Medical Providers
Deborah Bershel, MD
It was back in 1988 that I first began practicing medicine in Davis Square. Somerville is still filled with the same glorious diversity of people that were here back then. And my patients still bring me the same joy that they did 20 years ago. I try to focus on what is important for your personal health and wellbeing. It is not just your cholesterol profile that I’m interested in but what those numbers truly mean in light of all the other factors that affect your risk for stroke and heart disease. Whatever it takes to help you achieve a healthier and happier life I will be supportive of even if it doesn’t fit into the construct of standard Western medicine.
Training:
Medical School – Georgetown University School of Medicine
Family Medicine Residency – Eisenhower Army Medical Center
Served as Staff Physician in the United States Army in Germany for 3 years and 1 year in New Jersey
Hospital Privileges:
Mt. Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA
Faculty appointments:
Assistant clinical Professor – Tufts Medical School
Clinical Instructor – Harvard Medical School
Clinical Instructor – Boston University School of Medicine
Lisa J. McGonigal, MD, MPH
I am an experienced Family Medicine physician with Board certifications in Preventive Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, and Advanced Diabetes Management (BC-ADM), with extensive training in Applied Clinical Nutrition. At the core of my clinical philosophy is the belief that lifestyle modification is essential for achieving wellness and is the fundamental intervention for risk modification and disease reversal. In my practice, I use a systems-oriented medical approach that helps patients identify the root causes of their dysfunction, allowing me to prescribe highly personalized intensive lifestyle and behavioral interventions as a foundational therapeutic modality. I believe in nurturing and empowering patients to take ownership of their health by facilitating their learning, implementation, and internalization of the necessary cognitive and behavioral changes required to restore and sustain whole-body health and wellness. To facilitate these goals, I prioritize the development of a collaborative provider-patient partnership as the cornerstone of effective care.
Michelle Clarke, FNP-BC, CPN
Education:
- Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing University of Illinois at Chicago 2004
- Master’s of Science in Nursing University of Illinois at Chicago 2011
Certifications and Awards:
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Certified Pediatric Nurse
- Professional Excellence Award by Carle Foundation Hospital
- Leadership Board position by the Central Illinois American Diabetes Association
Experience:
- Family Nurse Practitioner serving as a primary care provider since 2012 at Davis
Square Family Practice - Fourth Trimester Care through Tova Health from 2018 – 2020
- Carle Hospital 2004 – 2011 pediatric RN with experience in newborn nursery and NICU
- University of Illinois, undergraduate instructor in anatomy and physiology,
pathophysiology, nursing skills and practicum.
I am a passionate provider who is invested in caring for the whole family as well as the whole system of each individual. I value the personal experience one has when receiving medical care, focusing on individualized evidence based medicine.
I am very excited to introduce the model of Fourth Trimester Care as a service at Davis Square Family Practice. I am offering care at home for newborns and mothers for the first 2 months of life. It is an amazing opportunity to see the home environment and allow for more supportive care of the family. It embodies the philosophy of family medicine which is to look at the family and individuals as a unit which impacts the health of each member.
I believe understanding and compassion are the best medicine. I strive to provide each patient with medical advice based on current best practice evidence and experience. It is vital that all patients of all ages feel respected, supported and heard by their provider. The provider patient relationship has great power in creating growth and change in both quality and quantity of life.
Carmen Phillips, FNP
As a nurse practitioner, I receive tremendous joy from the relationships I have with my patients. The opportunity to encourage patients towards their health goals and cheer when they have achieved success fuels me. A patient’s resilience in the face of challenge impresses, educates, and delights me.
I’m tremendously pleased to be working with Dr. Bershel, Michelle Clarke, FNP, and Andrea Dandridge, FNP. Being given the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment with thoughtful, intelligent colleagues is exciting and one of my great pleasures. I am quite interested in alternative therapies and am open to incorporating them into the care of my patients. There is so much to know and learn in this big, wide world, and I am curious about everything!
I received my bachelor degree in nursing from the University of Michigan and my Master of Science degree, Family Nurse Practitioner, from Regis College. Before joining Davis Square Family Practice, I was a nurse at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston for 11 years and a nurse practitioner at Sports Medicine North, Occupational Health in Peabody. Both were challenging, educational, and rewarding experiences.
I look forward to meeting you!
Andrea Dandridge, NP
As a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner I am trained to work with both children and adults. Partnering with patients and their families requires listening, understanding and respecting each patient’s unique needs, culture, values, and preferences. I want to help patients maintain health and wellness over the long term with particular focus on preventative care. I have a true desire to enhance a positive healing experience and confidence to those in need.
I have over 20 years of research and nursing experience. My training includes a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology/Biostatistics from Boston University School of Public Health and a Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.
I have practiced in a variety of health care settings before joining Davis Square Family Practice in 2017. Previously I worked as a family nurse practitioner at Upham’s Corner Health Center in Dorchester and at Boston Medical Center’s Public Health Clinic as a STI Clinic Program Coordinator and Clinical Research Assistant. I enjoy treating all patients of all ages and all backgrounds, providing quality patient-centered care in order to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent disease.
Outside the office I enjoy spending time with my family, gardening, cooking (not baking), traveling and walking my crazy dogs.