Birth Center of Denver is comprised of Certified Nurse-Midwives, Registered Nurses, Certified Childbirth and Lactation Educators, and Administrative Staff. Each of us have a true passion for birth and respect the experience as a natural, fulfilling process. We are committed to providing compassionate care, education, and ongoing support during each stage of welcoming and nurturing your newborn.
Betsy is excited to be a part of the Birth Center of Denver dream team. She found her way to midwifery after developing a passion for women’s health working as a perioperative nurse for many years. As she researched how she could serve this passion through her career, she was moved by the description of a midwife and knew this was her calling. She graduated from the University of Colorado in 2017 and joined a high-volume hospital-based practice in Aurora, where she enjoyed utilizing her robust medical background to provide midwifery care to women experiencing both high and low-risk pregnancies. She loves providing a partnership, continuity of care and witnessing the beauty of normal-yet-magnificent birth.
Betsy wants every family to feel confident and empowered throughout the many changes pregnancy and a new baby brings. She loves connecting with her clients and providing guidance and education to create an individualized experience. She believes birth is one of the most transformative and profound experiences in life and feels privileged to partner with families through each of their unique journeys to parenthood.
Betsy grew up in Texas and moved to Denver in 2013. As a dedicated life-long learner, much of her time is spent pursuing her doctorate in nursing practice at the University of Colorado. She also enjoys art, music, and exploring the beauties of Colorado with her husband and two fur babies.
Christie was born in Wyoming and was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She became a certified nurse-midwife in 1994 after receiving her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
Christie gave birth to her first child and had an amazing and skillful RN who supported her and also happened to be in midwifery school. That’s when she knew she wanted to be a certified nurse-midwife. Prior to midwifery school, she became a doula where she found her love and appreciation for the birthing process.
“I want to always encourage women to advocate for the experience that they want. I love the process that families go through to become parents and anything that I can do to make that a wonderful, loving experience is alright with me.”
Christie’s interests are focused on the leadership and business of midwifery. She is also one of the founding partners of the Certified Nurse-Midwives program at Saint Joseph Hospital.
When she is not at work, Christie enjoys traveling, playing golf, and spending time with family and friends. She loves to babysit her grandson and is thankful that she gets to spend time with both her immediate and extended family. She also co-owns an antique store with one of her sisters.
After multiple years of working in a hospital setting, Kelly is excited to be a member of the team at Birth Center of Denver. Kelly received her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Coe College and then furthered her education at the University of Colorado, where she received her Master’s degree in Nursing.
She began her career working in the NICU, but after hearing about her patients’ birth stories she discovered her passion for midwifery. In order to pursue midwifery, Kelly transitioned to the Labor and Delivery unit at Saint Joseph Hospital, where she worked for 5 years. She then worked at the Saint Joseph Hospital midwifery practice before joining Birth Center of Denver as a Certified Nurse Midwife.
Kelly is passionate about empowering and supporting women as they begin their journey into motherhood. Her hope is that all of her clients feel informed and supported throughout their pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. “I believe that providing families with evidence-based care and knowledge so that they can make informed decisions is essential.”
When she is not working, Kelly enjoys spending time with her 2 year old daughter, Grace, and their chocolate lab. She also loves being active outdoors, especially in the mountains of Colorado.
Ellen was raised right here in Denver, CO. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey followed by her masters in nursing from the University of Colorado.
After the birth of her children, and her personal experiences with both obstetrics and midwifery, Ellen knew that all women deserve midwifery care as an option. Her last child was born at home with a midwife and the amazing support during that pregnancy and birth was the final push she needed to begin her journey toward becoming a midwife. Ellen is excited to be a part of a birth center model of care since it aligns with the midwifery care model.
“I strongly believe in families being able to choose the right setting for their birth and I love supporting families during this process as well as honoring natural physiologic birth.” Ellen’s areas of clinical interests include education and postpartum support.
When she is not at work, Ellen enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, hiking, and quilting.
Colleen Zarate Linares, CNM, MSN
Colleen graduated from Frontier Nursing University in January 2018. She is very excited to join the team of nurse-midwives at Saint Joseph Hospital! She has worked with women during their childbearing years since becoming a nurse in 2012: the first few years in birth centers (located in Texas, Guatemala, and Colorado), and the last few years in Labor and Delivery at Denver Health. She fell in love with the midwifery model of care at Holy Family Birth Center while volunteering there her first year of nursing practice, and knew she had found her calling. She is passionate about empowering women through pregnancy, labor, and beyond, walking alongside women in their journey and offering support. She loves the atmosphere of a dark, peaceful birthing room, and is constantly in awe at participating in the miracle that is birth. She is fluent in Spanish and English.
When not working, Colleen enjoys salsa dancing with her husband, hiking, and rock climbing. She also loves coffee, chocolate, and naps.
Erica Murdock, CNM, MS joined the Certified Nurse-Midwives at Saint Joseph Hospital in July 2011. She became enthralled with everything pregnancy and birth related during her first pregnancy twenty seven years ago. She was a labor and delivery nurse for ten years and continued to build her family before entering midwifery school and obtaining a master's degree in nurse-midwifery from Frontier Nursing University in 2010.
Erica loves getting to know women and families during the most important times of transition in their lives. She believes that women should be empowered to understand all options available and should take the lead in their own healthcare decisions. She knows that a woman's experience of pregnancy and birth is just as important as a healthy outcome. Her dream has always been to work in the birth center setting and Birth Center of Denver is that dream come true!
Erica is originally from Connecticut and has been in Colorado for more than 27 years. She lives in Stapleton with her husband Scott, teenage children Sam and Katie, and their dog Lance. Erica has been an avid meditator for many years. In her free time she enjoys traveling, snowboarding, camping and hiking in beautiful Colorado.
Coming from a military family, Everly moved around quite a bit growing up, but spent most of her years in Minnesota. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, followed by a master’s degree in nursing from Frontier Nursing University in Hyden, Kentucky.
She found her passion for nursing when she discovered the unique opportunity to combine kindness with book smarts in order to serve others. In her first year of nursing, she decided to become a midwife in the hope of gaining the practical skills she could take to serve women and families anywhere in the world. Everly enjoys supporting women’s mental and emotional health in a variety of ways as they experience the highs and lows of pregnancy and postpartum.
“I believe the human body, mind, and spirit are intelligently designed and powerful. As a midwife, it is my privilege is to educate and partner with women and families during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.”
When she is not at work, Everly enjoys activities such as hot yoga, baking, hiking, and hosting dinners for friends and family.
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