Our Providers

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.

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

Anna Berrian attended University of Pennsylania for her BSN degree and graduated in 1997. She worked as an RN in pediatric intensive care at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and then in the cardiac ICU at Boston Children’s. She also later worked as a research coordinator in the pulmonary department on cystic fibrosis studies. She graduated from Simmons College in 2005 with her MSN and became a certified pediatric nurse practitioner. She has spent her NP career working in school-based health, first for MGH Revere Healthcare Center in Revere High School, and then for NSCH at Peabody High School.

Bari-Sue Brodsky, MD, FAAFP graduated from Tufts University and finished her medical degree at Medical College of Pennsylvania. She was the chief resident at Abington Memorial Hosital and became board certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine. She focuses on patients with substance use disorders.

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.

Bethany Saunders has a bachelors in kinesiology at the University of Rhode Island and completed her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of The Pacific.

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.

Cristina James graduated from Simmons University with a Master’s in Science as a Family Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care. She treats patients aged birth and beyond and has a special interest in sexual and reproductive health and dermatologic conditions.

David Toth received his bachelors from Cornell University and his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and his fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism from the University of Virginia. The populations he focuses on are LGBTQ+, and people with learning disabilities health.

Brigid Schiano holds a Masters in Social Work (MSW) from Simmons School of Social Work and has over 30 years of clinical experience. She is trained in working with autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, crisis intervention, care coordination, advocacy. and complex medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, end of life care, and hospice. She serves pre-adolescents, adolescents, adults, elders, gender identity, LGBTQIA, dual diagnoses, and chronic medical conditions. Deedee specializes in psycho-social assessments, crisis intervention, care coordination, individual, group and family therapy, interdiscplinary team collaboration, and clinical supervision and holds certifications in substance use and mediation.

Elizabeth Barreto is a graduate of Salem State University and received her MSN from Regis College. She is AANP board certified and gives care across the entire life span from newborns to elderly. She has a passion for women’s health and pediatrics.

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.

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.

Heidi Primason graduated with her Masters of Social Work from Case Western University in 1983 and has been LICSW licensed since 1986. She provides care for special circumstances, including sex offender and addiction. Additionally, she provides depression/anxiety prevention and management, pain management strategies. She takes an integrative approach drawing from multiple evidence-based modalities to meet the diverse needs of people. She uses cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and a trauma informed approach while incorporating mindfulness and grounding techniques.

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

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.

Julie Sousa obtained her dual Masters degree from Lesley University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Expressive Arts Therapy. She has board CEU training for strategies in helping clients process grief and loss, anti-racism training, Fundamentals of Sandplay Therapy, and Yoga Teacher training. She specifically works with those seeking gender supportive care, neurodivergence, depression/anxiety, and substance use disorders in addition to working with LGBTQIA+ adults and youth in transition.

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.

Katie Attia received her bachelor’s degree from Muhlenberg College and her master’s degree in nursing from the Mass General Institute of Health Professions. Katie is a pediatric nurse practitioner who specializes in adolescent health, and has been working in School Based Health for over a decade.

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.

Keziah C. Nalukwago earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in 2010 and later completed her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at the same institution in 2022.
Keziah’s commitment to comprehensive and community-focused care led her to pursue advanced training after completing her MSN. She was accepted into the Community Health Advanced Training (CHAT) Fellowship at North Shore Community Health, where she received specialized training in primary care, women’s health, and medically assisted treatment (MAT) for addiction care.
As a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Keziah applies her broad skill set as a primary care provider at NSCH. She is passionate about health and wellness and remains dedicated to improving healthcare access and outcomes for patients across the lifespan.

Kristen Iovanella is a dedicated Physician Assistant with over 20 years of medical experience. She graduated from Northeastern University. Kristen has focused on working closely with families her community and believes that healthcare is not just about treating conditions, but also about fostering a supporting environment where patients can feel heard and udnerstood. She strives to make a positiv eimpact on the lives of those she serves, providing compassionate care tailored to each individual’s needs. Outside of her professional life, she is a proud wife and mother of three wonderful children. Her family is her greatest joy, and she enjoys spending quality time together, whether it’s engaging in outdoor activities or simply relaxing at home. In her spare time, she is passionate about staying active. She loves to play basketball, which has always been significant part of her life, fostering teamwork and discipline.

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.

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.

Madge Fleurimond Cemelus is a board-certified Physician Associate. She received a bachelor’s degree in science at Miami Dade College, and completed her PA training at St Francis University in Pennsylvania, earning a master’s degree of medical science. She has the experience of working in multicultural environments and a proven ability to build positive relationships with patients, family members and other healthcare professionals. Her professional interests include everything related to primary care focusing on acute and chronic diseases, disease prevention and promoting healthy lifestyle for all age group. In leisure time, she enjoys spending time with family, reading and traveling.

Meghan Tupper is a graduate in nursing from Endicott College and received her Masters from Simmons University. She is certified as a family nurse practitioner.

Melissa Cruz is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker currently providing counseling services to students at Collins Middle School as a School-Based Health Provider. Melissa received her Bachelor of Arts at Merrimack College and majored in Psychology and Sociology. She also went on to obtain her graduate degree of Master of Social Work at Boston College School of Social Work. Melissa enjoys working with children, youth, and families with varying needs including depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use. She has also taken trainings in various areas including trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, CBT, and art therapy approaches. Melissa is grateful to be a part of such a passionate and dedicated team at NSCH and Collins Middle School.

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.

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.

Rachel Ward is a graduate from Pennsylvania State University and received her MSN-FNP from Simmons University. She focuses on sexual reproductive health, gynecologic procedures, and pediatrics.

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.

Ronald Newman graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed his internal medicine residency at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. He specifically works with patients with opioid use disorders.

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.

Shannon O’Leary graduated from William & Mary with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Psychology. She later graduated from Simmons College of Social Work and obtained her Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW). Shannon holds an Advanced Certificate from Boston University School of Social Work for Clinical Work with Children, Adolescents, and Families and completes 30 hours of CEUs each year. She works with adolescents aged 14-19. In her care, she utilizes a person-centered, strengths-based, integrative, trauma-informed, gender supportive, and collaborative approach. She is trained in anxiety, depression, grief/loss, ADHD, relationships, stress-management, and trauma and uses CBT, DBT, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused techniques.

Zainab Oyenike Jimada is a nurse practitioner who specializes in family health across the lifespan. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas and then earned her Doctor of nursing degree at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. She holds a national board certification with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a family nurse practitioner. Zainab speaks Yoruba and serves a range of populations and ages.