Riverside Health Center
617 Riverside Avenue
Burlington, Vermont
As our main site in the Old North End, our Riverside Health Center provides medical, dental, psychiatry/behavioral health care, as well as a multitude of other services to keep the community healthy.
Take a virtual tour!
Please note: The Riverside Health Center physically opens at 7am, and we begin taking phone calls at 8am.
Medical, Psychiatry & Behavioral Health
Appointments: 802-864-6309
Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday7:00am – 8:15pm
Thursday7:00am – 5:00pm*
Friday7:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday7:45am -11:45am**
*Closed for clinical staff meetings 11:30am – 1:00pm
**No Counseling/Psychiatry Services on Saturdays.
Medical Providers at Riverside
Psychiatric Providers at Riverside
Behavioral Health Clinicians at Riverside
Dental Center
Appointments: 802-652-1050
Hours:
Monday & Wednesday7:30am – 8:00pm*
Tuesday, Thursday & Friday7:30am – 3:45pm*
*Closed for lunch 11:30am – 12:00pm
Patient Support Services
Walk-in Hours:
Monday – Thursday8:30am – 5:00pm
Friday8:30am – 4:30pm
Riverside Health Center Parking
Our parking garage has two levels with lots of spaces for our patients. Once you park in the garage you can take the elevator up to Level 1 for Dental and Patient Counseling or Psychiatry appointments or Level 2 for Medical appointments.
Medical Providers at Riverside
Janet Arrowsmith, MD is a family medicine physician. She holds a Master of Physiology degree from the University of Cincinnati and earned her medical degree at the Medical College of Ohio. Jan was born and raised in Ohio and lived and worked internationally with her family for many years in Jos, Nigeria and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She also practiced in the Indian Health Service network in Gallup, New Mexico. Jan’s practice centers on a holistic approach to patient health and wellbeing across the life-span. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her children and six grandchildren, going on hikes with her dog, and exploring Vermont. Accepting new patients.
Diana Clayton, FNP, IBCLC, completed her graduate degree in nursing at UVM, where her thesis focused on healthcare delivery to New Americans. She enjoys working with patients across the lifespan, and has worked as an EMT, a ski patroller, in hospice, in maternal-newborn health, and has volunteered in Guatemala. Her professional interests include women’s health, mind-body medicine, and global health. She is also a lactation consultant, and loves to help mothers and babies with breastfeeding. Outside of work, she enjoys her family, traveling, gardening, cooking, and playing in the mountains and on the lake that surround her home. Accepting new patients at Lund.
Julia Clayton, CNM, MS, has worked in a variety of locations (New York, California, Virginia) and health care settings as a Certified Nurse Midwife since 1998. She is extremely passionate about providing excellent obstetric and gynecological care to women and families that is personal, empowering, holistic and culturally sensitive. She received her BA in Social Sciences and Childhood Education from SUNY at Stony Brook, an MS in Generic Nursing from Pace University, and her Certification in Nurse Midwifery from Frontier University. She loves to care for all women throughout their lifespan helping with health/wellbeing, contraception/family planning, achievement of optimal pregnancy outcomes and the transition to parenting. When she is not working, Julia can be seen on her quest of completing the 50 hikes of Vermont, traveling, reading, attending Dave Matthews concerts, baking and learning new things every day. Not accepting new patients.
Beach Conger, MD grew up in Pleasantville, New York. He attended Amherst College and Harvard Medical School, from which he graduated with honors in 1967. He did his residency in internal medicine at Boston City Hospital and the University of California, San Francisco from 1967 to 1972, with two years as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the Center for Disease Control. In January 1972 he founded San Francisco’s first federally funded health center, where he served as its medical director until 1977, at which time he moved to Windsor, Vermont to practice internal medicine. He practiced in Windsor until July of 2015, except for the five years when he served as Chief of the Section of Hospital Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia from 2001 to 2006. He has seven grandchildren and three children. Dr. Conger is the author of three books, Bag Balm and Duct Tape, It’s Not My Fault, and most recently It’s Probably Nothing. He joined the Community Health Centers of Burlington in 2009 as an urgent care doctor and is now providing primary care. He has a special interest in treating Seriosity. Not accepting new patients.
Michelle Dorwart, MD, MPH was born and raised in western Nebraska. She attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where she received a BA in theology. She graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine before moving to Baltimore where she earned a Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University. For residency, she and her husband (who is a teacher) decided to pursue a shared fantasy of moving to Vermont. She graduated from the University of Vermont Medical Center Family Medicine Residency in June of 2016 and is delighted to be a part of the team at CHCB as a family physician working with people of all ages. Her professional interests include, but are not limited to, obstetrics and newborn care, family planning, adolescent medicine, and addressing social determinants of health. Personal interests include downhill skiing, reading, spending time with family (including her two dogs), and exploring Vermont! Accepting new patients.
Jenny Evans First, NP graduated from the University of Vermont Family Nurse Practitioner program. Before a career change into nursing, Jenny was an experiential educator, literacy specialist, flower designer and bike tour leader. She has a BS in business from Miami University in Ohio and an MS in experiential education from Minnesota University at Mankato. She loves to travel, to practice surfing, read, eat and generally play outdoors with her family and friends. Accepting new suboxone patients.
Kerry Goulette, PA-C, MHP graduated from College of Holy Cross and received her Physician Assistant Certificate and Master of Health Professions degree from Northeastern University. Before her arrival at the Health Center in 2006, Kerry worked for Lynn Community Health Center and Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts. Her professional interests include adult medicine and preventive health. Kerry is currently focusing her practice on the adult homeless population in our community. Kerry speaks Spanish and loves to spend time being active with her family. Accepting new patients at the Safe Harbor Health Center.
Kristen Gray, MSN, FNP-C was born and raised in Vermont. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and practiced as a Registered Nurse at the UVM Medical Center on the inpatient hematology and oncology unit for 10 years. She then graduated from George Washington University’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program. Her professional interests include women’s health, pediatrics, and young adult medicine. She believes it is important to treat patients and their families using a holistic approach. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with family, being in the great outdoors, and traveling. Accepting new patients.
Adam Greenlee, MD, grew up on a beef cattle farm in rural Southwestern Pennsylvania, before moving on to Colgate University and graduating with a BA in history. After completing his undergraduate degree, he taught English in South Korea as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant and worked within the Office of AIDS Research at the National Institutes of Health. He received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and remained in Pittsburgh for training in the UPMC St. Margaret/WPIC combined family medicine/psychiatry residency program. His personal interests include improving the interface between mental and physical health and health care systems that improve patient care through integrating physical and behavioral health. While not at work, he enjoys spending time with his family, books, animals, and enjoying the great outdoors. Not accepting new patients.
Jessica Griffin, FNP completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at UVM, and worked in HIV research for several years in Boston before deciding to pursue a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She completed her MSN at Simmons College and then moved back to VT where she spent two years working in a rural clinic in the Northeast Kingdom. She values getting to know her patients and loves that being an FNP means seeing patients of all ages, from newborn to elderly. Her professional interests include addressing social determinants of health and understanding the ways in which culture impacts health behaviors. She believes a non-judgmental approach where patients can be open and honest about their needs is essential to providing excellent care. Outside of work she loves to cook, hike, bike and ski with her husband and dog. Accepting new patients.
Lincoln Heath, MD was born and raised in Vermont. He did his undergraduate education at McGill University where he received a BS in biology and a minor in social studies of medicine. He was awarded his medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 2012 and stayed to completed residency training at UVM Medical Center, specializing in Family Medicine. Dr. Heath is excited to provide Obstetric and Newborn care, Pediatrics, and Adult medicine. He is passionate about caring for families, New Americans, refugees, and those in need. When not at work, he may be found hiking, climbing, camping, eating good food, or spending time with family. Accepting new pediatric and OB patients, as well as adults at the Safe Harbor Health Center.
Rachel Inker, MD is a family physician who has been at the Community Health Centers since 2001. She is a graduate of Harvard College, the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the UVM Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Inker is the lead provider at CHCB’s Transgender Health Clinic where she provides care for transgender/non-binary people. She continues to practice the full spectrum of family medicine at our Riverside location. Accepting new patients at the Transgender Health Clinic.
Irene Koplinka-Loehr, MD was born and raised playing in the gorges of Ithaca, NY. She grew up with a well-cultivated love of a crisp fall day and the sound of leaves crunching underfoot. She pursued these sounds to Carleton College in Minnesota, where she explored ceramics and photography via a bachelor’s in Studio Art. She was drawn to pursue Global Health at Ben Gurion University’s Medical School for International Health based out of Beer Sheva, Israel. After four years in the desert she was excited to return to the Northeast to complete a family medicine residency at the University of Rochester. Her personal and professional interests aligned well to bring her to Burlington—she is excited to continue to deliver babies and take care of the full spectrum of patients from birth to end of life care. Accepting new patients.
Karla Martinez-Dulmer, MD was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico. She attended the University of Guadalajara where she received her degree as a Medical Doctor. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mexican Institute of Social Security in Guadalajara before moving to Syracuse, NY where she did her residency in Family Medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center. She continued working as an attending physician at St. Joseph’s hospital for two years before moving to Vermont with her family in the spring of 2018. She is delighted to be a part of the CHCB team as a family physician working with people of all ages. Her professional interests include, but are not limited to, working with the refugee population, women’s health, pediatrics including new born care, and adult medicine. Her personal interests include cooking (of course Mexican food), traveling and spending time with family. She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Accepting new patients.
Megan O’Brien, FNP was born and raised in Vermont and returned after living in Maine for several years. She received her bachelor’s degree at University of Vermont. Prior to entering the field of healthcare, Megan worked in international education where she had the opportunity to work and travel abroad. After attending the University of Southern Maine, where she received her Master of Nursing degree, she worked at a community health center in rural Maine. Megan is happy to be back in Vermont working with individuals and their families to improve their health and wellness. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, salsa dancing, sailing, and skiing. Accepting new patients.
Lianna Percy, PA is a 7th generation Vermonter who grew up in Burlington. She graduated from UVM and completed a second BS in Nutrition at Hood College. She received her MSHS in the Physician Assistant program at George Washington University and worked in adult primary care practices in the Washington, DC area before returning home to Vermont. Lianna enjoys her garden, swimming, walking and reading. Not accepting new patients.
Margaret Russell, PA graduated from Colorado College and received her Physician Assistant and Pediatric Intensive Program certification from the University of Colorado. Before she joined the Health Center in 1997, Margaret worked for Helios Health Center in Boulder, Colorado. Her professional interests include pediatrics, developmental and holistic medicine. Outside of her work, Margaret enjoys all outdoors activities, including gardening, hiking and biking. Not accepting new patients.
Andrea Solomon, PA is a Vermont native who was raised in this community. In 2003, Andrea graduated from Skidmore College with a concentration in Women’s Studies. She completed her Physician Assistant training at the University of New England. She has worked at the Community Health Center since 2009. Her medical interests include, but are not limited to, adolescent medicine and women’s health. During her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. Accepting new patients at the Pearl Street Youth Health Center.
Heather Stein, MD is a native of West Virginia and grew up in Morgantown where her father still practices family medicine. Dr. Stein graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in biochemistry and a BA in classical studies. She returned to West Virginia University for medical school and moved to Vermont for her family medicine residency at Fletcher Allen where she was introduced to the CHCB community. Dr. Stein’s professional interests include adolescent/young adult medicine and care of the underserved, as well as comprehensive care for the whole family. She has a wonderful husband whom she met in medical school and who is also a family doctor in the area. She enjoys cooking, gardening and spending time with her family. Not accepting new patients.
Sarah Tandan, FNP-C is a native Vermonter. She moved to Massachusetts to attend school and was awarded her MSN from Regis College in 2014. She spent two years practicing as a Family Nurse Practitioner at a busy clinic in inner city Boston. She moved back to Vermont to welcome a little baby girl. Her professional interests include preventative health, working with the disability population, and holistic healthcare. In her free time, Sarah enjoys family time and outdoor adventures with her daughter, Livi, her partner, and her pup. Accepting new patients.
Wayne Warnken, MD graduated from Western State College and from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Medical School. He completed his residency at the University of Washington Family Medicine Residency-Valley Medical Center. Before medical school Dr. Warnken worked at Samaritan House-Homeless Shelter, in Denver Colorado; for the United States Park Service; and as a research assistant at the Salk Institute. Dr. Warnken’s professional interests are in Spanish, addiction medicine, pediatrics and adolescent medicine, nutrition, and sports medicine. When Dr. Warnken is not at work he is active in the H.O. Wheeler School’s PTO, City Market and the YMCA. Accepting new patients.
Jessica White, FNP is a graduate of the University of Vermont Family Nurse Practitioner program. While in school, she worked as a float nurse at the Community Health Centers’ various locations and was also one of the nurse educators. Her experience with CHCB has taught her the value of quality preventative care and the importance of facilitating health care access to all individuals. Jessica enjoys working with a variety of patients of all ages with a focus on health promotion and well-being. Outside of work she enjoys spending as much time outdoors as possible either skiing, hiking, boating, or traveling with her husband, toddler and fur baby. Accepting new patients.
Psychiatry Providers at Riverside
Peter Bordelon, PMHNP, MSW received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester, and Master of Social Work from Syracuse University. He worked for a decade with children, adolescents and their families as a case manager, school based psychotherapist and pediatric emergency department social worker before returning to school to pursue a nursing degree. He finished the Master of Nursing at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and Certificate in psychiatry at the University of Virginia. Peter enjoys learning new things, and you will likely see him out running , riding his bike, hiking and climbing with his family.
Adam Greenlee, MD grew up on a beef cattle farm in rural Southwestern Pennsylvania, before moving on to Colgate University and graduating with a BA in history. After completing his undergraduate degree, he taught English in South Korea as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant and worked within the Office of AIDS Research at the National Institutes of Health. He received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and remained in Pittsburgh for training in the UPMC St. Margaret/WPIC combined family medicine/psychiatry residency program. His personal interests include improving the interface between mental and physical health and health care systems that improve patient care through integrating physical and behavioral health. While not at work, he enjoys spending time with his family, books, animals, and enjoying the great outdoors.
Alexander Johnston, PMHNP received his Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Connecticut. A few years later, he completed a Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Five Branches University and then attended postgraduate study in Hangzhou, China. After managing a private Chinese medicine clinic in central Vermont, he completed his Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Vermont. He is board certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and has been working in community mental health. His professional interests include co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders, impact of trauma on mental health, and supporting individuals with chronic mental illness. When not at work, Alexander is often hiking, biking, traveling or finding other ways to enjoy family, the sun and the outdoors.
Sarah Morse, PMHNP was born and raised in Vermont. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Goucher College in Baltimore, MD where she majored in Women’s Studies and then attended University of Vermont’s post baccalaureate pre-medical program. She continued on to pursue her Master’s of Science in Nursing from Yale University School of Nursing in New Haven, CT with a specialty in Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing.
Margaret Spottswood, MD, MPH graduated from University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed her Psychiatry Residency and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the Cambridge Health Alliance. She enjoys the challenge of evidence-based psychiatric care using a team approach with patient registries and care managers to provide consultation and care to large populations.
Behavioral Health Clinicians at Riverside
Carolyn Basiliere, PhD, MH received her Bachelor of Science from Penn State University, University Park, and her PhD from United States International University, San Diego. She completed a three-year fellowship in clinical psychology at the Boston Institute for Psychotherapy and her clinical Internship at Norwich University. Dr. Basiliere has worked as a psychologist in community mental health, and for the VT Air National Guard, Veteran’s Administration, and the Internet Crimes against Children Police Task Force. Her work with patients is present focused, with past brought into play as is useful. Her work is informed by a deep appreciation for the power of early injuries and traumatic events, affecting our ability to attach and have healthy relationships. She also supports patients in making lifestyle and behavior change through a holistic and mindfulness approach. While not at work she enjoys spending time with her husband, friends, two cats, and is a yoga and Pilates enthusiast.
Sarah Gerdeman, LICSW, LADC is a licensed clinical social worker and addictions counselor. Sarah has experience providing individual and group counseling to people with depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction and life stress concerns. She will be available to meet with new and existing medical patients at Champlain Islands Health Center and Riverside Health Center for counseling services. She received her Master of Social Work from Syracuse University. She moved to Vermont in 1998 and is thrilled to be working so close to home.
Linda Li, LICSW was born and raised in Hong Kong. She speaks Cantonese and Mandarin. She received her MSW from the University of Vermont. As a Pediatric Social Worker and Child Therapist, Linda provides developmental screening to children age 5 and under; care coordination to children who have special needs; and individual and family therapy for children under the age of 18. She is a certified Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) provider. CPP is a trauma informed psychotherapy for children age 5 and under. She also specializes in working with diverse populations, especially bilingual and bi-cultural families.
Meaghan McFadden, LICSW is a native Vermonter who received her BA in Religion from Davidson College and her MSW from Portland State University. She worked most recently on the Integrated Health Team at Northwestern Counseling providing counseling and care coordination to patients at Northwestern Primary Care in St. Albans. Meaghan has expertise in depression and anxiety management, self-care and wellness, health and behavior change, insomnia treatment, and stress reduction.
Leah Oklan, LICSW, AAP received a BS from Endicott College in Developmental Psychology, and an MSW from Fordham University. Prior to joining CHCB in March of 2016, Leah practiced psychotherapy with individuals, couples, families, children and adolescents at an outpatient mental health clinic in Forest Hills, NY before moving on to work in inpatient psychiatry at a New York City hospital. She is competent in addressing depression, anxiety, substance use, relationship issues, grief and loss, trauma, and anger issues. She looks forward to collaborating with the staff at CHCB.
Christa Russell, BSW was born and raised in Vermont. She received her BSW from the University of Vermont in 2004. Christa’s primary work has been in mental health and long-term care. Prior to joining CHCB in 2016 she worked at a nursing home providing psycho-social support and case management to patients and families. Christa believes in the strength-based perspective and finds great value in the needs of others. In the future, Christa hopes to expand her career by achieving her MSW. In her free time, Christa enjoys shopping and spending time with her husband and pets, Izzy and Marmalade.
Anais Roy, MSW grew up in Vermont. She received her BA from University of Southern Maine and continued to live in Maine afterwards. She left the ocean to move back to Vermont in 2017 and received her MSW from University of Vermont in 2019. Anais believes in the strengths-based approach and honoring people where they are at in their lives. She hopes to earn her yoga teaching certificate to incorporate it into her work. In her free time, she enjoys doing yoga and spending time with her rabbit, Clover.
Emily Sanders Garcia, LICSW received her BA in Political Science at the University of Vermont and worked as a litigation paralegal and high school and college debate coach for a number of years after graduation. Emily switched tracks and went back for her MSW at UVM when she realized she wanted to help people in a way that felt more meaningful to her. She has experience working with adults with persistent mental health challenges, embracing and promoting restorative justice in schools and communities, and youth and their caregivers around trauma and mental health challenges. Emily enjoys working with children and adults and focuses her practice around depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and grief and loss. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and animals, gardening and being outside.
Karen Schumacher, LICSW, LADC earned a BS from the University of Vermont and MSW from the State University of New York at Albany. Karen has worked at CHCB since 2009 and facilitates a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy group for insomnia. Her practice focus includes depression and anxiety management, substance abuse counseling, stress reduction, trauma treatment, and health and behavior change.
Jessica Schwartz, LICSW, AAP received her BA from the State University of New York at Oswego and MSW from New York University. Prior to joining CHCB in 2015, Jessica worked at nursing homes in Vermont providing individual psychotherapy, and worked at a large urban hospital in New York City providing counseling and services to medically hospitalized patients and their families. Jessica’s areas of focus include depression and anxiety management, self-care and wellness, grief and loss, health and behavior change, and stress reduction.
Sabrina Sydnor Leal, LICSW is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in perinatal mental health. She is a native of Virginia but migrated north to attend University of Vermont for both her undergraduate (BA in Theatre Performance) and graduate (Masters of Social Work) degrees. Sabrina joined the OB and Behavioral Health teams after working as a supervisor for First Call for Chittenden County, Howard Center’s 24/7 Crisis Service. Sabrina has also worked with many children and families through Howard Center’s Inclusion and School Services Programs, Connecting Cultures, NFI VT’s Group Home and Community Based Programs and residential care through LUND. Sabrina has completed extensive training through Postpartum Support International and enjoys bringing wrap around OB care to the growing families of our county. Sabrina loves to be out and about in nature with her son, acting in local comedy or musical productions, and spending time by the lake with her amazing friends.
Stephanie Szkaradnik, LICSW received her BA in Psychology from Salisbury University. Originally from Pennsylvania, she spent a number of years post-college as an English teacher overseas in Taiwan, Vietnam and Turkey. After returning to the states, Stephanie received her MSW from the University of Vermont. Her experience includes time as a residential counselor at NFI Group Home, internships at both Steps to End Domestic Violence and Lund Family Center, and as an Integrated Health Team social worker at Northwestern Pediatrics in St. Albans. Stephanie specializes in working with adolescents and young adults with issues of depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, relationships, and transitions. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys playing sports, traveling, reading science fiction/fantasy novels, and spending time with friends and family.
Dental Providers at Riverside
Jevin Carruth, DMD grew up in Underhill. He graduated from the UConn School of Dental Medicine in 2015, and went on to complete a one-year dental residency program at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut before returning home to Vermont. Since then, he has enjoyed working as a family dentist in several towns throughout the state, spanning Chittenden, Franklin and Washington counties. Dr. Carruth is passionate about the quality and integrity of his work and always strives to treat his patients according to the Golden Rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. Outside of work, Dr. Carruth loves reading, stargazing, banjo playing, and spending time outdoors with his wife and daughter.
David Jette, DDS grew up in St. Albans and attended Bellows Free Academy High School. He graduated from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York with a bachelor’s degree in Bio molecular Science. He received his Dental degree at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in Buffalo, NY. In the summer of 2012, he moved back to Vermont and served two years as a general dentist in Richford and Swanton for the Northern Tier Center for Health (NOTCH).
Dr. Jette believes in pain free dentistry, so that all patients are confident in their dental treatment and comfortable with their experience. When not practicing dentistry, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Sarah, and their two sons, Maxim and Jude.
Mose Snyder, DMD received his undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Connecticut. He graduated from the UConn School of Dental Medicine in 2014, and went on to complete a general practice residency at UVM Medical Center. After residency, he practiced general dentistry at the Northern Tier Center for Health (NOTCH) in Swanton, VT. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, skiing, and running.
Rian Stewart, DMD attended dental school at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon, where he graduated with honors in 2008. Dr. Stewart has a particular interest in pediatric dentistry and global healthcare training and service. Dr. Stewart is the proud father of two young daughters. When not seeing patients at CHCB, he enjoys backpacking, skiing, and spending time with his family and friends.
Elicia Thompson, DDS grew up in Sacramento, California. She attended the University of Washington School of Dentistry in Seattle, Washington. Upon graduating in 2006, she completed their General Practice Residency program. After finishing her training, she helped develop and practiced for the dental clinic of the St. Charles Community Health Center in Luling, Louisiana. Dr. Thompson relocated to Vermont with her husband in 2009. Before joining the CHCB team, she worked in private practice in Franklin County, Vermont. When not at work, she and her husband enjoy hiking, kayaking, and generally taking advantage of all the natural resources Vermont has to offer!
Gopichand Vallabhaneni, DMD moved to Vermont from Portland, Maine, where he worked in a private office for five years. Dr. Val graduated from Boston’s Tuft’s School of Dental Medicine in 1998. He performs urgent care with a focus on emergency dental treatment and enjoys playing golf in his free time.
Michele Cannon, EFDA has worked for the Community Health Centers of Burlington for almost 20 years. For most of her career she worked as a Certified Dental Assistant, and was fortunate to gain experience working in triage and at the front desk over the years as our office expanded. She was also sent to the American Red Cross and became CHCB’s CPR/AED/First Aid instructor for a few years, which she really enjoyed. Three years ago she attended the Center for Technology and obtained her license as an Expanded Function Dental Assistant. Nothing makes her happier than giving our patients a smile they can be proud of! Michele loves being involved in our dental community and served as the President of the Vermont Dental Assistants Association and is currently on the board for the Center for Technology in Essex. In her free time she is a very busy soccer mom to two beautiful boys, and loves to be outdoors doing anything active.
Sharon Graves, CDA, EFDA is a native Vermonter and brings 35 years of experience to our dental team. The EFDA qualifications allow her to place all fillings, Sealants, and Composites. Sharon also teaches in the Dental Assisting program at Center for Technology at Essex. Sharon is active in her church and volunteers in children’s ministries that benefit children around the world.
Raba Hebib, EFDA completed the Dental Assisting Program in 2003 at the Center for Technology in Essex, VT. She completed the Expended Function Dental Assistant Program at the Center for Technology in 2009. EFDA qualifications allow her to place all Fillings, Sealants, Composites, Amalgam and assist in various dental procedures. She was awarded Dental Assistant of the year in 2007. Raba currently lives in Essex with her husband and children. Raba has been with CHCB since 2004.
Katelyn Denton, RDH graduated from Vermont Technical College in 2012 with an Associate’s degree in dental hygiene and completed her bachelor’s degree in 2014. Outside of work, Katelyn enjoys traveling, cooking and baking, road biking, and spending time with her family, friends, and cat Sylvio.
Brittney Gendreau, RDH graduated with honors and received her Associate’s Degree in Dental Hygiene from Vermont Technical College in May, 2010. She continued her education with VTC and obtained her BA in Dental Hygiene in 2012, and went on to receive her MBA from UMASS in 2018. When Brittney’s not working at CHCB’s Dental Center, she enjoys tennis, hiking and cooking.
Rachel Joecks, RDH graduated from Vermont Technical College in 2006 with an Associate’s degree in Dental Hygiene. She grew up in Weybridge, Vermont and practiced in Middlebury before coming to the CHCB. She lives in South Burlington with her husband and two young children. Some of her interests outside of work include snowboarding, horseback riding, traveling, hiking, golfing, and spending time with her family and friends.
Katherine Kasper, RDH graduated with her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from the University of New England in Maine. She returned to Vermont and worked in private practice before joining CHCB in 2016. Outside of work Katherine enjoys cooking, baking, and spending time with family and friends.
Dory McLaughlin, RDH is a native Vermonter. She completed her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene at the University of New England in Portland, Maine. Outside of CHCB Dory enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking and spending time with friends and family.
Carmen I. Negron-Dupee, BS, RDH has a bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences and an associate’s degree in dental hygiene, both from the University of Puerto Rico. She worked at a Periodontal practice for five years before moving to the Boston, MA area in 2002, where she worked at Boston University School of Dental Medicine and in two general private practices. In 2007, she moved to Vermont and continued practicing clinical dental hygiene. Carmen has a great passion for dental hygiene, and really enjoys educating patients to help change their attitudes towards oral health and improve their smiles and quality of life. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets. She loves to read, learn, travel, garden, and quilt.
Kirsten Wilkens, RDH graduated from UVM in 1997. Prior to graduation, she completed four years of active service in the US ARMY, Military Intelligence. She was born in South Korea and grew up in small town Minnesota. She relocated to Vermont, married a Vermonter, and is now raising two children. Kirsten has practiced in a variety of private dental offices. Prior to joining CHCB, she enjoyed being a part of Vermont Prosthodontics with Dr. Bentley Merrick for fourteen years. She has spent a few years helping the Dental Hygiene Clinic at UVM, now Vermont Technical College. She has continued her professional membership with the Vermont Dental Hygienists’ Association, has been Secretary of VDHA and Treasurer of Sigma Phi Alpha, an honorary Dental Hygiene organization. In her free time, she loves going on long walks, kayaking, gardening, reading, trekking her kids around to sports and other activities, and spending time with her family and friends.