Our director, Linda Arnold is a professional and highly experienced midwife. Her caliber of leadership stems from the fires of experience.

Her training began in 1975 with a California physician. Three years later she relocated and began her own private practice. This experience was the foundation of the superior skills she uses today. Here, she was able to develop and polish the heart, hands, and philosophy of midwifery, bringing safe and gentle home births to the Idaho region. Often these births occurred in rural areas where emergency services were not readily available. Using her heart, hands and previous medical experience, she had a successful practice with a transport rate of only 3%.

In 1985, Linda came to El Paso with a dream of serving the community along with teaching others the skills needed to practice safe midwifery in their own communities. As founder and Director of Casa De Nacimiento she has used her acquired skills and techniques to continue this dream.

Through her leadership, Casa De Nacimiento has provided safe Midwifery care for thousands of women and their babies. Casa's clinical site provides midwives from all over the world with the opportunity to practice the ancient art of midwifery with the concepts of modern medicine through the fires of experience.
 
Linda Arnold is a contributing author of Birth Centres: A Social Model for Maternity Care.
Click to read her chapter, which provides an engaging history of Casa.
 

Hightlights & Qualifications:

  • NARM Certified Professional Midwife
  • New Mexico Licensed Midwife
  • California Licensed Midwife
  • Texas Licensed Midwife
  • Florida Licensed Midwife
  • Neonatal Resuscitation
  • CPR Certification
  • IV Certification
  • ALSO Certification (Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics)
 

Alyson Kuntz Butler began her training in 1990 at Casa de Nacimiento. Alyson gained her El Paso Midwifery Permit 1992 and Texas License in 1994.  In 1998 she became a NARM Certified Professional Midwife. She has been a staff midwife at Casa since 1992 and has attended over 2000 births. Recently, she was given the position of Clinical Supervisor. She has a small private homebirth practice and loves teaching midiwifery classes around the country. She is married and expecting her second daughter in October of 2007. 
 

 LaVern Sylvester came to Casa in 1995 as an intern after apprenticing with a local midwife in St. Thomas, V.I. After completing her internship she became a Texas Licensed Midwife and has been living out her dream as a midwife. She is continuing her education and working on her associates degree in nursing. LaVern has four children and one darling little grandson.
 
Gina Salas is our front office supervisor. She came to Casa in 1997 as a medical assistant extern and soon became one of the Casa family. Gina manages all the responsibilities of the front desk duties which includes clients, phones, charts, money and birth certificates all at the same time! She is a native El Pasoan with a husband and three great kids!
 
Luz Chavez is our Medical Assistant Extern; her job includes reception, phones, client intakes, histories, appointments, client education, and classes. Luz is a quiet resourceful help to all at Casa. She is single, living at home with her parents.
 
Cynthia Guzman came to Casa in 2005 as a Medical Assistant Extern and has stayed with us since. Her job duties include reception, phones, client histories, client education. She has been an apprentice midwife with and hopes to become a staff midwife one day. She is married with four great children and has grandchildren as well.

Teodora "Licha" Zavala, "Casa" keeper
Teodora "Licha" Zavala was Casa’s oldest and most beloved employee. She retired in November of 2005 and now spends her time with her children and doting on her grandbabies!