STAFF
Our permanent staff consists of Certified Nurse-Midwives, Medical Assistants, administrative office staff, housekeepers, and a groundskeeper. We also have Nurse-Midwife fellows, Registered Nurses, and countless other volunteers that serve shorter terms, but we couldn't do any of this without them!
Sandra de la Cruz-Yarrison, Executive Director
Sandra joined the Holy Family team in July of 2016 and is a valley native. She has a passion for women's healthcare and social justice. She runs a small family business with her husband but previously worked for the Cameron County Department of Health and Human Services. In her time with the county she helped to oversee 4 public health clinics that provided various services to the community. Her love for Holy Family stems from her personal experience with the birth center, as both of her children were born here. She brings a collection of work experiences, dedication for equality in women's healthcare, and love for her community to the HFS family. In her free time she enjoys traveling, listening to live music, and spending time with family and friends.
Bachelor of Science - Psychology, Business Minor, Pennsylvania State University: 2005
Master of Arts - Global Development and Social Justice, St. John’s University: 2014
Kate Plummer, MSN, APRN, CNM, Clinical Director
Kate Plummer has been a midwife for over 20 years and is returning to birth work here at Holy Family after practicing outpatient sexual and reproductive healthcare in Vermont for the past 10 years. Kate has wanted to come to Holy Family since she was a student nurse-midwife in the 1990s, and is so happy finally to have found her way here. In addition to midwifery work in both birth center and hospital settings, Kate has taught psychiatric and maternal-newborn nursing, and worked in nursing administration and public health nursing. More recently, Kate has been exploring the spiritual side of nursing and midwifery, and in 2018-19 she completed a 400-hour Clinical Pastoral Education internship in healthcare chaplaincy at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Outside of work, Kate is the mother to a grown up daughter and is a beginner bird watcher.
Bachelor of Arts--social anthropology, Harvard University, 1991
Master of Science in Nursing, Yale University, 1999
Simone Payan, MSN, APRN, CNM, Staff Midwife
Simone Payan calls El Paso, Texas, home. It was there that she graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor's degree in Nursing in 2011. She spent the next two years working as a labor and delivery nurse at a private hospital. During that time, her passion for maternity and newborn care grew and she decided to expand her role as a provider. In 2014, she applied to the nurse midwifery program at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, and in 2016 she graduated with a Master's degree in Nursing. She was originally called to the Rio Grande Valley after applying for a 6 month fellowship at Holy Family Birth Center. During that time she developed a love for the people, culture, and surrounding area. After her fellowship ended, she was granted the opportunity to remain in the area and work at a local private practice and in the hospital setting. After three years, she made the decision to return to her first calling in the Valley and carry out the role of clinical director here. After witnessing numerous women and families grow during their prenatal care, labor, and delivery, and experiencing it herself firsthand, Simone is dedicated to upholding the holistic, respectful, safe, and evidence-based care that Holy Family provides.
Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, University of Texas at El Paso, 2011
Master's of Science in Nursing, University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, 2016
Annie Leone, MSN, APRN, CNM, Staff Midwife
Annie discovered midwifery while studying Spanish and Public Health in college at Ohio State University. Once she learned about midwives, she was drawn to the profession because of its focus on providing woman-centered, empowering, holistic care and building trusting, meaningful relationships with patients and their families. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio she moved on to study Nurse Midwifery in Seattle, WA where she first heard about Holy Family through the midwife grapevine, and thought it sounded like such a special place. She then worked for 3 years as a midwife in a hospital in the Bronx, NYC before coming to Holy Family as a CNM Fellow in Feb 2018. She now splits her time as a staff midwife at Holy Family and the Catholic Charities Respite Center in McAllen, Texas where she provides newborn and women's health care to migrant families in need. Annie feels honored to serve families at HFS and to live in the beautiful RGV! In her free time she enjoys community engagement, connecting with family and friends, spending time in nature, doing Zumba, reading, traveling, and being a Cleveland sports fan.
MSN Nurse-Midwifery, Seattle University: 2014
Elizabeth Reta, Billing Coordinator
Elizabeth is originally from Donna Texas, has been happily married for 21 years and has three children. She moved to Wisconsin when married in 1998 and while living there decided that it is never too late for education. She achieved her certification as a Medical billing and Coding Specialist in 2013 and is still working towards her associate degree in applied science for her HIT. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family and friends, drawing, listening to music and has been pastoring alongside her husband a small congregation since 2014.
Marylu Romero, RMA, Receptionist
Marylu started at Holy Family as a medical assistant student and was hired immediately after graduating in 2011. She has been a welcoming, cheerful face in the front office ever since! Our families love Marylu- she has even provided personal labor support and encouragement to several of our families during labor. She is a mother of four and in her spare time she loves going to movies, baseball games, and church with her kids.
Jessica Rojo, RMA, Administrative Assistant
Jessica also completed her Medical Assistant clinicals here as a student. After graduating in 2012, she began working here as an AmeriCorps volunteer in the front office. She was hired on as full-time staff two years later and has been with us ever since! Jessica has an excellent sense of humor and a positive attitude. She has six daughters. She enjoys spending time with them outdoors and taking walks on the beach with her husband.
Kelly Calvo, MA, Billing Assistant
Originally from the South Texas region, Kelly lived most of her life in Wisconsin before officially relocating back to the RGV this year. In Wisconsin Kelly worked at Sauk Prairie Healthcare ranked one of the state's top 10 facilities for women’s services and births. Kelly has 12 years of OB and baby experience and is happy to have joined Holy Family Birth Center.
Brittany Pena, Outreach Coordinator
Brittany started here as a general volunteer in 2016 and stayed as a full-time employee in 2017 as a billing assistant, and in 2020 Brittany became outreach coordinator. Brittany has been coming to Holy Family with her aunt since she was eight years old and has grown to love it. She dedicated many of her summer breaks here, helping out as much as she could. She is very energetic with a great sense of humor. She enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews, shopping, Starbucks, watching movies, and has a love for animals, especially her dog, Bambino.
Maria Pena, Facilities Specialist, Housekeeping
Maria has been with Holy Family since its early years. She began doing housekeeping and facility maintenance in 1984. She has seen Holy Family transform and continues to graciously welcome the countless volunteers that make their way to experience the birth center and its community. She has three adult children and enjoys her involvement with her church. In her spare time, she loves watching movies.
Damiana Becerra, Housekeeping
Dami began working at Holy Family in 2001 doing housekeeping work. Her kindness and sense of humor is much loved by the rest of the staff. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family and going to church.
Mr. Garcia, Groundskeeper
Mr. Garcia has been maintaining the grounds for Holy Family for almost two decades. He grows beautiful flowers, keeps the plants freshly pruned, and always shares the papayas and Valley Lemons he picks off the trees with volunteers.