Reading Midwife Center
Hello there...
Our team looks forward to partnering with you.
The Reading Midwife Center consists of certified nurse-midwives, registered nurses, and some additional amazing people who keep things running smoothly. We also have a collaborating physician who we feel is truly one of the tops in the field. Each of our team members believe in holistic choices and education in health care as the optimum way to practice.
Lyudmila (Lucy) Scearce
Certified Nurse-Midwife, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
Lucy was born and raised in Ukraine, a former republic of the Soviet Union. Her journey into midwifery began when, as a young girl, she read one of her mother’s obstetric textbook from medical school. She attended a midwifery college in Odessa, Ukraine and worked for 7 years in a small town where medical resources and technology was very limited.
After moving to the United States, she restarted her career by obtaining an Associate’s degree in Nursing from HACC and a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Alvernia University. After working as a Registered Nurse in Labor and Delivery, she decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in
Midwifery and then post Master's certificate to become qualified as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. In 2019, she became a Certified Herbal Educator.
With more than 20 years of experience in Woman’s Health Care, Lucy gained the skills and passion for advocacy, informed choice and empowerment.
Lucy is a wife and mother of three children. She enjoys playing piano, gardening vegetables and herbs and travel.
Tammy Witmer
Certified Nurse-Midwife, Board Certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, Director
Tammy received her Master’s degree in Nursing (midwifery and women’s health nurse practitioner) from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior, she was a labor/delivery and maternity nurse for 15 years. After receiving her BSN from Kutztown University, she spent some time as a perinatal clinical educator for the maternity unit.
When training with the Reading Birth Center during her midwifery clinicals, she fell in love with the birth center model of care, the staff, and of course the clients. Tammy has spent all of her midwifery career working within the birth center model of care attending births at the birth center, hospital and within the home setting. She strives to create relationships and to partner with women and their families for an optimal birth experience, and awareness of one’s own health.
In her spare time, Tammy enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 children, 3 stepchildren and 12 grandchildren. Two of her grandchildren were born at our birth center! She also enjoys playing soccer on a women’s soccer league, snuggling with her 2 dogs, and laughing at the 4 goats and their antics.
Deborah Weitkamp
Registered Nurse, Certified in Maternal Newborn Nursing, Administrative Director
Deb received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2009 from Alvernia University while simultaneously home schooling her four children. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from Western Governors University in 2018.
Deb began her nursing career at the Reading Birth and Women’s Center, before becoming a labor and delivery nurse at Wellspan Good Samaritan Hospital. After teaching staff education classes there, she joined the faculty of Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences where she was an Instructor for their ASN Program, teaching maternal-newborn nursing. Before she was a nurse, Deb supported birthing and breastfeeding in her community as a La Leche League leader, breastfeeding educator, and birth doula. With gratitude she returns to her birth center roots, supporting normal birth with safe, evidence-based, personalized care.
When not at the birth center, Deb can be found biking along the rails-to-trails, gardening, reading, and enjoying time with her husband, four grown children (two born in hospitals, two born at home), and two grandchildren (both born at the birth center).
Marissa J. Sanner
Certified Nurse-Midwife, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, Sign Language Interpreter
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Marissa has a wealth of diverse experiences that have made her into the well-rounded practitioner she is today, including time spent volunteering with the Peace Corps in Morocco. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with her Master's in Midwifery and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner in 2015 and worked at the Reading Birth Center before it transitioned to be the Reading Midwife Center. In between the center's transition, she practiced midwifery in a high-paced setting in Media, PA.
We are so thankful to have her return to the center as a part-time midwife with us! When she's not here, she can be found working her other job as a Sign Language Interpreter in many settings in and around our community.
Marissa feels the Reading Midwife Center's holistic philosophy of care matches her style as a provider well, and looks forward to getting to know you throughout your care journey with us.
Anna Kunkle
Registered Nurse
Anna graduated from Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences in 2010. During nursing school she shadowed a home birth midwife which was her first experience with out-of-hospital birth. The book A Midwife's Story by Penny Armstrong was also influential in her journey.
Anna has been a nurse for 14 years, most of which have been spent with her birth center family. Anna counts it as a privilege to serve her clients and their families. She brings a calming presence to those around her. One of the things she loves about the Reading Midwife Center is helping create an atmosphere that encourages people to trust the natural process of labor and birth. Her support system, which includes her husband and their two boys, inspire her in her work.
Joy Weisner
Registered Nurse
Joy graduated from Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences in 1997. She completed her BSN at Kutztown University in 2001. Joy brings a wide variety of nursing experience in women’s health to this team. She has worked in Labor and Delivery at Reading hospital, ob triage, an ob gyn office and urogynecology.
This is the second time Joy has worked at the Center, the first time was 14 years ago and led to a personal birth experience of her third child at the birth center. “I value each of my client interactions and look forward to all that I have to learn from each and every one of the women that I have the privilege to care for and interact with.”
Lisa Weaver
Registered Nurse
Lisa graduated in 2008 from Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences. In 2020 she completed her BSN at Chaimberlain. Lisa has a rich variety of previous experience. She worked in ER, medical/psych, and IUC before finding her fit in the birth center nursing care model.
Both of her babies were born at the center. When not working at the center you can find Lisa babysitting, volunteering with scouts, driving her kids to field hockey, and being a non-stop busy mom of two awesome kiddos. She wants to give a shout out to her amazing partner, Chad, who is a great dad and supportive of her calling to work with moms and babies in our community (and the birth center's call schedule!)