SAMARITAN HEALTH CENTER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant, Aon Hewitt
Edwina Gabriel is originally from Birmingham, Alabama. She moved to North Carolina in 1980 and obtained her nursing education from UNC-Chapel Hill and graduate degree from NC State University. She serves many residents who are food insecure and works with area outreaches to assist the homebound elderly and youth in Durham's West End. She also co-facilitates Community Garden start-ups through the Grow Your Own Community Garden Initiative. Through her local church fellowship, Church of Philadelphia in Durham, she facilitates support to ministries and orphanages in Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti and the Philippines.
"At SHC we see patients from many different backgrounds and cultures. We treat our patients with the same love, respect, and medical care that we desire for ourselves and our families, remembering that each person is created and loved by God. With the help of our team, I am able to meet patients where they need help most by providing treatment, medications, labs, specialty referrals, and offering prayer and encouragement."
"When patients come to SHC, we strive to see the whole person rather than one single part. Whether this looks like a friendly face or joke to brighten their mood, working with one of our partner organizations to provide free produce or medications or discussing an important health concern that has been worrying them - the comprehensive care that SHC offers is a true embodiment of Jesus' command to love our neighbors as ourselves."
"At SHC we get to walk along with people just like us, people suffering from the effects of the fall: sin and disease and death. We practice the best medicine we know how, struggling for easing of the burden, clarity in fear, and right functioning of the body. It is a deep joy to see people growing toward health- be the journey fast and direct or slow and long. I am grateful for the gift of this work."
Kevin Almond received his B.S. in Pharmacy from UNC-Chapel Hill. He spent his first eight years owning and operating businesses in small communities throughout North Carolina. He spent the next two decades in higher education with UNC. More recently, he has consulted in the biotech industry and various nonprofits, assisting with fundraising, governance, organizational structure and communications. Kevin lives in Chapel Hill and is a member of Christ Community Church. He grows his faith through daily Bible reading, a group Bible study that has been meeting since 1994, and conversations with friends and colleagues at the NC Study Center as well as the elders in his church.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager for Community Engagement
- Program Manager, Community Engagement, DUHS Office of Community Health
Ms. Monroe is the Program Manager for Community Engagement in the Office of Community Health for Duke University Health System. She helps plan and implement initiatives designed to address concerns identified by the community. Her "global citizen" background and focus on community collaboration has provided opportunities to serve the community through various leadership roles in the Partnership for a Healthy Durham, Durham County Women's Commission, African American Dance Ensemble, Durham Connects, American Heart Association the and Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance.
Nationally she serves on the Culture of Health Workgroup for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and participated in the National Academy of Medicine Culture of Health cohort meetings. Her areas of interest include reducing disparities in marginalized communities and intersection of faith and health. Ms. Monroe received a BBA in Finance from McMurry University in Abilene, Texas and a MPA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is an Ordained Elder at Victorious Life Fellowship Church in Durham, NC.
"In my role at Samaritan Health Center, I have the privilege of working with patients, staff, community partners, donors, and volunteers in caring for the health of our community. I approach the community as I would want my family members to be approached: with a desire to provide the best medical care I can and help individuals grow towards health. It is a pleasure to walk with SHC and the community in the path of health and dignity seeing our community grow and flourish."
"Communication of health information is part of a nurse's role. Very often this involves communicating in Spanish, or occasionally in another language I speak, or calls for creative measures, such as drawing pictures on pill bottles so patients know what a medicine is for and what time of day to take it. I like getting to know many of our patients who have come here for a while."
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant at Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting
- Senior Consultant, Aon Hewitt
Lois is a senior consultant at Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting, She works with a select number of institutional clients that include defined benefit and defined contribution plans, and health care system operating reserve funds. Prior to joining Aon Hewitt, she was a senior portfolio strategist with First Citizens Bank Capital Management Group, and advised institutional and high-net worth clients on investment strategy, global asset allocation, investment policy development, portfolio construction and implementation. Before that, Lois was with Lindedata Inc., a global financial software company, where she worked with portfolio managers, traders, and compliance officers at institutional asset management firms. Lois received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, her J.D. from Boston University School of Law, and her Ed.M. in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Lois lives in Chapel Hill with her husband Bobby and their two young children.
Job Titles:
- Community Health Director and Staff Physician
"As I think about health, dignity and flourishing through work at Samaritan Health Center I would quote Wendell Berry (agrarian poet and essayist) who writes "health is membership." Our bodies are involved in the world, and we belong to each other. When we care for a patient during a visit we get just a glimpse of their life, and all that impacts who they are and what they carry in life. Our role is to come alongside, hear their stories, and offer the best medical care we can while attending to the bigger story. The presence of SHC in Durham and our relationships and interconnectedness with others is a demonstration of our belonging to one another, and a sign of hope for a healthier community."
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Population Health at WellCare of North Carolina
Matt Oettinger is the Vice President of Population Health at WellCare of North Carolina, where he leads a variety of clinical initiatives in Care Management, Utilization Management, and Clinical Programs, primarily focusing on Medicaid as part of NC's transition to Managed Care. He is also an Adjunct Instructor of Family Medicine at UNC, working as a Hospitalist at Chatham Hospital in Siler City. Matt currently volunteers at Samaritan Health Center, and serves as an elder at The Summit Church. Matt, his wife Tiffany, and his two daughters, Zoe and Annalise, live in Durham.
"Through my role, I have the privilege of interacting with all of the people who make up the SHC community: patients, volunteers, staff, donors, Board members, and partners. When I hear the unique stories--the ways we serve, lead, stretch, grow, and receive together--I am offered a beautiful picture of hope, one that contributes to my own personal flourishing."
Michael Dougherty is a gastroenterologist at UNC Health, seeing patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings at UNC REX, as well as the GI Latino Clinic and endoscopy units in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, where he maintains some involvement in research and educational activities. He is particularly interested in underserved Latino populations and in global health, including leading regular endoscopy trips to Guatemala. Michael began volunteering with Samaritan Health Center in 2016. He lives with his wife Jennie and their two daughters in Durham, where they attend Christ Central Church.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Analyst in a Lab at Duke University
- Senior Research Analyst, Lawrence a. David Lab, Duke University
Michelle Kirtley is a Senior Research Analyst in a lab at Duke University exploring the intersection of the gut microbiome, diet, and human health. She enjoys writing and speaking about health policy, bioethics, and theology. Michelle lives in Chapel Hill, NC with her husband and four children. She is a former Trustee of the Center for Public Justice, serves as a CPJ fellow, and is Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Association for Public Justice (APJ).
Job Titles:
- Attorney, Sands Anderson, PC
Paul Hlad is a litigation and transactional attorney practicing at the law firm of Sands Anderson in Raleigh, NC. Since 2002, he has represented clients in a wide range of disputes encompassing professional, business and commercial litigation. Additionally, he has performed a range of transactional and drafting services for business and institutional clients. Paul received his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2002 and his undergraduate degree was from the University of Florida in Finance and Risk Management with Honors in 1997. His wife Lesley is a Physical Therapist and they have two children, Grayson and Nola. Paul is a longtime member and deacon of Christ Community Church. He enjoys time with the family, trying to stay in shape and watching the "ole Gators play".
Job Titles:
- Patient Services Coordinator
"Two areas where I contribute to providing health, dignity, and flourishing are in coordinating the vision clinics and helping patients apply for medications. It is a joy to see patients try on a new pair of glasses and watch their faces light up, or hear them say "I can see!" Helping patients apply for medications can also greatly improve health, dignity, and flourishing. I get to see diabetic patients who are able to get their blood sugar under control, those suffering from asthma who can obtain inhalers, and patients with high blood pressure who can get it under control without straining their finances."
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Duke
Richard Chung is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Duke, where he is Director of Adolescent Medicine. He is involved in a variety of clinical, educational, and research activities related to adolescent health, with a particular focus on the care of adolescents and young adults with chronic illnesses and youth and families experiencing health disparities due to structural and social barriers to care and support. Richard, his wife Gina, and their two sons, Caleb and Joshua, live in Old North Durham.
Dr. Ramos is a general dentist practicing in Durham, North Carolina who is passionate about partnering with her patients to co-discover ways to improve their health. Dr. Ramos' focus in dentistry is individualized care for patients, emphasizing patient education to foster true collaboration in achieving optimal health. She began her solo private practice in 1996 in SW Durham. She graduated from the University of Colorado School of Dentistry in 1989, where she graduated in the top of her class and served as class president. Dr. Ramos completed the Advanced General Dentistry Residency Program at the University of North Carolina, followed by a Geriatric Fellowship at the Duke University and UNC Program on Aging. She is a member of the American Dental Association, NC Dental Society, Durham/Orange County Dental Society, and the Triangle Chapter of the NC Association of Women Dentists. Dr. Ramos lives in Durham with her physician husband and two daughters. When not in the office, she enjoys running, reading, oil painting, and serving in her church and community. Dr. Ramos served on the board of Trinity School where she began and chaired the diversity committee and currently serves on the Advisory Council of Trinity School. Most of all, Dr. Ramos loves spending time with her family and traveling together.
Job Titles:
- Nursing and Special Projects Assistant
"I provide health, dignity, and flourishing to the patients of SHC by working to understand who they are outside the walls of our clinic. Developing friendships with our patients helps them trust the care we provide, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in this way."
"I honor our patients' dignity through speaking to each person with respect and by offering choices when available: for example, which arm is preferred for a vaccine or lab. I am also learning medical Spanish. When I speak Spanish with our Latino patients, it increases their trust, to relax and share more of their history and how we can serve them."
Job Titles:
- Nurse Practitioner / Clinical Associate, Duke Pediatric Pulmonary Division
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Duke Health
Amy Lee is an Internal Medicine and Pediatric physician at Duke and specializes in palliative care with a particular focus on care for children and adolescents with medical complexity and chronic illnesses. She also has a strong passion for local and global advocacy having worked with the underserved here in Durham as well as serving in Taiwan, Kenya and Haiti. Amy enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to concerts and DPAC shows, drinking bubble tea, hiking with her dog (Eno), watching Disney/Pixar movies, and rooting for Duke basketball and the Buffalo Bills!