Meet The Team
Get to know our Health Care Professionals
Becky Douglas, MOA
She/Her
Becky, who grew up in Ladysmith, has a strong background in Customer Service and Administration. After receiving her Bachelor of Tourism Management from Vancouver Island University, she spent many years working between the small west-coast communities of Tofino and Ucluelet. Feeling a strong pull for change, she moved with her partner to the East Coast of Canada, and after a year, that strong pull called her home. Once back on Vancouver Island, Becky found the opportunity to go back to school, and obtained her Medical Office Administration certificate through Sprott Shaw College. This program brought her to Sage Community Midwives, where she looks forward to meeting and assisting you.
Yvanne Faught, RM
She/Her
Originally from the Cowichan Valley, Yvanne left for Ontario and completed a degree in Women’s Studies and French Literature at Trent University. It was there that she first discovered her interest in Midwifery. Eventually she applied to the Midwifery Education Program at McMaster University and received a Bachelor of Health Science in Midwifery in 2005. Upon completion she moved to Kingston, ON and worked in a midwifery practice for two years. However, the pull to come back to the Island was strong and in 2008 she returned to the west coast. Since she started her journey into midwifery her enthusiasm for the profession keeps growing and It is with the support of her life partner as well as her three children, all born with the assistance of midwives, that allows her to be there for families during such a significant time in their lives.
Tamara Cowan, RM
She/Her
Tamara brings 20 years of experience working with birthing women and their families to her new home at the Sage Community Midwives. Originally trained as a registered perinatal and NICU nurse, Tamara has also cared for families as a birth and postpartum doula, and as a lactation consultant (IBCLC). It was during the pregnancies and births of her two children that she came to understand how midwifery care can encourage women to envision their “best births” and then support them in achieving that goal. So in 2008, it was back to university to retrain as a midwife and since graduating in 2011, she has been working in solo practice caring for women in her home community on Gabriola Island and also in Nanaimo. Tamara understands that the journey to motherhood begins the moment a woman discovers she is pregnant and that birth is about more than making a baby; its about making a resilient and confident mother who is ready for the joys and challenges of parenting. When not doing “midwife stuff”, Tamara enjoys spending time outdoors with her family on Gabriola Island.
Jessa Miyashiro, RM
She/Her
Jessa grew up in Nanaimo and felt drawn to become a midwife after completing her Bachelor of Science in Biology at UBC. While living in Vancouver, she worked in leadership development, science research, childbirth education, and as a birth doula. Through the UBC Midwifery program, she was lucky to complete most of her training in Nanaimo, learning from the midwives, nurses, and doctors who are now her colleagues.
Jessa is passionate about supporting each family member to transition to their new role with love and confidence. She has a special interest in herbal medicine, and spends most of her time outdoors enjoying our beautiful island.
Emma Pitman, RM
She/Her
*On Parental Leave Until June 2023*
Having moved to Nanaimo originally to attend school 10 years ago, Emma is thrilled to continue working in this community. She first discovered midwifery during her first degree studying sociology and anthropology. Emma is passionate about supporting birthers in a holistic, family centered way. Emma was fortunate to be placed all across BC during her training at UBC including Nelson, Duncan, Ladner, and Vancouver. In addition, her passion for global maternal health took her to Nepal for 6 weeks with the UBC midwifery global program. She looks forward to getting to know you and your family on your unique journey.
Leah Gold, RM
She/Her
Leah has a background in health geography research, and shortly after the birth of her first son at home with midwives in Vancouver, witnessed connections with her previous research in traditional medicine in South America with birth culture in North America. Since then she has been passionate about accompanying parents into the rite of passage that birth is. She is a graduate of the Midwifery Education Program (MEP) at Ryerson University in Ontario. She feels constantly amazed and privileged to be on this life-path and looks forward to working with you.
Dorothy Gilbert, RM
She/Her
Before becoming a midwife, Dorothy was passionate about birth and attended births of family members and clients working as a doula, and briefly as a Pregnancy Outreach worker at Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Centre. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at VIU, often focusing on the childbearing years, she continued down her path to attend Ryerson University in Toronto. After completing her degree in 2020, as the Covid pandemic began, she returned to BC to begin working in Parksville/Oceanside. After her own first pregnancy, and homebirth in 2022, Dorothy feels strongly about providing the support to clients that she experienced from her own colleagues, and grateful to have found her place working in her home community of Nanaimo.
Chrissy Neilson, RM
She/Her
Chrissy decided to become a midwife after having two children with midwives and discovering the importance of informed choice in healthcare. She was originally trained as a registered nurse specializing first in emergency and then in perinatal. Her whole family moved to Toronto so she could attend the Midwifery Education Program at Ryerson University and she continued to work in Toronto for one year prior to returning to BC.
As a Nisga’a Citizen, and after working in healthcare for many years, Chrissy feels strongly about improving care to Aboriginal People. She feels extremely lucky to have had the privilege to be able to become a midwife and to be able to provide care to people at such an amazing time of their lives.
Sandy Pullin, Locum Midwife
She/Her
Covering for Emma Pitman until June 2023
Sandy has been a practicing midwife since 1978. It has been her life’s passion, as she has always wanted to help improve the lives of women. She also hopes to one day work with Doctors Without Borders.
Sandy spent the first 20 years of her career in Edmonton where she was part of the regulation of midwifery for the province of Alberta. She moved with her family to Nanaimo in 1998 and served the families in our area until 2018. In August of 2018, Sandy closed her local practice to pursue traveling locum opportunities. Over the past few years she has worked in Alberta and Nunavut.
Sandy is thrilled to be back living in Nanaimo with her husband, close to her two children, and beloved grandchild.
Morgan Reid, Student Midwife
She/Her
Morgan is currently a 4th year Midwifery student at the University of British Columbia. She is excited to be completing her final clinical placement with Midwife Yvanne! She is happy to call Nanaimo home, and is very excited to continue working
and learning within our community. Morgan grew up on Gabriola Island and hopes to continue providing care in the area once her training is complete.
Before coming to the UBC Midwifery program, she completed a degree in Kinesiology through the
University of Victoria.
Morgan is passionate about community and individual health, and was drawn to the
unique experiences people have during injury recovery. This has translated into her interest in pelvic floor health, postpartum recovery, and nutritional wellness in pregnancy. Growing up rurally has also influenced her desire to work with underserved populations, and she hopes to eventually work remotely herself!
In her free time, Morgan is an avid reader, camper, and enjoys spending most of her time outdoors with her lab x golden retriever pup!
