Meet Our Team
With our professional experience, we aim to provide you with comfort and peace of mind.
Elizabeth Smith is a Certified Nurse Midwife and Board Certified Lactation Consultant who has served Sonoma County families for more than 25 years. After completing her midwifery training at Vanderbilt University, Elizabeth relocated to Santa Rosa where she has spent her entire career. First as a midwife in busy physician-led practices and then as a subspecialist in a reproductive endocrinology/fertility practice, Elizabeth focused her clinical attention on caring for families through education and individualized, compassionate care. In 2013, Elizabeth assumed the role of Director of the Santa Rosa Birth Center where she continued the legacy of safe, community based birth in California’s 2nd oldest licensed freestanding Birth Center. Here, she advocated for all types of families to receive equitable, midwifery-led care both in- and outside of the hospital. In her tenure as a midwife, Elizabeth is proud to say that she has cared for over 3000 Sonoma County families.
Now at the Santa Rosa Midwifery Center, Elizabeth provides full scope, reproductive care to all childbearing people. She is committed to serving a diverse population of women and expanding care to women during all stages of life. Elizabeth has a special interest in fertility treatment, perinatal mental health, and lactation support. Through all her care, Elizabeth values personal connection and leads the Santa Rosa Midwifery Center with expertise, warmth and compassion.
Married to Len Tyko, also a healthcare provider in Santa Rosa, and a mom to four amazing children, Elizabeth’s love for her roles as a mother, midwife and community member shines through. Elizabeth cherishes her relationships with friends, old and new. She loves to eat, but hates to cook, and thinks dessert is the best part of a meal. When she’s not midwifing or mothering, she indulges her creative side with knitting and crocheting. Elizabeth’s passion for her calling makes her the perfect guide as she leads the Santa Rosa Midwifery Center into its exciting next chapter.
Tricia DeCarli, MPA, CLC, is our CPSP Coordinator and Perinatal Health Educator at the Santa Rosa Midwifery Center. Tricia received her Bachelor’s degree from UC Davis and her Master’s Degree from Sonoma State University. She received her Lactation Counselor Certification from UC San Diego Lactation and Perinatal Education Program.
Tricia spent many years working in social services but after the birth of her first child, she knew that she wanted to work with expecting families in some way. She began her journey as a doula shortly after and has spent much of the past twenty four years supporting families during their prenatal, birth and postpartum journeys. She became a part of the Santa Rosa Birth Center team in 2016 where she worked as a Midwife Assistant, Education Coordinator and Office Administrator, and is excited to be a part of the Santa Rosa Midwifery Center. She truly loves working closely with our families to help them prepare for birth, breastfeeding and beyond.
Tricia lives in Petaluma with her husband Darrin, where they raised their three children, Emily, Daniel and Jake. She is very active in her community having spent many years as a volunteer in the schools, sports programs and with the North Pole Fire Brigade. She loves reading, spending time with her family and friends and vacationing in Hawaii.
Sacha is delighted to have worked as the Santa Rosa Midwifery Center Financial Coordinator for more than ten years where she combines her professional expertise with her love of pregnancy and babies. In this capacity, Sacha brings over 30 years of experience as a healthcare advocate with an expertise in understanding and explaining health insurance benefits to people seeking care.
Outside work, Sacha supports pollinators through gardening and volunteering with the Sonoma County Beekeepers Association and permaculture with Daily Acts, enjoys traveling with her husband and hanging out with her toddler grandson and great niece whenever possible.
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