to El Paso, Texas, to intern at a high volume birth centre on the border of Mexico. This experience further fuelled my passion to become a midwife. After attending over 100 births I moved from El Paso to Vancouver to apply to UBC for the initial year of the Midwifery Program. Following graduation I worked in Vancouver for 16 months before helping to establish Westside Midwives.

I look forward to caring for you and your family during this amazing journey!