About Us

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!

Oakdale Advisors LLC

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.

Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Duke Health

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.

Gastroenterologist, UNC REX Digestive Healthcare

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine, UNC Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

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.

Board Member

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.

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."

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).

Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Associate, Duke Pediatric Pulmonary Division

Susie is a Nurse Practitioner with the Pediatric Pulmonary Division at Duke University, caring for children with asthma and chronic lung diseases, and an Adjunct Faculty member at the Duke School of Nursing. She is involved in clinical care, teaching, and asthma research. Susie has been a part of Christian Community Health Fellowship, a national organization focused on healthcare to the under-served, and has also done medical outreach work among NC migrant farm workers and in Haiti. Her clinical, research, and community interests focus on vulnerable children and families, and the systemic barriers and health disparities faced by them. Susie lives in Durham and enjoys art, reading, hiking, and involvement at Blacknall Presbyterian Church.

Chief Medical Officer, CopilotIQ

Matt Oettinger is the Chief Medical Officer at CopilotIQ, a healthcare company serving seniors with chronic disease, providing high-frequency, connected care. He is also an Adjunct Instructor of Family Medicine at UNC, working as a Hospitalist at Chatham Hospital in Siler City. Previously, Matt served as Vice President of Population Health at WellCare of North Carolina, leading clinical initiatives for a 400,000 person Medicaid and Medicare population. Additionally, he has held leadership roles at Included Health (formerly Grand Rounds Health) and Alignment Health. Matt currently volunteers at Samaritan Health Center, and is a member at The Summit Church. Matt, his wife Tiffany, and his two daughters, Zoe and Annalise, live in Raleigh.

S. Alicia Ramos, DDS, PA

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.

Obesity Medicine Physician, UNC Physicians Network

Sarah Ro is the Director of UNC Physicians Network Weight Management Program. She is a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and helped create community-based weight management clinics in over 10 different communities in central and eastern North Carolina. This program has increased access to evidence-based obesity care for socially vulnerable populations most impacted by obesity. Sarah is passionate about decreasing health disparities and inequities in treatment of obesity in children and adults. She used to volunteer at Samaritan Health Center when it was being launched. She is a founding board member of Luke Charity Clinic providing access to healthcare for Asian immigrant families who lack health insurance in Raleigh. She lives in Hillsborough with her husband, Young Whang, an oncologist at UNC and they have three grown children. They are active members at Waypoint Church in Durham.

Assistant Finance Manager, AISIN World Corporation of America, Inc.

Nancy was born and raised in Japan. She has worked as an in-house and free-lance interpreter, a CPA, and a corporate accountant. Nancy received her B.A. in Economics from Calvin College; she holds a Master of Arts in Japanese Studies and a Master of Science in Accounting. She is a member of Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church.

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 healthcare 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.