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About us.
Laura France, MD
I am a general obstetrician and gynecologist who enjoys both aspects of what I do. I finished my residency in 1997 and have continued to be happy with my choice of professions. I have had medical experience in many places – medical school here at the University of Minnesota, Syracuse for residency training, and practices here and in Pittsburgh – and with different practice models – academic medicine, large multispecialty group practice and solo private practice. I believe that these varied experiences enhance my ability to better take care of women as I have been exposed to many different situations and styles.
Overall I believe it’s important to listen to my patients as well as keep up with new information on medical conditions, medications, and treatment options.
Personally, I enjoy cooking and baking, working in the yard, travel, and shoe shopping.
Mary Hayes, CNM
I am a Michigan native and grew up in a rural area north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. I graduated from Butterworth Hospital School of Nursing in 1971 with a diploma in nursing. I worked as a registered nurse in a variety of settings in Michigan and South Dakota. Areas worked included labor and delivery, special care nursery, newborn nursery, post-partum and childbirth education. I was inspired to return to school to become a midwife after working on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
It took a number of years from the time of thinking about becoming a midwife to actually do so. I continued to work and raise my two children while completing my BSN through the University of Michigan. In 1991, I moved to St. Paul and began a Master’s program at the University of Minnesota (the real U of M I have been told). I became a Certified Nurse Midwife in 1993 and have been working in the St. Paul area ever since.
I enjoy midwifery in general, but special interests include care of teens and women’s sexuality. I am also excited to see Generations Women’s Health Center grow and flourish. I began practicing at this site in 2001.
When not working, I maintain a long distance relationship with my husband, Randy, who is a ship’s pilot on the Great Lakes. My children are grown, with my son living in Boston, and my daughter living in Los Angeles. They are truly opposites; Gabe is a scientist and Meredith is an artist. My spare time thus includes a fair amount of travel to keep in touch with my husband and children as well as extended family.
Penny Menke, CNM
My diploma in nursing was earned at Mounds Midway School of nursing in 1980, my Bachelor of Arts in Nursing was at Metropolitan State University in 1987 and my Masters of Science in Nursing/Certified Nurse-Midwife education was earned at the University of Minnesota in 1996.
The majority of my nursing experience was spent working in labor and delivery at the University of Minnesota and Unity hospitals. Through my experiences at the U of M, I taught outreach education to rural hospitals. I also transported high-risk patients from out state and the Dakotas to our Level III center. In addition, I worked for Healthspan Homecare visiting families in their homes and making mother and baby assessments. Another role that I have performed is that of a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in Hennepin County. My role as a Certified Nurse-Midwife has taken me to a Family Planning clinic, to Stillwater Medical Group where I was the first nurse-midwife in that practice, and to HealthPartners.
I now live in Blaine and have four young adults, including a set of identical twin girls. My interests are biking, camping, travel, photography, gardening, waterskiing, volunteering at my church and playing in the hand bell choir. I hope to pursue scuba diving soon. My philosophy of midwifery is that we encourage women to accomplish that which they believe they cannot. My special interests in midwifery include twins and VBACs.
Ann Simonsen Oswood, C.N.M.
I graduated from St Olaf College in 1989 and became a nurse-midwife upon receiving my Masters of Science in Nursing from Yale University in 1994. My first years as a midwife were at an inner city hospital in Connecticut, followed by five years of part-time practice in St. Louis, Missouri. I have also worked as a nursing instructor and as a childbirth educator.
In 2002 I returned to Minnesota and took a six-year leave from midwifery to be home with my three children. During that time I served in leadership of the Childbirth Collective, a Minnesota nonprofit organization. I joined Generations in November of 2008, and my special interests include breastfeeding and education.
