NORTH OLYMPIC HEALTHCARE NETWORK - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Attorney, First Federal / Treasurer, Joined 2021
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ben earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology at Brigham Young University. He attended medical school at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and stayed in the western suburbs of Chicago to complete his family medicine residency at Hinsdale Hospital where he was also Chief Resident. He completed a rural family medicine fellowship at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center where he received additional training in obstetrics and sports medicine. Professionally, Dr. Curran enjoys full-spectrum family medicine, obstetrics, and sports medicine. Ben, his wife Jamie, and their three children live in Port Angeles. He enjoys backpacking, skiing, biking, cooking, and music.
Brianne H. Rowan is an Olympic Peninsula native, who grew up in Port Townsend and graduated from Chimacum High School. She always wanted to someday return home to the peninsula and she is thrilled to have finally settled here in Port Angeles. She completed her undergraduate training at Juniata College, majoring in Global Health. She then returned to the University of Washington for her medical training, where she also obtained a Master's of Public Health in Global Health, with a focus on maternal-child health. She completed her residency at Tacoma Family Medicine and stayed on an additional year as a Rural Family Medicine with High-Risk Obstetrics fellow.
Dr. Rowan loves the full spectrum of family medicine, and finds it an honor to be able to walk alongside families, through everything from the miracle of childbirth to the moment when it is time for us to leave this world. She believes family physicians are not generalists but rather specialists in their patients, the families they care for, and the communities of which they are a part. She hopes to build long-lasting relationships with her patients, where she can provide guidance in helping patients and families create their own vision of what a healthy and happy life looks like for them. She also recognizes that health is impacted by community and societal factors, many of which are beyond any individual's control, and believes part of her responsibility as a physician is to engage in these issues through volunteer work and social justice advocacy.
Outside of work, Dr. Rowan enjoys spending time with her family, traveling abroad and learning new languages, being outside (especially hiking, sailing or skiing), and on a rainy day-cuddling up with a cup of coffee, a board game and her two kitties on her lap.
Caitlin was born and raised in Southern California and moved to Woodinville, Washington while in grade school. She attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for undergraduate training, earning a bachelor's degree in Psychology.
She went on to complete graduate training at Santa Clara University, earning a master's degree in Counseling Psychology - Marriage and Family Therapy. She completed an internship in Counseling at University of Washington Family Medicine, and she has additional experience in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and N.E.A.R. Science, or Neurobiology - Epigenetics - ACEs - Resilience.
Caitlin enjoys working with clients of all ages. Her professional interests include management of chronic pain and illness, anxiety, life transitions and lifestyle medicine.
Outside of work, she loves to hike, kayak, swim, travel, read, cook, listen to live music, and play with her family, spending as much time at the beach as possible.
Job Titles:
- Lead Consulting Ecologist, Copass Consulting / Board past Chair, Joined 2017
Dr. Mira Nelson spent her formative years in Seattle, where she developed an affection for drizzly days and strong coffee. She earned her BA at the University of Washington, majoring in Medical Anthropology and Public Health. After serving in AmeriCorps, she returned to the University of Washington to obtain her medical degree, with a particular focus in underserved populations. She completed her residency in Family Medicine with the Swedish Cherry Hill Rural Training Track right here in Port Angeles.
Her approach to medicine is rooted in collaborative decision making and care for the whole person. Her professional interests include long-term holistic strategies for patients with substance use challenges, palliative care, and women's healthcare.
In her spare time, Dr. Nelson enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest with her husband, son and two goofy pups.
Job Titles:
- Founding Nurse of Our Medication Assisted Treatment Program
Heather was born and raised here in Port Angeles. She traveled to Yakima to study nursing at Yakima Community College, earning her LPN. She later returned to Port Angeles and Peninsula College where she earned her RN.
Heather is the founding nurse of our Medication Assisted Treatment Program and as such has done a great deal of program-building as well as work with the majority of the participants in the MAT Program. Prior to her role here, she enjoyed a diverse nursing career working in hospitals, nursing homes, and in a variety to settings across the Puget Sound as a traveling nurse.
Nursing is in her blood: Heather's grandmother and aunt, also nurses, ran a tuberculosis sanatorium in Wisconsin. They were an inspiration to a young woman pondering ways to walk the talk of compassionate care for others.
When she is not working, Heather enjoys supporting the local arts, playing serious cribbage, and exploring the trails and byways of local wilderness. With community so close to her heart, Heather is an avid volunteer.
Job Titles:
- Professor, Peninsula College
Dr. Colwell received her medical degree from the University of Queensland in Australia and went on to complete her residency training at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho. Jessica loves full-spectrum family medicine, and has a particular love of obstetrics and pediatrics with a tendency to gravitate to integrative and alternative therapies, often seeking non-pharmaceutical solutions to problems.
Dr. Colwell enjoys treating the LGBTQ community and can manage transgender affirmation hormone therapy. She also has advanced training in HIV care. Jessica lives on a farm with her active family. She enjoys mountain biking, camping and skiing and has plans to get back into the art scene and explore the peninsula in her VW camper.
Dr. DiBari later went to graduate school at Portland State University where she completed a Master's degree in Chemistry and then went to medical school at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, Washington. She completed residency at Tacoma Family Medicine and stayed there for additional fellowship training in OB and rural medicine.
Dr. DiBari loves delivering babies and caring for people of all ages in the clinic and the hospital. She believes in developing long-lasting relationships with her patients and their families. She is excited to be in Port Angeles with her husband, son, and daughter. Outside of work, she loves playing in the snow and spending time in nature.
Job Titles:
- Retired, Former Contract Management and Planning at Olympic Area Agency on Aging Former United Way Executive Director
Dr. Huard was born and raised in Northern Michigan. Being the son of two school teachers, his family split the year with summers on remote Beaver Island, and winters near Sault. Ste. Marie. He received his BS in Physical Science with Honors from Michigan State University and his Doctor of Optometry with Distinction from Pacific University. Dr. Huard began private practice in downtown Port Angeles in 1995 and joined NOHN in early 2023.
For Dr. Huard, the most rewarding thing about optometry is the wide range of ways to help people - from simple refractive interventions, i.e. glasses or contact lenses, on up to diagnosing serious vision threatening disorders, or rarely, even systemic health issues that present initially during an ocular evaluation. Dr. Huard enjoys being able to demystify the ocular landscape for patients. Many of the diagnostic terms in eyecare sound scary on their surface, and he receives great satisfaction whenever he's able to reassure patients concerning their particular situation. He also focuses on being a very pragmatic practitioner of eyecare and consciously makes a point to include every patient's input when planning the course of their treatment.
When not at work, Dr. Huard enjoys surfing, kitesurfing, and riding motorcycles. You might even catch him at an open mic night somewhere playing guitar and singing a song or two. He shares the joy of motorcycling and cooking with his fiance, and they are both so happy to be starting a new life together while at the same time launching the next phase of his professional career at NOHN.
Lauren (Kate) Ballou was born and raised in Central Nebraska. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
She worked as a RN for six years in Medical Psychiatry and Internal Medicine in Rochester, MN. Kate went on to pursue her Master's Degree at Concordia University in Wisconsin where she obtained her certification in Family Medicine and moved to the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Isaac.
Kate enjoys implementing lifestyle changes and other integrative medicine to enhance healing. She takes advantage of her time away from work by hiking, playing soccer, camping, biking, and spending time entertaining her dog.
Kathy grew up in California and served in the US Army as a practical nurse specialist for four years. She returned to civilian life to serve as a critical care nurse for thirteen years, before returning to school at the University of California Los Angeles for her undergraduate and graduate studies in Nursing.
With her Masters training and certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner in hand, Kathy moved to Forks, Washington where she worked as a community health Nurse Practitioner for the Quileute tribe for two years, then at the nearby Bogachiel clinic for seven more years. Most recently, she has worked at the Jamestown Clinic in Sequim from 2011 to 2019, when she made everyone at North Olympic Healthcare Network very happy by joining our staff.
In her spare time, Kathy loves to be with her many grandchildren, and she loves to travel!
Job Titles:
- Information Technology Director
Dr. Johnson grew up right here in Port Angeles. Her academic studies took her first to Western Washington University where she earned her bachelor's degree, and later to Idaho State University where she received a PhD in clinical psychology.
Kristine completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute, and also did a post-graduate fellowship at the National Center for Telehealth and Technology. After her fellowship, Kristine joined a multi-specialty practice in Seattle that focused on providing evidence-based assessments and interventions for challenges associated with anxiety, depression, and other disorders of emotion regulation.
Kristine is excited to be back "home", in Port Angeles. She passionately works with her patients to promote improvements in psychological, behavioral, and physical health domains. Outside of the office, Kristine very much enjoys reading, visiting with friends and family, and spending time outdoors.
Dr. Balentine was born in Forks and later moved to south central Kansas. After receiving a BS in Pharmacy from the University of Kansas, Larry spent two years in a neuropharmacology research laboratory at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Washington D.C. He received his medical degree from the University of Kansas and went on to complete his internal medicine internship and residency training at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC). He was chosen to complete a year as chief resident in internal medicine before completing a fellowship program in allergy, rheumatology and immunology.
For several years during his early medical career, Dr. Balentine worked at least 1-2 shifts a week in emergency rooms in Kansas City, Kansas. In addition to practicing general internal medicine and rheumatology and immunology, he was the rheumatologist for the Harry Truman VA Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, for six years and was also involved in teaching med students, interns/residents and rheumatology fellows as part of the KUMC staff.
He left the Midwest in 1991 to practice general internal medicine and rheumatology/immunology in Bend, OR for 17 years, and later moved to the Pacific Northwest (Tacoma in 2008 and later Poulsbo in 2012), focusing on rheumatology and immunology until having the opportunity to practice general internal medicine/family medicine at NOHN.
Dr. Balentine enjoys all aspects of medicine and surgery and believes that most of the time, there is a unifying diagnosis that explains many of a patient's symptoms and disease manifestations. Although isn't always easy or quick to provide this unifying diagnosis, Dr. Balentine feels the greatest satisfaction as a person and a physician when working together with patients to review symptoms, find answers and develop a focused treatment plan.
Dr. Balentine enjoys cycling, hiking, kayaking, cross country skiing, using snowshoes to explore (and "get a good workout at the same time"), as well just hanging out in the beautiful Olympic Peninsula relaxing with a book, camera or notepad.
Linsey J. Monaghan, MD, was born and raised in Missouri. Dr. Monaghan earned her medical degree at the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia, Missouri and completed her residency in Family Medicine at Swedish Cherry Hill Family Medicine Residency in Seattle. Dr. Monaghan is board certified both in Family Medicine with Obstetrics and Addiction Medicine. She is the physician lead of NOHN's Office-Based Opioid Use Disorder Treatment program and is a faculty member of the Swedish Cherry Hill Family Medicine Residency - Port Angeles Rural program.
Her medical interests include addiction medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, and breastfeeding. At the heart of her philosophy of care is forming relationships with her patients, providing compassionate, nonjudgmental care, and helping patients make personalized decisions within the context of their life, family, and community.
She lives in Port Angeles with her husband and two children and enjoys hiking, camping, cooking, baking, and reading.
Dr. Johnston grew up in Southern California where she also began her training in the medical field by earning the Bachelor of Science in Biology from University of California at Irvine. She went on to study healthcare administration at Seton Hall University where she earned the Masters in Healthcare Administration. She returned to the west coast to study pharmacy, earning the Doctorate in Pharmacy from University of California at San Francisco.
Lucille has worked in management roles in hospitals, as well as ambulatory, infusion, hospice, long term care, and retail pharmacy settings. Here at North Olympic Healthcare Network she is our Clinical Pharmacist and enjoys working with patients to help them live their healthiest lives. Lucille is a Fellow of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and Board Certified in Geriatric Pharmacy. Geriatric pharmacy is an area of special interest as well as expertise for Dr. Johnston.
Job Titles:
- Retired, Former President, Peninsula College
Matthew Novack grew up in Kenmore, Washington. He studied biochemistry with a minor in music at the University of Washington where he played trumpet in the band. Prior to medical school, Matt worked as an assistant park ranger and chemist for a drinking water company. Dr. Novack completed medical school at the University of Washington. During medical school, he enjoyed spending time in rural communities throughout the pacific northwest and completed research in addiction medicine.
Dr. Novack strives to create a safe and inclusive environment for all patients. He completed residency at Tacoma Family Medicine and then a fellowship in Rural Medicine and High-Risk Obstetrics. Dr. Novack chose family medicine because he loves building strong relationships with patients and being present for the many stages of life. He sees doctors as partners in patient health, and highly respects each patient's knowledge of their own body and unique needs. His areas of interests within family medicine include pediatrics, obstetrics, and substance use disorder.
Dr. Novack enjoys gardening, bike riding, and relaxing with his family and 16-year-old dachshund.
Maxine was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to deciding on nursing as a career, she worked as a baker, cake decorator, and face painting clown. Maxine earned her BSN from Cleveland State University. She worked in community mental health in Seattle at Transitional Resources, then at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland in the behavioral health float pool, where she floated between their psychiatric emergency department, medical psychiatry, acute stabilization, geriatric psychiatry, and inpatient chemical dependency units. She worked as a travel psychiatric nurse in Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Iowa before and after completing her graduate degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Maxine enjoys working with patients with substance use disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. In her free time, she enjoys photography, reading, baking, and swimming.
Born and raised on Bainbridge Island, Washington, Dr. Wauters spent much of his youth climbing trees, building forts and having adventures with his two younger brothers. After college at Pacific Lutheran University he ventured to the Midwest for medical school at the University of Wisconsin followed by a return west for residency at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho in Boise.
Dr. Wauters lives in Port Angeles with his wife, three daughters, and their pug Chloe. Professionally he enjoys all aspects of family medicine from care of newborns all the way to older adults, delivering babies, and especially takes joy in caring for entire families. Whenever possible he seeks to employ nutritional and lifestyle options for maximizing health.
Community involvement and health promotion are also very important to him. He is an avid bike commuter and regularly rides his bicycle to the clinic and hospital. In his free time, he enjoys being with his wife and daughters, camping, biking, trail running, parkour, yoga, cooking, reading, and learning new things.
Michaela (she/her) was born at Swedish First Hill and raised in the beautiful city of Seattle She attended Tufts University, earning a B.A. in History, focusing on the effects of Portuguese colonization and imperialization around the globe. She enjoyed playing Ultimate Frisbee and singing in her college a cappella group. After graduation, she moved to Ireland for a year before returning to the U.S. to pursue her dream of practicing medicine.
Michaela then attended Washington State University's Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, where she was a member of the inaugural class. While there, she was a co-founder of the LGBTQI+ Health interest group, working to expand visibility, access, and understanding of the unique health needs of the LGBTQI+ population, and the importance of gender-affirming practice and care. In medical school, she also solidified a passion for rural medicine, spending time in rural Washington and falling in love with the complexity and intimacy of rural medicine. Her other passions include addiction medicine, family planning, and any mini-procedure she can get her hands on.
She could not be more excited to be at her dream program, one that truly works for an anti-racist and equitable health system and does not limit this vision to an urban population.
Michaela is a proud cat mom to Mad-Eye Mewdy and Barnacle, still plays too much Ultimate Frisbee, and loves over-explaining board games and any opportunities to disconnect and be in the wild.
Dr. Dang was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and moved to the United States when he was 16 years old. He received his bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of Houston. He went on to study pharmacy, earning a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of South Florida.
Prior to joining North Olympic Healthcare Network, Minh was a pharmacy manager at Jim's Pharmacy in Port Angeles. He is now one of our clinical pharmacists and enjoys working with geriatric patients, as well as rural and underserved populations.
Ned Hammar, MD was born in Haiti, grew up in a 400-person town in eastern Oregon, and was one of the first Peace Corps volunteers in South Africa. He attended medical school at Johns Hopkins University, then moved to Seattle to complete a family medicine residency at Swedish Cherry Hill where he met the love of his life, Dr. Lissa Lubinski. Both practiced medicine in the town of Omak, WA for five years before moving to Port Angeles with their two beautiful boys, Felix and Sam. Ned considers himself to be the luckiest person alive and believes firmly in the words of the real Dr. Patch Adams, "The health of the individual cannot be separated from the health of the family, the community, and the world."
Dr. Donovan grew up in Northern California and graduated from UCLA School of Dentistry. For 28 years, he owned a private practice in Auburn, California, serving all levels of the community. He has made several trips to Mexico volunteering with orphans as part of the Thousand Smiles Project, and has volunteered with the homeless community in Sacramento through two different programs. Dr. Donovan and his wife moved to Port Angeles in 2019 after falling in love with the area. In his time off, he enjoys bicycling, walking and snow skiing, and has worked as an instructor at Hurricane Ridge.
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Dr. Epstein earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Washington, going on to earn a master's degree in Nursing at the University of Tennessee. He returned to Seattle to earn his MD from the University Of Washington School Of Medicine, then completed his residency in family medicine in Spokane in 2001. Dr. Rob and his wife, Betsy Wharton have enjoyed raising their two children, Forrest and Maya in Port Angeles. His medical interests include obstetrics, pediatrics and procedural medicine, as well as teaching medical students and residents from the University Of Washington School Of Medicine where he is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine.
Dr. Leith grew up in Whittier, California and headed to the Midwest for college. She earned her undergraduate degree in Medical Microbiology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
While working on her medical degree at the University of California in San Francisco, Ronnie Sue also earned a doctorate in Medical Microbiology. Through the medical school internship and residency she was drawn to psychiatry and finished her medical training with a three year residency in psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.
Upon completion, Dr. Leith opened a private practice in San Mateo, California, specializing in individual psychotherapy with adults. After 38 years in her practice, Ronnie Sue heard the call of partial retirement. She reluctantly closed her much-loved practice, and moved to nearby Port Ludlow, WA. Dr. Leith now works part time at NOHN providing critical psychiatry services and consultations to our patients and practitioners.
When not working with patients, Ronnie Sue enjoys showing dogs in competitive Obedience and serving as an Obedience judge with the American Kennel Club.
Job Titles:
- Financial Analyst, PUD No. 1 of Clallam County
Job Titles:
- Elementary School Teacher / Secretary, Joined 2017
Dr. Canale grew up in Santa Cruz, California. He completed his undergraduate work at UCLA, where he earned a BS in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. He received his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida.
Prior to working at NOHN, Dr. Canale worked for the Quileute Tribe in La Push from 2017-2020 as a general dentist and dental director.
He enjoys practicing dentistry in a community health setting.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, North Olympic Land Trust / Board Chair Elect, Joined 2017
Tricia Gormley is a life-long resident of Port Angeles. She attended Peninsula College and later Olympic College where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Prior to her nursing work at North Olympic Healthcare Network Tricia worked in rehabilitation, transitional, and geriatric nursing. Throughout her work she has been inspired by patients and their stories.
Tricia has had a love of helping others for as long as she can remember. It's a theme that has served her well as she practices her authentic style of patient-centered work that is all about wellness and care.
Job Titles:
- Scientist, Olympic National Park / Board Chair, Joined 2015