Salem Family Health Center

Laura Holland, MD, is a board-certified gynecologist who joined North Shore Community Health in 2018. She has worked in gynecology for over 30 years and in community health in Massachusetts for 15 years. She is currently the Director of Women’s Health, where she cares for women across their life spans, particularly in those navigating menopause. She is passionate about delivering high-quality health care to several populations, while addressing the cultural disparities and addressing the reproductive and sexual health of adolescents and women. She graduated from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Dr. Robert Slocum received his undergraduate degree at UMass Amherst as well as an MPH from UMass Amherst. He went to medical school at Touro University College of Osteopathic medicine and completed a Family Medicine residency at Jamaica Hospital in New York City. He is also completing a graduate certificate in Health informatics this spring. He works primarily to provide primary care to persons with substance use disorders, chronic mental illness and housing insecurity or other vulnerable populations/persons who experience barriers to receiving health care in traditional settings.

Dr. Kristin Darden is a graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia medical school and completed her residency at the University of Minnesota-North Memorial. She is the medical director of Salem Family Health and focuses her patient directed care towards individuals within the context of their community in addition to gender supportive care and long-acting reversible contraception.

Amer El-Haddad, M.D. is the Chief Medical Officer at North Shore Community Health Center. Amer has over a decade of experience in front-line and leadership work at inner-city community health centers. Amer joined NSCH in Feb 2022 and became CMO later that year. Amer immigrated from Lebanon after attending medical school there and went to residency at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio n Family Medicine and Community Health
Amer oversees the clinical departments at NSCH including primary care, nursing, school-based health centers, and recovery services. Amer is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and health justice and the impacts of health disparities on community health patients. Amer also has a passion for health care leadership, immigrant health, women’s health, addiction, and LGBTQ+ health care. Amer has many interests outside of work including cooking, hiking, biking, and traveling. Amer is fluent in Arabic and Spanish

Cheralyn Johnson is an MSN and FNP graduate from the MGH Institute of Health Professions and BSN graduate from College of the Ozarks. She is certified in Improvement Advising, Health Planet Physician Builder, and Community Health Center Management. She focuses in family primary care, cross-cultural care (particularly West African), infectious diseases, COVID-19, healthcare systems, and health IT.

Michelle Mock is a BSN graduate from UMass Boston and MSN and FNP graduate from Regis College. She is AANP board certified and specializes in Family Medicine.

Erica Mitev, PA-C is an access provider who helps see patients across all three of our health centers. She completed her Master’s of Physician Assistant Studies from Pace University, NYC.

Kathryn Oas graduated with her BSN and MS from Northeastern University. She serves patients that are adolescents to end of life and specialized in HIV, gender supportive, and sexual reproductive health.

Kara Pesola graduated from the MGH Institute of Health Professions with a Master’s in Science of Nursing in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care and Women’s Health. She treats patients aged 12 and older and has specialized training in gender supportive, gynecology, HIV, and sexual health care.

Brittney Pfohl graduated from the MGH Institute of Health Professions with an MSN and BSN along with being a Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society Inductee. She is American Academy of Nurse Practitioners certified in Family health and Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses. She focuses on immigrant health, indigenous health, pediatrics, and primary care services.

Mary Taljic completed her MSN at Endicott College. The population she focuses on is pediatrics, adults, and geriatrics, and she specializes in internal medicine.

Jailene Roman graduated from Regis College and received both her BSN and MSN. She specializes in Obesity Management. 

Ben Levine has completed his Masters in Social Work, Public Health, and Business Administration. He is a licensed Clinical Social Worker and specifically works with young adults, adults, and those with chronic disease. He specializes in depression, anxiety, hoarding, and substance use disorder.

Ellen began her career as a nurse practitioner at North Shore Community Health in 2011, serving as a primary care provider in Gloucester for a number of years. Since 2015, Ellen has held multiple positions in management and leadership at North Shore, including overseeing the nursing and quality programs across the health centers as well as leading the implementation of Epic, our electronic medical record, in 2022.
In her current role, Ellen provides leadership around all aspects of our value-based care programs, including care management, behavioral health, population health and information systems.
Ellen is deeply dedicated to the mission of NSCH to ensure all community members have equal access to excellent health care and is grateful for opportunities to help patients achieve their own health goals. Specific areas of interest include substance use disorder treatment and the use of technology to help meet the needs of patients and staff. Ellen has a passion for learning languages and is proficient in Spanish and French.

Aanu Akinjagunla, PMHNP, who holds a Master of Science in Nursing Degree from the University of Rhode Island is a Behavioral Health Provider and joined North Shore Community Health in 2023. Aanu has practiced Psychiatric Mental health Nursing for over 8 years in various settings, capacities and across the lifespan. She received her Bachelors’ degree in Nursing at the New England Institute of Technology and is a recipient of the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program and a current fellow of the UMASS Chan Tan Changfen Graduate School of Nursing/ MA league of Community Health Centers PMHNP Fellowship program. Aanu currently provides care to Adults and Older Adults with mental health challenges. When not providing care at NSCH, Aanu enjoys spending time with family, reading and nature walks. Aanu speaks English and Yoruba Language.

Jenilee graduated from Salem State University with a degree in Nursing and minors in biology and psychology. She is currently completing Suffolk’s Health Care Management Certificte Program. She has spearheaded the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Program which now offers 24/7 SUD service. Her passion is within community health where she can focus her skillset on advocating for underserved populations with poor health outcomes, and barriers to treatment.

Melissa Glassman graduated with an M.Ed. in counseling and Masters in Theology, Pastoral Studies and Interfaith Chaplaincy. The populations she serves are adults, elders, adolescents, and children. She specializes in expressive art therapies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Chronic illnesses, cancer,hiv. Grief and loss, relationship issues, Spirituality, Life transitions, LGBTQ care.

Ryan Griffin graduated with an MSN from MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2012. He has received trainings in psychiatric medication management, eye movement desensitiziation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and solution-focused therapy. He sees adolescents ages 13 and up, adult, and geriatric patients. Ryan specializes in immigrant health, LGBTQ+ needs, traumatic experiences, group therapy, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, chronic pain, and street medicine.

Eileen Quijada earned a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in the Dominican Republic. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene from MCPHS University. Since 2016, she has been providing comprehensive general dentistry at North Shore Community Health, treating patients of all ages, including pediatric, adult, and elderly populations. She is dedicated to providing high-quality patient-centered care, and helping her patients achieve optimal oral health. In addition to English, Eileen speaks Spanish fluently and has some conversational proficiency in Portuguese.

Jennifer joined North Shore Community Health in 2008. She graduated from the University of New England with a Bachelors of Science in Dental Hygiene and then from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences with a dual Masters of Science in Dental Hygiene and Public Health. She is certified in Dental Infection Prevention and Control (CDIPC) and is the current Dental Infection Control Coordinator for all dental sites. She sees all populations and ages and is able to interact with patients with limited Spanish.

Dr. Valdez earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DMD) degree in 2012 from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra and is currently pursuing an MBA at Southern New Hampshire University (Class of 2025). A member of both the Massachusetts Dental Society and the Hispanic Dental Association, Dr. Valdez is deeply committed to improving oral health in communities with limited access to care, ensuring that everyone receives the quality dental services they deserve. Guided by a belief in culturally sensitive care, she builds strong, trusting patient relationships and strives to create a meaningful impact through compassionate treatment and community engagement.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Valdez is an advocate for preventative care and patient education, empowering individuals to take control of their oral health. She is continuously working to expand her knowledge, attending continuing education courses, and volunteering in community health initiatives that bring much-needed services to underserved populations.

David Leader is NSCH’s new Director of Dental Practice and Operations. He is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine where he was a teacher for over 20 years. In that time, he was the lead instructor (Lead Practice Coordinator) of a teaching clinic with about 50 treatment rooms and 150 students. Additionally, he was the director of the DMD/MPH Dual Degree program. Finally, he became the director of the school’s dental emergency clinic. Dr. Leader is a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Boards of organizations associated with the autoimmune disease, Scleroderma. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Boston Medical Library and is the Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Dental Association’s Dental Education Committee. Recently, Dr Leader published 6 papers on how dental care may improve chronic health conditions including autoimmunity, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease which are available on the AHRQ (Agencyfor Healthcare Quality and Research) website. Dave Leader lives in Gloucester. In nice weather, you may find him on a run along the shore or kayaking the Annisquam. He is enthusiastic to participate with our medical and dental teams to provide high quality care to the people of the North Shore.

Romy Nehme, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist with fellowship training in Consult-Liaison Psychiatry and Perinatal Psychiatry. She worked as a full-time psychiatrist at North Shore Community Health for 4 years from 2019 to 2023 and held the position of Associate Medical Director of Psychiatric Services. She returned to North Shore Community Health in 2025 as a per diem staff.

In addition to her role at North Shore Community Health, she is the Associate Medical Director of Psychiatry at Outer Cape Health Services overseeing the psychiatric department. She is also a Consult Liaison Psychiatrist at Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) and a Perinatal Psychiatrist focusing on the unique mental health needs of expectant and postpartum mothers. She is a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School, teaches medical students and supervises psychiatry residents and Consult-Liaison fellows. She speaks French and Arabic fluently.

Vanessa White has worked in community health and non-profits her entire career. She graduated from Simmons University with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and focus in Substance Abuse Counseling and Addiction. In her 10 years at North Shore Community Health, she spearheaded the HIV and Hep C management program and brought in-house treatment options. This nurse-driven program is a highly robust treatment option that expedites care for those with Hep C. Vanessa has additionally focused on educating providers to reduce the stigma around HIV and Hep C. Lastly, she works closely with Community Health Worker Jessica to provide an internal prenatal program for patients. She works with all populations.