MEET THE FACULTY and STAFF
Patty Brennan
E-mail Patty Brennan
Executive Director
Patty Brennan, founder and Executive Director of Center for the Childbearing Year, has been an advocate for childbearing families for 23 years as a childbirth educator, doula, and midwife. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College and has served on the faculties of both Washtenaw Community College and Schoolcraft College. Her work has been published in the Journal of Nurse Midwifery, Midwifery Today, The International Doula, and many other publications. Patty is a Certified Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula and approved trainer through DONA International, the largest and most prestigious Doula organization in the world.
Lisa Kane Low has been a nurse-midwife since 1986 working in a variety of roles including clinical practice, administration, and education. She received her BSN from the University of Michigan, an MS in midwifery from the University of Illinois, and a PhD in women's health and women's studies at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. Lisa has served as a program development specialist and grant writer for the Center's Doulas Care Program since December 2001. Currently she is Director of the program. Lisa also works at the University of Michigan in the School of Nursing as Assistant Research Scientist and is on the faculty of the Women's Studies Department where she teaches women's health courses. In addition, she is in clinical practice with the University of Michigan Nurse-Midwifery service. Her research interests and publications focus on support and care practices during labor and adolescent pregnancy and childbearing.
Beth Barbeau has spent over 20 years transforming her passion for babies into the art and profession of childbirth educator, labor and postpartum doula, and
homebirth midwife. Building on her 1988 Pre-med degree from Antioch College, Beth's enthusiasm for travel and Medical Anthropology has provided opportunities to learn from healers and health care systems nationwide and in Central America. She has a particular interest in applying her educational focus in nutrition, natural therapies, and neurology to infant/child development and well-being.
Jeri Lea Lentini serves as the Program Coordinator for the Doulas
Care Program. Jeri Lea is the caring voice on the phone, assisting women who call to find a doula. She also serves as a support person for the volunteers, helping them to access resources and problem-solve any issues they may be experiencing. Jeri Lea has a Masters degree in clinical social work and a post-graduate certificate in Working with Infants, Toddlers and their Families, a multi-disciplinary program in Infant Mental Health, from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. She has been working with families with infants and young children for the past 15 years, most recently as a program administrator and infant mental health therapist and consultant. Jeri Lea is also a certified infant massage instructor.
Peggy Rabhi has had an interest in women's health issues since the early 1980s. She started her involvement with birthing women as a volunteer Doula working with teen moms from the Corner Health Center and the Ypsilanti Public Schools Teen Parent Program. She taught classes in childbirth preparation, prenatal exercise (her other passion is dance), breastfeeding, and sibling preparation. She has a BS in Human Nutrition from the University of Michigan and a BS in Nursing from Eastern Michigan University. She worked for a short time on the MotherBaby unit at University of Michigan Women's Hospital and served as coordinator of the Beyer Midwives' Doula Project. Most recently she spent 4 years in France. She looks forward to returning to teaching, possibly even doing some classes for French-speaking immigrants.
Maria Militzer joined the Doulas Care Program as the Latino Outreach Coordinator in June 2004. Born and raised in Mexico, she moved to the United States in 2000. She earned a bachelor's degree in Veterinary Medicine in her country and a master's degree in Spanish and International Trade at Eastern Michigan University. She currently works for the University of Michigan's Interpreter Services Program as a medical interpreter. During 2002-2003, she and her husband published a local newspaper named La Voz Latina ~ the Voice of Latinos in Washtenaw County. Printed in both English and Spanish, the paper had two goals: to help the undocumented Latino immigrant community adjust to life in Washtenaw County, and to help familiarize non-Latinos with the Latino community and its culture, leading them to a greater understanding and acceptance of it. She is also the Treasurer and Co-Founder of Latinos Unidos, Inc., a non-profit organization, which along with staging the annual Festival Latino, is now organizing other events and initiatives to support local Latinos and build bridges between Latinos and other community members.