Long before sunrise and well past midnight, the Family Birth Center at St. Michael Medical Center has been a quiet constant in Kitsap County, a place where more than 45,000 babies have taken their first breath over the past 25 years.
This summer, the center celebrated its silver anniversary, bringing together current and former staff members.
“We have a lot of memories and stories within these walls,” said Jennifer Snider, director of the Family Birth Center.
Snider joined dozens of colleagues to mark the milestone, honoring both the center’s legacy and its evolution. The event became a moment of reflection for nurses and providers.
Among them was Julie Harper, a former nurse who joined the department in 1990 and retired in 2016. She now volunteers every Wednesday, supporting staff, restocking supplies, and comforting newborns. Harper recited a poem she wrote called Labor Room Walls.
“We listen well throughout the years, we watch the drama, joy, and tears. We’ve seen the skills, we’ve known the love, we felt the power from above,” the poem read.
For Norma Nutter, the center’s former director who helped open the current space 25 years ago, the memory of its first day remains vivid.
“From the moment the Family Birth Center opened, it was clear it was meeting a vital need,” Nutter said. “My time in the department was a great experience, and I would do it all over again.”
In the past year, 2,058 babies were born at the Family Birth Center. Over time, its services have grown to meet the needs of expanding families in Kitsap and beyond.
The special care nursery has become a Level II unit, caring for babies born as early as 32 weeks and keeping families close to home during critical times.
Around-the-clock OBGYN coverage and 24/7 neonatal nurse practitioners, available through a partnership with Seattle Children’s Hospital, are now part of standard care. A collaboration with Kitsap OBGYN brings midwifery care to patients through three dedicated midwives.
In August 2024, the center launched a volunteer doula program, which now includes six doulas. The team also includes more than 100 individuals, scrub techs, health unit coordinators, lactation consultants and registered nurses, several of whom have served the department for more than two decades.
Kim Dowling, now manager of the Family Birth Center, was just 20 when she started with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health after graduating from Olympic College. She was a labor and delivery nurse for over 25 years.
“Working with families during both their most joyful and challenging moments is incredibly meaningful. I feel privileged to be a part of their journey,” Dowling said.
As the team looks to the future, there’s excitement about continued growth, including the potential to offer water births and other expanded services to support the next generation of parents.
