About Us

In 2004, two Kansas City doctors returned from a medical mission trip to Haiti, realizing that the effect of their visit ended when they left.  Dr. Elizabeth Wickstrom and Dr. Stan Shaffer had a vision of providing ongoing services in rural, under served Haitian communities where high quality maternal and infant health care was absent. Maison de Naissance, a modern, culturally appropriate maternal center, was established in 2004 in Torbeck, Haiti, and is sponsored by Global Birthing Home Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit public charity based in Leawood, KS.  Since its establishment, Maison de Naissance has performed over 8,117 healthy deliveries, and conducted more than 360,136 total consultations. Global Birthing Home Foundation operates in Haiti as a non-governmental organization, shares oversight of the birth center’s operations, and is responsible for fundraising for all programs and operations.

Affiliations

USA Partners
Haiti partners

Co-Founders of Maison de Naissance

Dr. Elizabeth Wickstrom

Co-Founder

Dr. Stan Shaffer

Co-Founder

Global Birthing Home Foundation Staff

Jim Grant

Executive Director
Jim is a graduate of the University of Nebraska in Omaha with a BS in Economics, a minor in Decision Sciences, a business certificate in Systems Networking from MIT, a PMI certificate in project management, and twenty years of professional IT experience, including international consulting (two years with the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority) and US regional office management. He has been working for GBHF since 2008, and Executive Director since April 2011.

Heather Jackson

Office & Communications Assistant

Rabab Al-Araji

Social Media Contractor

Danie Jolivert

Social Media Reporter (On site at Maison de Naissance)

Governance

Elizabeth Wickstrom, MD, FACOG

President
Dr. Wickstrom is a co-founder of Maison de Naissance, and a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist with 30+ years of experience.  She divides her time between her family, her medical practice, her church, and the Global Birthing Home Foundation.

Abbey Masonbrink, MD, MPH

Vice-President
Dr. Masonbrink is a pediatrician and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. Abbey is a recently returned Kansas City native, and her personal goal is improving health disparities in vulnerable populations. She joined the board in 2016.

Janice Taylor

Treasurer
Janice is retired from a 40 year career in IT management.  She is a 2014 graduate from Rockhurst University with a BA in Nonprofit Leadership, with an emphasis on fundraising/development.  Founder of the annual Kansas City Haiti Symposium and actively involved with supporting Haiti ministries since 2004.  Janice joined the board in 2016.

Margaret F. McCann, PhD

Secretary
Margaret is a Reproductive Health Epidemiologist. She is recently retired from being the Deputy Editor of the journal EPIDEMIOLOGY. Her work in Haiti has included volunteering at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in the Artibonite region of Haiti. She joined the Foundation board in 2015.

Pere Frantz Casseus, PhD

Board Member
Frantz is an Episcopal Priest (Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Haiti), and a Consulting Psychologist with more than 35 years in private and institutional practices in family therapy and behavioral modification. He is currently Clinical Instructor at Mars and Kline Psychiatric Center of Port-au-Prince. He has been involved with the Foundation since 2013.

Guy Montes

Board Member
Guy is a native Haitian from Port-au-Prince, son of the well-known and influential Episcopal priest Father Gesner Montes. Guy moved to the USA in 1998 to attend the University of Kansas, graduated with a degree in Flute Performance, and went on to earn an MBA Essentials certificate. He joined the board of directors in 2015 and is a founding member of two music groups, Cucharada and Mundo Nouvo.

Jamie Haeuser

Board Member
Jamie has a master's in Health Care Administration and a BA in History.  She is a principal at Haeuser Health Strategies, and a faculty member at the American College of Healthcare Executives. Jamie is the chair of the development committee.

Jenn Ballard, MD, FACOG

Board Member

Leah Felcher, MS Education Admin.

Board Member

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