Andaluz Waterbirth Center is Under New Ownership!
Andaluz Waterbirth Center, one of Portland’s trusted birth centers, is now under new ownership.
Andaluz Waterbirth Center is a midwifery-led birth center with four birth suites in SW Portland, Or. Andaluz Waterbirth Center is now owned by Birth Partners, Inc. Birth Partners Inc., a small Illinois-based company, is committed to helping community midwives thrive, offering support to ensure their businesses run sustainably.
Laura Weigand, one of the owners of BPI, is passionate about helping increase birth center access to those who want it. Her history of helping open birth centers in Illinois and consulting support has made her a trusted leader in developing practices that ensure birth centers can practice safely and sustainably. She was awarded the 2022 AABC Professional Award in recognition of her passion, advocacy, and dedication to the birth center model of care at the local, state, and national levels.
Dele Ogunleye is the co-owner of BPI. Having completed his medical school in Nigeria and subsequently training and practicing as an obstetrician/gynecologist in England, his foundations of collaboration with and appreciation of the need for mutual respect between midwives and obstetricians was formed. He learned a lot from deliveries that were done both in the hospital setting and also out of hospital deliveries in England.
Dr. Ogunleye completed his residency at Good Samaritan Hospital (Cincinnati, OH). When he was the chief resident at Good Samaritan Hospital, he helped to start the faculty midwifery team to complement residency services. Since 2004, he has been in Bloomington, IL, practicing as an attending Ob/Gyn in private practice.
His experience with assisting thousands of babies into the world has helped shape his understanding that birth is a physiological process that, the majority of times, needs minimal to no medical intervention. This philosophy has led him to work with like-minded people to open the first privately owned free-standing birth center in Illinois (the Birth Center of Bloomington-Normal) and in Colorado Springs (Beginnings Birth Center). Dr Ogunleye is married with three children, two of whom were caught by midwives.
BPI is not a part of any hospital system.
What does this change in ownership mean for Andaluz Clients?
The day-to-day experiences for Andaluz Waterbirth Center Clients will remain relationship-focused. The midwives offering care are:
Carrie Duncan, CPM, LDM
Amber Zietz, CNM
Megan Coppock, CPM, LDM
Joanna Blondeau , MSN, CNM
What kind of services will Andaluz continue to provide?
Comprehensive prenatal care for low-risk pregnant people
Access to skilled midwives and birth assistants
Autonomy and evidence-based options for care
Respect for the physiological process of birth
Waterbirth
VBAC support
Will Andaluz accept my insurance?
Andaluz Waterbirth center can accept some insurance plans from MODA, BCBS PPO, Pacific Source, United Health Care, and part of the Multiplan Discount Program. Andaluz also offers a cash pay price that covers prenatal care, birth, and postpartum support for $7800. Payment plans are available for any personal financial responsibility our clients have.
For a specific quote for your care, please contact the office for a full Verification of Benefits.
Who will be at a birth at Andaluz?
You will have two certified professionals at your birth. You will always have care from a midwife and may have additional support from other providers or birth assistants.
Should care need to be transferred outside our center for non-emergent or emergent reasons, we have two transfer partner hospitals.
OHSU
Legacy Emanuel
What might be new with this change?
Most changes will be things that you will never notice are happening! Things like negotiating contracts with insurance and internal organization.
Some changes you may see are some updates to the building! We have also added an entirely new position that is dedicated to Outreach and Education. Offering community workshops and classes will be in the works and forming trusting relationships with Portland birth-adjacent professionals is something we are excited to foster.
If you are a birth professional or birth-adjacent provider, please contact our new Outreach + Education Coordinator, Callai Nagle at Callai@waterbirth.net.