Elizabeth Meadows, ARNP, CNM

I grew up in Conyers, Georgia, a community near Atlanta.  Other than a year or two here and there, I lived there my entire life.  In 2009 my husband, Matt, who works with CSX Railroad, was offered a position in Jacksonville.  It was a difficult decision to leave home, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to move to the beach!  Now that we are here in St. Augustine we realize what a blessing it is to live in such a wonderful community.

I attended college at the University of Georgia (to this day I bleed red and black-Go Dawgs!).  I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life so I decided a degree in nursing was a good place to start.  One of my first rotations was in obstetrics.  I spent 1 day with a woman in the labor and delivery unit and I was hooked.  I graduated in 1993 and went straight to work in the labor and delivery unit of my home town hospital.

A few years later a Certified Nurse Midwife came to work at the hospital.  She was the first in the area.  I loved working with her.  The care she gave was every bit as skilled as that being given by the physicians, and she had a connection with her patients that was special.  When I became pregnant with my first child, I chose Linda to care for me. It was one of my best decisions.  Being her patient gave me even more insight into the career of midwifery and I made the decision to go back to school.

I graduated from Frontier School of Midwifery in 2003.  I also received a Masters degree in nursing from Case Western Reserve University.  I began my career at a busy OB/Gyn practice and never looked back.  I knew I was going to love “catching” the babies, but I was pleasantly surprised to find how much I enjoyed the prenatal care given in the office and the gynecological care aspect of midwifery.  Both offer such great opportunities for education.  Teaching women how to obtain their best possible health is time well spent.  I have a special interest in adolescent gynecological patients.  Helping these young women embark on the healthiest possible adulthood is very rewarding.

My other fulltime job is caring for my family!  Matt and I have 3 children.  Ashley is a junior in college, Michael and Mason both attend school in St. Johns County.  We all enjoy spending time at the beach, amusement parks (thrill rides!), travel and target shooting.  We enjoy walking and swimming for fitness.  I am also an avid reader, a fledgling photographer and a cheerleader in the stands at my son’s games.

Christa Zielinski, ARNP, CNM

My husband Brian and I, and our two daughters, moved to beautiful St. Augustine in 2010 to be closer to our families and warmer weather. I worked as a maternity nurse at Flagler Hospital for two years and had the privilege of getting to know all the practitioners at OBGyn Associates. I am honored to be a member of the practice and enjoy caring for the patients and families that we are so lucky to serve.

I was born and raised in Long Island, New York, received my BSN from the University of Rhode Island in 1995, and went on to complete my Masters Degree at New York University in 2001. While completing my maternal child rotation in Rhode Island, I had the privilege of having a Nurse-Midwife as my obstetrical clinical instructor, and that was when I decided my career path. My mom tells me since the age of three when asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" my answer was always, "deliver babies". While working as a maternity nurse at NYU Medical Center, I enrolled in the Masters Program, knowing that I would be working with some of the best practitioners in the country.

After graduating, my first midwifery job was in Danbury, Connecticut. There I was able to have the best of both worlds. The practice attended births in both a freestanding birth center as well as the local hospital. Getting to know the families and having the honor of being part of such a miraculous event in their lives has always been fulfilling to me.

Brian and I married in 2005 and his job took us to the opposite side of Connecticut. Although it was a very hard choice, we decided I would take time away from midwifery while we started a family. As much as I missed midwifery, I was able to raise my two beautiful daughters while working as a maternity nurse RN. Assisting patients and families through the birth process, and getting to see new life enter the world is the most rewarding work I could ever imagine. I am thrilled to be returning to my work as a midwife since the girls are now in school. I love the continuity of care this profession allows me, caring for patients through their pregnancy and gynecologic care though menopause. Being able to educate them and their families on what is normal and to be expected can take away the fear and anxiety they may experience, which is so empowering! Providing holistic care has also been a cornerstone of my practice since the day I entered nursing school and remains an important value to me as an advanced practice nurse.

In my spare time, my hobbies are arts and craft projects and reading. I have been a volleyball player most of my life. I had the privilege to play in college and coach at various levels. I still enjoy playing to this day.

I am so pleased to be a part of OBGyn Associates and I look forward to being a part of your care.

Lorraine Searle, ARNP, CNM

My husband, Tom and I knew one day we wanted an adventure, especially since we loved experiencing new cultures. Opportunity knocked on the door in 2003, when we were given the chance to live far away from home, in a different continent. It didn't take us long to make our decision.

Filled with excitement, we packed up our sons and crossed the "pond" from our birthplace of England to make our new home in the United States. Thankfully, the language was the same! Life was decidedly different for us in Denver, Colorado, but we loved it. I brought my English tea and felt right at home. Several years later, we moved to beautiful St. Augustine.

After settling in, I was able to focus on my passion of women's health. Midwifery has been my call for more than 15 years. In 1996, I received my Registered Nursing and Midwifery license from Chester University England, UK, College of Nursing and Midwifery. I was a midwife for eight years there, having obtained my Bachelor's of Science degree with a specialty in women's health from Glasgow Caledonian University. I was honored to receive my Master's of Science degree from Philadelphia University, in 2010 and finally become a board certified Nurse Midwife in 2012.

I so enjoy the teaching aspect of my work. Providing health education classes for OBGYN Associates of St. Augustine allows me to empower women with knowledge about their bodies and caring for themselves. The Wildflower Clinic provides health care for low income and uninsured clients of St. John's County and I enjoy volunteering my time there to help others.

Life in St. Augustine and the United States has been good to us. Also, my sons Conor, Ben and Callum help our community and help those who are less fortunate. We are able to keep fit with hiking, scuba diving and keeping up with our active boys. There are some customs I still hold on to, like drinking my English tea. I look forward to being a part of your health care and having a good chat over a "cuppa tea."

Michele Rogero, ARNP, CNM

Michele was born and raised here in the nation's oldest city! During her ten years as a labor and delivery nurse, she worked toward her dream of becoming a midwife.

In 2002, she earned her BSN from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. In 2005, she earned her MSN form Regis University in Denver, Colorado. In 2008, she graduated from the University of Florida's Nurse-Midwifery Program. (Gooooo Gators!)

Michele's friends and family call her Missy. She is married with four wonderful children. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, boating and spending time with her family.