Primary Care Providers

Jeffery Allyn, MD

Dr. Allyn brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Gifford’s Primary Care Department with a focus on Family Medicine. He spent eight years as an Adjunct Faculty Clinical Instructor at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa and three years as a physician at the VA, also in Des Moines. While at the VA, he developed a clinic for people who struggle with addiction, mental health and chronic pain.

“My goal as a clinician is to provide a space for people where they are respected and heard,” Dr. Allyn said. “I may not be able to solve every problem, but I really do believe together the patient and I can work toward the best outcome.”

After a bicycle tour through Vermont with friends in October 2011 Dr. Allyn, a midwest native, knew he was going to call Vermont home one day.

Laura Barber, MD

“When I [first] visited the Chelsea Health Center, I liked what I saw. I like to get to know people over a period of time, to work with entire families. This is the kind of patient-centered care I want to be doing.” – Dr. Barber, on why she chose to join the Gifford team at Chelsea Health Center

Kenneth Borie, DO

As a family medicine physician Dr. Borie enjoys seeing a baby for a well-child exam and then later in the day seeing the great-grandparents. He loves nursing home care as well and is strongly committed to caring for his long term patients towards the end of their lives. Teaching is also very important to Dr. Borie as he enjoys imparting his knowledge and wisdom to a new generation of physicians.

Kathleen Bryant, MPH, APRN, BC

As Gifford’s school-based nurse practitioner, Kathleen Bryant will primarily work with students in the health clinics of the local elementary and high schools. She has 20 years of experience as a nurse practitioner. During that time, she has worked in school-based health centers in Vermont, including Berlin where she created and coordinated a program in the local PreK-8 school. Bryant also spent time in nursing education at both Norwich University and the University of Vermont.

“By being in the school, you develop a different relationship with the children that you don’t get with a periodic visit to the clinician’s office.”

Rachel Coombs, MD

“For me, the most rewarding aspect of practicing family medicine is the ability to connect with people about what is most important to them. This allows us to create a shared vision of health and work toward it together. And I enjoy providing full-spectrum care where I’m able to care for the entire family, from pregnancy, birth, and beyond through geriatrics and everything in between. Seeing my patients in their family context helps me understand them on a deeper level, which is so important for community health.”

Emilija O. Florance, MD

Dr. Florance sees patients of all ages, newborn to geriatric, and provides a wide range of care, from chronic disease management to women’s health. Her approach to care is based on developing a partnership with each patient. “I love connecting with patients, getting to know them and the community I serve,” she said. “I also enjoy the variety offered by practicing family medicine. Each day is different and rewarding, whether I am working with a diabetic patient or with an expectant mother.”

Julie Holland, DNP

Julie has a passion for public health and global health, fueled by her commitment to “doing the most good for the greatest amount of people.” She describes her approach to care as patient-centered, inclusive and holistic, “considering all areas of a patient’s life and creating shared goals based on a patient’s priorities.”

Brigid Meehan-Brese, DNP

Brigid Meehan-Brese is our Primary Care Provider at the Rochester Health Center. Working at an inpatient facility during her career has helped shape Meehan-Brese’s interest in preventative care.

“You see so many people who had they reached out at the right moment, could have prevented some of what’s going on. One of the biggest areas where we have to make improvements in people’s health and quality of life is preventative care.”

Before starting her medical career, she was a singer, musician, and composer, arranging musical scores and performing in several operas both nationally and internationally.

Marzouq Qubti, MD, MBA

During the early days of his medical education, Dr. Qubti’s interests leaned towards internal medicine rather than the surgical field. Dr. Qubti finished his internal medicine residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston before completing his fellowship at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. He has familiarity with our area having served as an adjunct professor at UVM’s Department of Family Medicine.

“I’m on a mission to give back in any way. Whether that’s helping Gifford from a clinical care standpoint, or representing Gifford as a volunteer in community-based programs.”

Rachel Salloway, FNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner Rachel Salloway is passionate about helping to ensure access to high-quality preventative medicine in rural areas. She enjoys working with patients at all stages of life. She has a particular interest in providing gender-affirming care as well as care to older adults, women, and patients with diabetes. She describes her style with patients as collaborative: “I enjoy learning about patients and helping patients feel comfortable so they can meet their health care goals.”

Rachel brings to Gifford a background in global health, providing care in Uganda and India, and also experience working with underserved communities, including incarcerated women and Somali refugees.

Rebecca Savidge, PA-C

Rebecca Savidge joined the Gifford family in 2013 as a Certified Physician Assitant working in family practice at the Chelsea Health Center. She enjoys coming to work in a rural area where each day is different and poses its own challenges.   One of the highlights of Rebecca’s job is forming relationships with the diversified patient population.

Mark Seymour, DO

Dr. Seymour works in Family Medicine out of the Bethel Health Center, practicing the spectrum of  family medicine from pediatrics to Geriatrics. He’s been with Gifford for more than 30 years. “I especially enjoy the relationships I have established with patients over that span of time,” Dr. Seymour says.  A graduate of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and Colby College, Dr. Seymour had his residency at the UMASS Medical Center in Worcester, MA.

Jessica Shedd, FNP-BC

Jess brings her experience as a nurse and busy mom of three to her work with an appreciation that everyone has daily responsibilities that can sometimes make it difficult to take care of your health. Her goal is to make health care obtainable and individualized to each person’s needs.

Jess will work with her patients to collaborate on decision-making and develop a long-lasting relationship to educate and empower them to manage their health the best they can.

Pascale Stephani, FNP-BC

Pascale Stephani takes a team approach to patient care and believes “the more informed patients are, the better off they are. We work as a team. I am here to help people—to teach and to help them get better.” Stephani provides care to patients of all ages.  She is a registered nurse (RN) and nationally certified nurse-midwife (CNM), women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP) and family nurse practitioner (FNP). When not at work, she stays active with her four children and enjoys snowboarding, biking, hiking, and visiting family in Montreal.

Susan Thievon, MS, APRN, FNP-BC

Susan is a nurse practitioner in primary care at Gifford’s Bethel Health Center.

She enjoys working with families on preventative care and discovering what’s important to them and their health. In her years of experience, it’s the variety that comes with family practice that Susan really loves. She understands the importance of getting families to engage in their own healthcare and Susan says there’s nothing quite like making a connection with multi-generational families.

Susan enjoys gardening and cycling with her husband in her free time.