Family Nurse Practitioner
I came to Western Mass to attend Mount Holyoke College after growing up in Worcester. I have lived here for 25+ years (with the exception of one awesome year as a full time volunteer painting murals with children and adolescents in Fresno, CA). For the first 10 years of my career I worked in the field of Public Health. I worked for the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program for 5 years and then in Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness for 5 years. I had the chance to work in several local Health Departments/Boards of Health and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health before I became a Family Nurse Practitioner. During most of that time I also spent evenings and weekends working as Emergency Medical Technician and/or Firefighter in Hampshire and Franklin Counties.
Becoming a Nurse Practitioner in primary care seemed like a great fit for me because most of my role models in Public Health were nurses and many of the health problems I saw in ambulance work were preventable. I love working with children and families and the constant focus on good health and prevention in pediatrics. After a 2.5-year hiatus from primary care practice during the pandemic, during which I was a leader in the public health COVID vaccination response efforts in Western MA, I am happy to be back in pediatric primary care!
It is an honor to be a trusted member of a family’s team to set each infant, child and young adult up for success in their health, growth, development, safety, and learning. I listen first and then strive to provide individual care that is evidence based, prevention-oriented, and compassionate — with a constant eye on social determinants of health and the public health issues that are impacting children and families.
For fun I can be found walking, hiking, and playing at various playgrounds with my own two school-aged children, dogs, and spouse. I love to read both fiction and non-fiction and enjoy making art and working on craft projects from knitting to pottery to printmaking.
Education
- Undergraduate: Mount Holyoke College, Bachelor of Arts, 1997
- Graduate: Yale School of Nursing, Masters Degree in Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner, 2012
Memberships and Certifications
- ANCC Board Certified
Interests
- Medical: public health
- Non-medical: Hiking, reading and crafts