Meet The Team
Loretta Shupe
CPM, RN, BSN, LDEM
Tara Mansius
CPM, LDEM
Tara Mansius is a Utah native who has made her home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest for the past 18 years with her husband Brandon and 5 rambunctious sons. She graduated from Midwives College of Utah and became a Certified Professional Midwife in 2017. She was blessed to apprentice with a variety of wise and wonderful midwives at Andaluz Waterbirth Center.
Her introduction to birth (other than her own) began in 2006 when she started attending births as a birth photographer, then later as a doula. Tara is a yoga enthusiast, explorer and loves being in nature more than anything in the world. She has a deep love and respect for women and is grateful to be able to walk beside them through vulnerable and sacred life experiences. Her mission as a midwife is to empower women in discovering their own strength and inner wisdom.
Kathleen Lofley
DNP, APRN, CNM, WHNP-BC
Kathleen, known as ‘Kat’ is a licensed doctor of nursing practice in women’s health and in nurse midwifery in the state of Utah. She has a great love for mamas in labor and enjoys helping them through those challenges to a complete delivery. She is passionate about women’s strengths and the power of birth. She is an avid supporter of water birth and women’s choices about their birth experience. She is an advocate for safe and natural childbirth.
Kat received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Utah in 2010. She went on to receive her Doctorate in 2016 at the same university. Kat has been awarded the Employee Recognition of Quality at the George E. Wahlen Veterans Medical Center in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. She has been published with articles on Breech birth simulation training for midwifery students.
Kat provides family planning, prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care for women throughout the lifespan. She provides continuous labor support and management of mother and fetus in the birth center setting. She provides sexual infection and cancer screenings.
Kat is a proud wife and mother of two rambunctious children.
Nicole Amstutz
CNM, RNC-OB, PHN, BSN, APRN, MS
Nicole received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Biola University and a Master of Science in Nurse-Midwifery from Bethel University. She has always felt called to midwifery and feels incredibly humbled, blessed, and fortunate to walk with women across the lifespan. Before practicing as a Nurse-Midwife, she worked as a labor and delivery registered nurse in the hospital setting for over five years. Nicole also holds a certification in obstetrical nursing. She is an avid supporter of low intervention birth, informed decision making, creating positive family birth experiences, and healthy mamas and babies.
Her passion for serving women has taken her around the world, where she has had the unique opportunity to educate and support families in labor and catch babies at a birth center in the rural Philippines as well as at a busy African hospital with extremely limited medical resources.
When she isn’t catching babies or serving families, you can find Nicole exploring Utah with her 4lb Yorkie, baking, watching birth videos, or browsing the aisles of Target.
Jessica Collins
CPM, BSM, LDEM
Jessica is passionate about caring for women and families throughout the adventure of pregnancy and birth. She has wanted to be a midwife since before high school, feeling that it is her calling in life. After spending a year volunteering as a birth and postpartum doula, she then spent many more years apprenticing with a variety of midwives and studying towards becoming a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). As a midwife she believes that all women deserve compassionate, steady and informed support throughout their unique reproductive journeys and focuses on providing a safe space for them to deepen their awareness of the birthing process while offering the information they need to make empowered choices.
When not working, one of her favorite things to do is cuddle up with her family at home and read a good book. She also loves being part of musical productions and to go dancing in her community.
Jade Vercher
Office Manager
Jade is a Central California native and an Aztec for life. Jade graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University with majors of Communication, Sociology and Health Sciences. She knew at a very early age; the medical field was where she would be professionally. Jade’s desire to stay within the medical field got her invited to the National Youth Leadership Forum of Medicine and lead her through becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant in the State of North Dakota. The state of North Dakota is where Jade and her high school sweetheart got engaged, just before moving to Utah and getting married.
Since living in Utah, Jade has worked in both hospital and out-of-hospital settings. Throughout her educational and professional experience, Jade’s interest in the medical field turned into a true passion for obstetrics and pediatrics. She loves to encourage, help and empower women of all walks of life; and believes all families should have the serene experience of a natural, non-interventional birth the woman body was made for. Since becoming the office manager, Jade hopes to add to the enthusiasm, compassion and exceptional care from My Family Birth Center.
Micah Bingham
BSN, RN
Micah is passionate about helping women and families during the prenatal and birth process. She went to school for her bachelor in nursing at UNC-Greensboro. She is a Southern girl at heart. She was raised in North Carolina with the best of mountains and beaches. She moved to Salt Lake City to work on Labor and Delivery and to study in the midwifery program at the University of Utah.
She worked on the OB flight team at the University Hospital. Micah met her soul mate and lived the Army life. Her husband served as a helicopter mechanic and deep sea diver. They currently live in North Ogden. They have five children and enjoy camping, gardening, and sports.
Her desire and passion to help women in the birthing process stemmed from reading stories of midwives who would travel to homes in the country to help women during birth. She wants to help empower women to do what the body has naturally done for thousands of years.
Bethany Knighton
Midwife Apprentice
Bethany is a passionate advocate for natural childbirth, and for parents being able to write their own birth story. She is married to Karl and a mother to five awesome children. With her first two babies, she was induced and had an epidural. She started living a more holistic lifestyle and earned certifications as a family and nutritional herbalist.
Bethany had her next two babies with no medical intervention with an OB/GYN, but still felt something was missing. With her fifth baby, Bethany finally had a midwife and could not believe how different that birth was! She believes all families should have the wonderful experience she had, and hopes she can bring care and compassion to everyone she meets at My Family Birth Center.
Bethany considers herself a life-long learner. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, hiking, going on dates with her husband, and playing with her kids.
Jana Hartzell
Midwife Apprentice
My best friend introduced me to midwifery during my last keeper pregnancy. I had never really thought of this path until then. Prior to that I have always been a huge advocate for natural birth and breastfeeding. All of my friends and even acquaintances would come to me asking for advice on many things. I really enjoyed empowering these women to stand their ground and go for what they wanted. I am now currently in my 2nd year with Midwives College of Utah working my way to a Bachelor’s degree and the CPM certification.
Born and raised in Wyoming I am a cowgirl, mother and wife. I have been married 14 years and have 3 beautiful children as well as one Surrogate baby and currently pregnant with my 2nd Surrogate baby. You can usually find me with my horses, outside, or with my family. I am so excited to finally be pursuing my dream.
Savanah Turley
Midwife Apprentice
Savanah has been enthralled with all things birth and reproductive care since she was a child. With the idea of championing women’s health by working as a childbirth educator and lactation consultant, she originally pursued and completed her Bachelor’s of Science at Brigham Young University – Idaho in Public Health, with an emphasis in Health Education and Promotion, graduating in July 2020. However, along her educational journey she had several key experiences that helped her wake up to her real dream in women’s health: midwifery! She is passionate about holistic healthcare and believes in birth as an empowering passageway that reveals to women their own innate and unfailing strength and intuition as they enter into the most beautiful and challenging role of their lives: mother.
Savanah is a mother herself and she and her husband Tyrell have three young children. Her first two children were born unmedicated at a hospital, while her third was born right at MFBC, accounting for one of the most treasured experiences of her life.
Kathleen Easton
RN, Midwife Apprentice
Kathleen is a licensed registered nurse in the state of Utah. She is very excited to support mommas and their families with their birthing choices. She loves the skill of nursing for her empathetic heart and loves caring for women. She believes that women have choices and honors the opportunity for them to give birth with their husband in the way that brings them joy.
Kathleen was raised in northern Idaho. She met her husband in Oregon. With him joining the USAF, they have been stationed all over the United States including Albuquerque, Boston, Dayton, and Ogden. They have 3 children; 2 girls and 1 boy. Their son is special needs. Kathleen is an avid quilter, seamstress and has lots of hobbies including ham radio, gardening, woodworking, bees, and fishing.
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