Procedural First and Milestones
New Provider Spotlight
Primary Care
Lauren Levanduski, DNP, is a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner who specializes in Primary Care. Lauren is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and provides comprehensive, patient-centered primary care services at South County Health Primary Care in Westerly. She earned her education from Tennessee State University.
Samuel Asamoah, PA-C, is a certified physician assistant who specializes in Primary Care. He joined the Narragansett Primary Care team in September, supporting patients in achieving their health and wellness goals. He earned his education from the University of New England.
Taryn J. Carbone, FNP, is a board-certified Ambulatory and Family Nurse Practitioner. Taryn attended Simmons College and is currently seeing patients in our East Greenwich Primary Care office.
Erin O. Hogan, MD, is a board-certified physician who specializes in Ambulatory and Internal Medicine. Erin attended the University of Michigan where she also completed her residency. Erin is currently seeing patients in our Narragansett Primary Care office.
Melanie Bowdy, FNP, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with experience in primary care. Melanie attended Chamberlain College of Nursing and is currently seeing patients in our Narragansett Primary Care office.
Gerald Colvin, DO, is a board-certified physician who specializes in Oncology and Hematology and serves as Medical Director of Hematology/Oncology at South County Health Cancer Center. Dr. Colvin rejoins the organization after previously serving from 2013 to 2019, bringing extensive leadership and clinical experience. He earned his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Heather Glenn, FNPFNP, is a family nurse practitioner who specializes in Oncology and Hematology. Heather will begin seeing patients in January 2026 at South County Health Cancer Center, bringing experience from Roger Williams Cancer Center and prior roles with Anchor Medical, Coastal Medical, and Thundermist Health systems in Rhode Island. She earned her Master of Nursing from the University of Rhode Island and is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Patricia Karwan, DNP, is a nurse practitioner who specializes in Oncology and Hematology. Patricia joins South County Health Cancer Center from Roger Williams Cancer Center and brings prior experience with Care New England and Rhode Island Hospital. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Sacred Heart University and her Master of Nursing from Wayne State University, and is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Nancy McKinney, MD, is a board-certified physician who specializes in hematology, solid tumors (lung, breast). Nancy completed her education, residency and fellowship all at the University of Missouri.
Griffin Reynolds, MD, is a board-certified physician who specializes in Oncology and Hematology. He began seeing patients in November 2025 at South County Health Cancer Center, bringing expertise in internal medicine, hematology, and oncology. He earned his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine and completed his undergraduate studies at Bucknell University.
Radiation Oncology
James Assif, MD,is a board-certified physician who specializes in Radiation Oncology. He joined South County Health Radiation Therapy in August and works alongside Dr. Joyce, expanding access to expert radiation services in the community. He earned his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Paul Lvovsky, DO, is a board-certified Radiation Oncologist. He studied at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University. Dr. Lvovsky has particular expertise in prostate, breast, skin, and lung cancers.
Donald Joyce, MD, is a board-certified physician who specializes in Radiation Oncology. Donald completed his education at the Georgetown University, School of Medicine.
Nephrology
Priya Patel, MD, is a board-certified physician who specializes in Nephrology. Dr. Patel provides comprehensive care for patients with kidney-related conditions and practices at South County Health Nephrology, serving locations in East Greenwich and Westerly.
Wound Care
Rebecca Brierley, PA-C, is a certified physician assistant who specializes in Wound Care. Rebecca provides expert treatment for acute and chronic wounds and practices at South County Health Wound Care Clinic in Wakefield.
Center for Women’s Health South County Hospital.
Kelly Russell, Nurse Midwife is an advanced practice midwife who joined the Center for Women’s Health in April 2025.
Martha Moe, MD, Martha is a board-certified OB-GYN physician. She became Assistant Vice President of South County Medical Group and Medical Director of the Center for Women’s Health in July.
Emergency Department
Melynda L. Craig, PhD, PA-C, is a certified physician assistant who specializes in Express Care. Melynda is board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and provides high-quality, accessible care for a wide range of acute conditions. She earned her education from Clark University, Mount Holyoke College, the University of Rhode Island, and Drexel University.
Jacob Francis, NP joined our Express Care team, offering timely, high-quality care for patients with minor illnesses and injuries.
General Surgery
Shennel Gelin, MD, brings surgical expertise and a patient-centered approach to care, helping patients navigate everything from routine procedures to complex operations with confidence.
N. Joseph Espat, MD, is a board-certified physician who specializes in Surgical Oncology and General Surgery. He joined South County Health in August, bringing more than 35 years of experience and advanced training from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He provides expert, patient-centered care for a wide range of cancers.
Sheila Nwachukwu, APRN, is an advanced practice registered nurse who specializes in General Surgery and Urology. She provides comprehensive surgical and urologic care and practices at South County Health General Surgery in Wakefield.
Urology
Nicole Odabashyan, FNP, is a family nurse practitioner who specializes in Urology. Nicole is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and provides comprehensive care for patients with urologic conditions. She earned her education from Regis College.
Lauren Violette, DNP, FNP, is a doctorally prepared family nurse practitioner who specializes in Urology, Urologic Surgery, and General Surgery. Lauren is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and provides comprehensive surgical and urologic care to her patients. She earned her education from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
Sandra Wright, PA-C, is a certified physician assistant and serves as Lead Physician Assistant of Surgical Subspecialties. She specializes in General Surgery and Urology, providing comprehensive surgical care and support to patients across both specialties.
Brianna Logan, APRN, is an advanced practice registered nurse who specializes in Urology. Brianna provides comprehensive care for patients with a range of urologic conditions and practices at South County Health Urology in Wakefield. She earned her education from Rhode Island College.
Employee Recognitions
Daisy Award
The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes. His family was awestruck by the care and compassion his nurses provided and one of the goals they set in creating a Foundation was to recognize extraordinary nurses everywhere who make an enormous difference in the lives of so many people by the super-human work they do every day. Cinnamon rolls were a favorite of Patrick’s during his illness. The Barnes Family asks that whenever and wherever nurses smell that wonderful cinnamon aroma, they stop for a moment and think about how special they are.
2025 South County Health Daisy Award Recipients
Petal Award
The Petal Award is a program created by South County Health’s Nursing Shared Governance group to recognize nursing support staff who go above and beyond their line of duty. Nurses wouldn’t be able to perform their jobs without the help of dedicated and talented support staff.
Petal Award honorees personify South County Health’s commitment to patient experience. These individuals consistently demonstrate excellence through their extraordinary, compassionate care while promoting a restful and healing environment.
2025 South County Health Petal Award Recipients
Prestigeous Award Recipients
Each year during Employee and Nurses Week, South County Health recognizes outstanding contributions of staff from across the health system.
In 2025, we recognized:
Employee of the Year
Kimberly D’Ellena, RN, Transitional Care Coordinator, Case Management
Nurse of the Year
Rachael Burch Maguire, RN, Med Surg
Patient Safety Champion
Julia Ricard, PT, DPT, Inpatient Rehab Services, Team Leader
Provider of the Year
Diane McKeeff, APRN, Assistant Medical Director of Primary Care
Excellence in Stewardship
Facilities Upgrades and Expansions
Parking
A new staff parking lot will be coming soon, freeing up an additional 57 spots closer to the hospital providing patients and visitors more convenient access to care.
Cath IR
South County Health is launching a transformative initiative to rebuild and expand our facilities, creating a state-of-the-art Hybrid Cardiac Catheterization & Interventional Radiology (IR) Suite.
Lab Analyzers
These new advanced analyzers installed in our laboratory, mark a significant leap forward in technology and service capabilities.
Access Statistics/Expansions
East Greenwich Oncology/Hematology Clinic
EAST GREENWICH: An outpatient Oncology/ Hematology Clinic will open at our East Greenwich Medical & Wellness Center this winter. Notably, all four of our new oncology providers will have regular hours in East Greenwich, increasing convenience and continuity of care for patients. Additionally, South County Health Nephrology has also expanded services to our East Greenwich facility, sharing space with our Primary Care team.
Center For Women's Health Newport
NEWPORT: In November, South County Health Center for Women’s Health began seeing OB-GYN patients at 38 Powel Avenue, Newport. These initiatives build on a series of strategic investments designed to respond to growing community needs in both primary and specialty care. Together, these expansions reflect our ongoing commitment to ensuring high-quality, accessible care throughout our region.