Meet Our Team

In addition to our two certified nurse-midwives, Belinda Hodder and Diane Ortega, the entire team at Willow AZ Midwife Center is dedicated to delivering personalized, family-centered maternity care in our beautiful Mesa birth center. Dr. Christine Brass-Jones, Dr. George Figueroa and Dr. Butler-Poku are our community partner physicians, and are available to the midwives at Willow 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our birth assistants come from varied health care backgrounds, and have all been trained in the Willow way.

Meet Janna Stults, MPH, MSN, CNM

Janna first became interested in the midwifery model of care during the completion of her graduate degree in public health. She learned that high cost and high tech don’t necessarily equate to better outcomes for women and babies. Research consistently supports that midwives provide high-quality maternal and newborn care which contributes to improved health in communities. Janna fell in love with midwifery and developed a passion for women’s health and birth through her personal experience receiving care from midwives at a freestanding birth center. She chose midwifery care because she wanted a more personalized experience and to avoid the use of routine interventions generally performed in hospitals. She was impressed by the level of partnership, collaboration, compassion and focus on informed consent.  

Janna’s previous work experience was primarily in the field of pediatric clinical research. Through this experience, she developed a strong passion for serving vulnerable populations and became well-versed in the process of informed consent. All women deserve respect, compassion, and a voice in the care they receive. As a nurse-midwife, she sees her role as providing information and guidance which empowers childbearing families to make informed decisions about their health and body. She also values providing care based on a deep respect for normal physiologic processes and introducing interventions and technology only when necessary.

Janna received her Bachelor of Arts from Western Washington University and her Master of Public Health from A. T. Still University. She completed her Master’s degree in Nursing from Seattle University. She is a board certified Nurse-Midwife through the American Midwifery Certification Board.

In her free time, Janna likes to spend time with her husband, two daughters and family. They enjoy hiking, camping and exploring the city.

She looks forward to applying the knowledge and skills she has gained through her education and clinical experience to serve the families of Willow Midwife Center for Birth and Wellness AZ!

Meet Roxanne Barnes, MSN, CNM

Roxanne Barnes CNM is the newest addition to Willow AZ Midwife Center – Roxanne will be attending clients in both the Birth Center and Hospital setting.

Roxanne’s love for midwifery grew after an internship with some wonderful RNs, CNMs and OB/GYNs in her Illinois hometown. She grew to believe midwifery is not just about catching babies, but also health education and supporting women throughout their life span.

Roxanne graduated from Frontier Nursing University with her Master of Science in Nursing after working as women and children’s health nurse for several years. She has since been involved in both the out of hospital as well as hospital setting.

Roxanne is excited to make her new home at Willow AZ and to move to the East Valley after living in the West Valley for several years.

When not in the clinic, you may find Roxanne out dancing salsa, mambo & kizomba in the community. She is a huge fan of the Phoenix Mercury WNBA team and also is an avid crafter. Her sewing abilities include, but are not limited to: reusable menstrual products, diapers as well as quilts and handbags. Feel free to ask her about any and all of it.

Roxanne looks forward to being a partner in your healthcare needs. Please feel free to schedule a visit with her here.

Meet Caitlyn Laney, CPM LM

Caitlyn is a native Phoenician. She attended Arizona State University on a full-ride academic scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise & Wellness with a concentration in Health Promotion in 2009. In 2011 she trained birth as a birth doula and began assisting women and families in both the home and hospital setting. Later that same year Caitlyn welcomed her first daughter who was born at home under the watchful guidance of Certified Professional Midwives. In 2012 her second daughter was born at home again with the loving support of midwives. With those experiences she became impassioned with the Midwifery Model of Care and felt compelled to pursue her own path to serving women. In 2013 she became a lactation educator and in 2014 after a rigorous apprenticeship Caitlyn achieved her Certified Professional Midwife and AZ Licensed Midwife credentials.

In her free time Caitlyn enjoys Orange Theory and Bounce Society workouts, cooking meals with family and spending summer days at the lake with friends.

Caitlyn feels so fortunate to accept this calling and join the midwives of Willow in their passion to educate and support families for their pregnancy, birth and postpartum care.

Meet Dr. Brass-Jones, DO, OB/Gyn

Dr. Christine Brass-Jones is the Medical Director of Willow Midwife Center for Birth and Wellness AZ. She graduated from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa in 1996. She completed her residency in 2000 at Mesa General Hospital in Mesa, AZ.

She is also the Medical Director and co-owner of The Center for True Harmony Wellness & Medicine since its inception in 2004. She delivers babies and does obstetrical and gynecological surgeries at Banner Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert, AZ.

Dr. Brass-Jones cares about her patients and shows them ways to heal their mind, body, and spirit through conventional medical ways, as well as more natural techniques. She feels that a healthy mom leads to having a healthy baby. She strives to show her moms that when they embrace a healthy lifestyle, their babies, their labor, and their delivery will follow in the same manner. Dr. Brass believes that it is always best to weigh all options when important health decisions need to be made. Education, trust, and preparation are the best ways to begin a healthy journey.

Dr. George Figueroa

Dr. Figueroa has been practicing in the Phoenix area since 2006. He graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology and received his Medical Degree from The State University of New York at Buffalo where he also completed his OB/GYN residency training and served as Administrative Chief Resident. As of April 2015, Dr. Figueroa has been named Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Banner Ironwood and is the current Chief Medical Officer of Banner Ironwood and Banner Goldfield hospitals.

Dr. Figueroa is fluent in Spanish, and provides his patients with individualized care.  He has worked with midwives throughout his career, and is fully supportive of the midwifery model of care.  Learn more here.

Dr. Vidalia Butler-Poku

Dr. Butler-Poku has had the pleasure of serving in the field of obstetrics and gynecology  for more than 17 years. She has enjoyed caring for women in every phase of life, from conception to menopause. She feels very fortunate in knowing what she was born to do, take care of women and their health needs.

She is the proud mom of two school-aged children, Phinehas and Hadassah, and feels blessed to walk through life with her husband, Yaw.

Dr. Butler-Poku graduated from Ross University School of Medicine in 1993 and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Cook County Hospital, Chicago Ill, in 1998, serving as Chief Resident in her final year. She worked as an attending physician for six years at Corry Memorial Hospital in Corry, Pennsylvania, before moving to Arizona in 2005 where she has been an attending physician in the East and West Valley. Learn more here.

Meet Our Birth Assistants

Your Willow AZ Midwife Center birth assistant is a vital part of your birth team; a professional midwife’s assistant with labor support, birth, and postpartum care skills. A birth assistant helps to keep out-of-hospital births safe and more satisfying for the family.

Willow Trained

All our birth assistants have received special training and a detailed skills assessment to qualify them to perform in the role at Willow AZ Midwife Center. They have fulfilled all requirements, and meet our strict standards as birth assistants. Each is currently certified in CPR and neonatal resuscitation. They are competent, compassionate and have demonstrated the ability to work cohesively with our philosophy, midwives, and clients.