Medical Providers
Kristopher Ahn, MD
Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Physician
Kristopher Ahn, MD joined our clinical team in 2020 as an Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Physician. A New York native, Dr. Ahn earned his bachelor of science degree in Biology and Society at Cornell University, and received his doctor of medicine degree from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn, NY in 2016. He joined Esperanza after he completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at UTHealth McGovern Medical School in Houston, TX. His passion is fueled by the words of Christ in Matthew 25:34-40, and witnessing disparities in health care first-hand. Dr. Ahn learned about Esperanza by word of mouth as he studied at SUNY Downstate College. His heart was deeply moved by the ministry and its impact in the healthcare sphere.
BS: Cornell University
MD: SUNY Downstate College of Medicine
Postgraduate: UTHealth McGovern Medical School
Licensures/Certifications:
- Pennsylvania License: Physician
- Board Certified: Pediatrics
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Sites where Dr. Ahn sees patients: Kensington
Samantha Baker-Evens, CRNP, MSN
Family Nurse Practitioner
Samantha Baker-Evens, CRNP, MSN is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner at Esperanza Health Center and joined the clinical team in 2017. She has worked in the areas of addiction, mental health, HIV/AIDS and homelessness for the last twenty years in the United States, Australia, and Cambodia. She is passionate about making primary care safe and accessible, particularly for people living with developmental differences or mental illness. She is an enthusiastic failure at gardening in the city and also enjoys kayaking and walking in the woods. She and her husband have two sons and are exploring what it means to live lives of mercy and justice (Micah 6:8) as a family in Philadelphia.
BA: Wheaton College
BSN: Thomas Jefferson University School of Nursing
MSN: Frontier Nursing University
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner
• Board Certified: Family Nurse Practitioner
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Khmer (Cambodian)
Sites where Ms. Baker-Evens sees patients: Kensington
Daria Chacón, MD
Associate Medical Director, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Physician
Daria Chacón, MD is a board certified Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Physician and Associate Medical Director at Esperanza Health Center. Dr. Chacón completed her Medicine residency at the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, and her Pediatrics residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She lives in Camden, NJ with her husband and two daughters, and enjoys playing soccer, ice skating, and cooking with them. She has worked at Esperanza Health Center since 2011, and has been blessed by the privilege of walking with patients and staff as we together seek physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, and wholeness in a broken world.
BA, BS: Taylor University
MD: Temple University School of Medicine
Postgraduate: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Internship and Residency
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Sites where Dr. Chacón sees patients: Kensington
Charlene Chen, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Charlene Chen, MD, who joined Esperanza’s staff in 2013 as a board certified Family Medicine Physician, provides care for children, adults, and pregnant women. She loves getting to know and care for whole families, from birth to old age. Her husband, Daniel Chen, MD serves as an Internal Medicine Physician at Esperanza. Together, they enjoy seeing the beautiful ways God is working in North Philadelphia, and learning from all those around them here—especially their warmth and generosity. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and eating with her husband and their friends—their home is always open to anyone with a hungry belly!
BS: Pennsylvania State University
MD: Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
Postgraduate: Crozer-Keystone Health System, Family Medicine Residency
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Family Medicine
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Dr. Charlene Chen sees patients: Kensington
Daniel Chen, MD
Internal Medicine Physician
Daniel Chen, MD is a board certified Internal Medicine Physician at Esperanza Health Center. Dr. Chen joined Esperanza Health Center in 2012. In his free time, Dr. Chen loves to cook and enjoys a good musical. He is thankful for the opportunity to serve God and our community by sharing His love through medicine. Dr. Chen sees patients at our Hunting Park location.
BA: Pomona College
MD: Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
Postgraduate: Temple University Hospital, Internal Medicine Internship and Residency
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Internal Medicine
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Dr. Daniel Chen sees patients: Hunting Park
Dominic Derenge, DO
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Dominic Derenge joined Esperanza’s staff in 2018 as a board certified Family Medicine Physician and provides care for children, adults, pregnant women, and people living with HIV. He first developed interest in Family Medicine while in college volunteering with Spanish speaking patients at a Christian clinic very similar to EHC. In medical school, he was awarded a three-year academic scholarship and teaching fellowship where he conducted research, taught medical students, and received specialized training in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. He is now very excited to serve the great people of Philadelphia through providing competent and compassionate medical care in the name of Jesus. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife Christina, who is a Behavioral Health Consultant at Esperanza, and his church family. He also enjoys music, cooking, and fitness.
BS: Arizona State University
DO: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine—Midwestern University
Postgraduate: Crozer-Keystone Health System, Family Medicine Residency
Research Interests: Medical Education, Diagnostic reasoning, cognitive errors, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment.
Licensures/Certifications
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Family Medicine
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Dr. Dominic Derenge sees patients: Hunting Park, Fifth Street
Corin Dickinson, CRNP, MSN
Family Nurse Practitioner
Corin Dickinson, CRNP, MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner, joined Esperanza Health Center in 2020. Ms. Dickinson grew up locally in Souderton, PA and is quite familiar with the Greater Philadelphia region. She completed her associate of science in nursing degree at Montgomery County Community College in 2013 and her master of science in nursing from UNC-Chapel Hill. She pursued nursing because she always wanted to help people and also had an interest in health and science. It wasn’t until she worked as an RN that she realized how we are all broken in some capacity and we all need healing, which only God can truly provide.
Associate Degree, Nursing: Montgomery County Community College
MSN: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Licensures/Certifications:
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Ms. Dickinson sees patients: Kensington
Keri Duggan, CRNP, MSN
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Keri Duggan, CRNP, MSN is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Esperanza Health Center. She is a graduate of Wheaton College and the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, where she received her Master of Science in Nursing Degree and was a member of the Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society. After having completed one of her preceptorships for graduate school in Philadelphia in the summer of 2015, Ms. Duggan fell in love with the city and decided to return to join Esperanza’s clinical team in 2017. She is eager to serve her patients and their families and to learn from them. In her spare time, she enjoys running, hiking, reading, playing lacrosse, and spending time with family and friends.
BS: Wheaton College
MSN: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Ms. Duggan sees patients: Hunting Park
Nicole Groff, PA-C
Physician Assistant
Nicole Groff, PA-C is a certified Physician Assistant at Esperanza Health Center. She is a graduate of Emory University, where she received her Masters in Public Health and Masters in Medical Science. Nicole joined the Esperanza team in 2023 and was inspired by the mission of being compelled by the love of Christ to provide holistic healthcare that incorporates the social, spiritual, emotional and physical health of a person. In her spare time, Nicole likes to be outside in nature- biking, running, hiking. She also loves dance, music, and playing soccer! Her favorite Bible verse is Ephesians 3:17-19: “May your roots go down into the soil of God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ though it is too great to understand fully.”
BS: Eastern Mennonite University
MSN: Emory University
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician Assistant
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Khmer (Cambodian), Indonesian
Site where Ms.Groff sees patients: Hunting Park
Tiffany Huang, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Tiffany S Huang, MD is a board-certified Family Medicine Physician and joined our clinical team in 2024. She completed her family medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and point-of-care ultrasound fellowship at Penn Medicine. She is passionate about partnering with patients to improve their health so that they can better participate in their communities and move closer to fulfilling their life’s potential. Dr. Huang enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, spending time outdoors, and attending orchestra concerts with her husband.
BS: Princeton University
MD: Weill Cornell Medical College
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Family Medicine
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Taiwanese, Mandarin
Site where Dr. Huang sees patients: Hunting Park
Timothy Johnston, MD
Hunting Park Site Medical Director, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Physician
Timothy Johnston, MD is a board certified Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Physician and Hunting Park Site Medical Director at Esperanza Health Center. He has worked at Esperanza Health Center since 2006. Dr. Johnston enjoys playing trombone and piano, camping, reading, and biking, though playing with his four young girls is what he usually enjoys in his free time these days. He delights in recruiting patients to be his partners moving towards health. He is committed to remaining as current as possible in the science of medicine, but also wants to help his patients look out for some ways that medical science tends to move patients away from true health. As a weak, limited man, he seeks the power and direction of the great physician Jesus Christ in leading patients toward health. His favorite piece of Scripture is Psalm 69:13: “But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me in your saving faithfulness.”
BS: Wheaton College
MD: Indiana University School of Medicine
Postgraduate: University of North Carolina Hospitals, Combined Residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Dr. Johnston sees patients: Hunting Park
Jane Jue, MD, MSc
Internal Medicine Physician
Jane Jue, MD, MSc is a board certified Internal Medicine Physician at Esperanza Health Center. She is married and has a daughter and a son, and a yellow lab. She and her family are active members at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.
AB: Princeton University
MD: Mount Sinai School of Medicine
MSc: University of Pennsylvania
Postgraduate: Mount Sinai Medical Center, Internal Medicine Internship and Residency
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Internal Medicine
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Korean
Site where Dr. Jue sees patients: Hunting Park
Daniel Kim, MD
Pediatrician
Daniel Kim, MD, Pediatrician, joined Esperanza in 2020. Dr. Kim knew he wanted to work at Esperanza since completing an SMI term back in 2014 while he was a medical student at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up in the working-class community of
Woodside, NY and being a child of immigrant parents, he recognized that part of his calling was to work in medically-underserved areas. While completing his residency training in pediatrics at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, he gained experience working for Open Door Family Health Center in Ossining, NY, which serves a predominantly Hispanic and immigrant population. One of his favorite verses is Philippians 3:8. He hopes that through Esperanza he can continually grow in Christ, with others, and to help bring others to Him.
BS: Boston College
MD: SUNY Downstate College of Medicine
Postgraduate: Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital/Westchester Medical Center
Licensures/Certifications:
- Pennsylvania License: Physician
- Board Certified: Pediatrics
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Korean
Site where Dr. Kim sees patients: Kensington, Hunting Park
Laura Layer, MD
Pediatrician
Laura Layer, MD is a board certified Pediatrician at Esperanza Health Center. She has served as a pediatrician at Esperanza since 1991. Through her church, Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, she enjoys involvement in the Global Outreach Committee, Medical Campus Outreach and mentoring, and also participates in neighborhood activities. Her favorite verses of scripture are Isaiah 55 and 2 Cor. 5:16-21.
BA: Duke University
MD: Vanderbilt University Medical School
MA: Westminster Theological Seminary
Postgraduate: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pediatrics Resident Physician
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Pediatrics
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Dr. Layer sees patients: Kensington
Timothy Leaman, MD
Chief Medical Oficer, Family Medicine Physician
Timothy Leaman, MD is a board certified Family Medicine Physician and is the Kensington Site Medical Director at Esperanza Health Center. A graduate of Eastern Mennonite University and the Temple University School of Medicine, he has worked at Esperanza Health Center since 2001. Dr. Leaman enjoys ethnic restaurants, reading, and following the Philadelphia sports teams. His approach to medicine is to help people and communities to experience health and well-being physically, emotionally and spiritually. He desires to see those who live in our communities stay healthy, so that they can participate in restoring/rebuilding our neighborhoods (Isaiah 61:1-4; “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord…They will restore the places long devastated”). Dr. Leaman and his wife have three children.
BS: Eastern Mennonite University
MD: Temple University
Postgraduate: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Jefferson Family Medicine Residency
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Family Medicine
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Dr. Leaman sees patients: Kensington
Christopher Leander, MD
Pediatrician
Christopher Leander, MD is a board certified Pediatrician at Esperanza Health Center. He has worked at Esperanza Health Center since 2009. His favorite piece of scripture is 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” His approach to medicine is to build relationships with children and families and look for ways to promote healthy growth and development: help to “bring out” the image of God in which they were created. Dr. Leander and his family reside in the North Philadelphia community served by Esperanza.
BA: Dartmouth College
MD: Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Postgraduate: Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Resident
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Pediatrics
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Sites where Dr. Leander sees patients: Hunting Park
Samuel Lee, MD
Internal Medicine
Sam Lee, MD was born in Queens, New York, but calls Kyrgyzstan his home, as his family moved there to serve the Kyrgyz people. He returned to the US for his undergraduate studies and completed his medical training in Norfolk, Virginia, before heading to San Francisco for an internal medicine residency and a fellowship in addiction medicine. He was drawn to Esperanza after meeting several incredible staff members at the CCHF conference in 2019 and God was faithful in providing a job here. He is passionate about working with people who use substances (especially teenagers!) and providing women’s health. Outside of healthcare, he is an avid public transportation enthusiast and a huge proponent of K-Pop, night runs, and maximizing airline mileage points.
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Kyrgyz
Sites where Dr. Lee sees patients: Kensington, Hunting Park
Kristie Mast, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Kristie Mast, MD is a board certified Family Medicine Physician at Esperanza Health Center. Dr. Mast has worked at Esperanza Health Center since 2001. At Esperanza, she is appreciative of the long-term relationships that she has been able to develop with many of her patients. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and running.
BS: Wheaton College
MD: Medical College of Pennsylvania
Postgraduate: Montgomery Family Practice Residency
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Family Medicine
Languages Spoken: English
Site where Dr. Mast sees patients: Hunting Park
Helen Mutoko, MSN, CRNP
Family Nurse Practitioner
Helen Mutoko, MSN, CRNP
joined the Esperanza team in 2021 as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Having grown up in California, she’s thoroughly enjoyed experiencing all four seasons in Philadelphia. Her time in the emergency and trauma department showed her the limitations of our healthcare system, and pushed her to see how she could better serve her patients in primary care by providing continuity of care and building relationships.
She is thankful to work alongside the caring and committed team at Esperanza in listening to and loving patients well, as they are loved by God. She enjoys spending time with her husband Moses, her church, and her ever-growing collection of plant children.
BSN: University of Pennsylvania
MSN: University of Pennsylvania
Licensures/Certifications:
- Pennsylvania License: Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner
- Board Certified: Family Nurse Practitioner
- Certified Emergency Nurse
- ACLS, BLS, TNCC, PALS
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Cantonese
Site where Ms. Mutoko sees patients: Hunting Park
Sky Prestowitz, DO
Internal Medicine and Pediatrician Physician
Sky Prestowitz, DO, joined Esperanza in 2024 as an Internal Medicine and Pediatrics physician. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and her medical training at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency through Case Western Reserve University MetroHealth Medical Center. Dr. Prestowitz speaks Spanish and English, and will be seeing patients at our Kensington site, 861 E. Allegheny Ave.
BS: University of Pennsylvania
DO: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish,
Site where Dr. Prestowitz sees patients: Kensington
Faith Pullinger, MD
Obstetrician/Gynecologist
Faith Pullinger, MD is a board certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist who joined Esperanza’s staff in 2016. A graduate of Grove City College, she completed her medical training at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey, PA and her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Abington Memorial Hospital. She spends her free time watching her new baby grow and discovering God’s creation. Dr. Pullinger’s favorite activities include singing, running, and hiking as many mountains as possible, preferably doing all three with her husband by her side. She thanks the Lord for opening doors to be able to provide comprehensive women’s healthcare at a Christian clinic like Esperanza.
BA: Grove City College
MD: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Postgraduate: Abington Memorial Hospital
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Obstetrics/Gynecology
Languages Spoken: English
Site where Dr. Pullinger sees patients: Hunting Park, Kensington
Rita Ramos, MD
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Physician
Rita Ramos, MD is a board certified Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Physician who joined Esperanza in 2018 and provides care for children and adults. During her training she was able to travel to many countries around the world for medical missions. Through this God grew in her a love of people from different backgrounds and cultures. Most recently she worked as hospitalist in Abington, PA while she cared for her small children. She is excited be back in Hunting Park, where she and her husband met. Says Dr. Ramos: “I feel privileged to be able to partner with patients, walking with them through the joys and sorrows of life, seeking wholeness in a broken world.” In her free time she enjoys gardening, hiking, and biking with her husband and two boys.
BS: University of South Carolina
MD: Medical University of South Carolina
Postgraduate: Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Dr. Ramos sees patients: Hunting Park
Kristin Romeo, CRNP, MSN
Family Nurse Practitioner
Kristin Romeo, CRNP, MSN is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner at Esperanza Health Center. She decided to become a nurse after spending two years in the Peace Corps living in an indigenous village in Ecuador, where she saw the effects of healthcare disparities. Ms. Romeo also previously worked for Doctors Without Borders on assignments in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Honduras. She enjoys eating her grandmom’s homemade ravioli, reading all kinds of books, and spending time with family. She is thankful to have the privilege of working at Esperanza, where she continues to learn so much from her patients and colleagues, and where she has the opportunity of daily witnessing the work that God is doing in North Philadelphia.
BA: Rice University
BSN: Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson College of Nursing
MSN: Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson College of Nursing
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Family Nurse Practitioner
• Board Certified: Family Nurse Practitioner
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, French
Site where Ms. Romeo sees patients: Kensington
Chelsea Salas-Tam, MD CAQSM
Family Medicine Physician
Chelsea Salas-Tam, MD, CAQSM, was born and raised in Southern California and moved to Philadelphia in 2016 to attend medical school at Drexel University College of Medicine. She completed her Family Medicine residency and Sports Medicine fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and is excited to join the Esperanza family. Outside of work, Chelsea loves doing brazilian jiu-jitsu. She is also frequently found at the Please Touch Museum with her daughter Naomi.
MD: Drexel University College of Medicine
Postgraduate: Thomas Jefferson University
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Family Medicine
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish,
Site where Dr. Salas-Tam sees patients: Fifth Street
Kirstin Sanborn, DO
Family Medicine Physician
Kirstin Sanborn, DO joined the Esperanza staff in 2015 as a board certified Family Medicine Physician; she holds a second board certification in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine. She is a graduate of A.T. Still University/Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, MO and completed her residency and fellowship at St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx, NY. Dr. Sanborn lives in Norristown, PA with her husband and two puppies and enjoys running, playing soccer, playing board games and spending time with friends and family.
DO: A.T. Still University/Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Postgraduate: St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx, NY
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania Licenses: Family Medicine, Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Dr. Sanborn sees patients: Fifth Street
Stephanie Senyo, PA-C, MSPAS
Assistant Medical Director – OB/GYN, Primary Care and OB/GYN Physician Assistant
Stephanie Senyo, PA-C, MSPAS is a board certified Physician Assistant at Esperanza Health Center with a specialty in OB/GYN health care, and serves as Esperanza’s Assistant Medical Director for OB/GYN. She joined Esperanza in 2010. A mother of two, Ms. Senyo enjoys running, swimming, and reading. Her favorite piece of scripture is Psalm 139. She has a passion for women’s healthcare and health education.
BA: University of Pittsburgh
MSPAS: University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences, Physician Assistant Studies Program
Postgraduate: Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, OB/GYN Physician Assistant Residency Program
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician Assistant
• Board Certified: Physician Assistant
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Ms. Senyo sees patients: Kensington
Philip Siu, MD
Pediatrician
Philip Siu, MD is a board certified Pediatrician at Esperanza Health Center. Dr. Siu joined Esperanza Health Center in 2022. He was first recruited by Dr. Caroline Klaus to serve as a volunteer in 1989 when Esperanza Health Center first opened their doors on 5th Street. 33 years later, Dr. Siu is excited to be back and serving as a Pediatrician. During his free time, Dr. Siu enjoys woodworking. He finds great joy in turning what some call junk into something beautiful. “Like what the Lord does with us sinners,” he said.
His favorite bible verse is James 1:27: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
BA: Columbia University
MD: University of Pennsylvania
Postgraduate: Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia, Pediatric Resident
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Physician
• Board Certified: Pediatrics
Languages Spoken: English, Cantonese and Mandarin
Site where Dr. Philip Siu sees patients: Hunting Park
Christine Strickland, CRNP, MSN
Family Nurse Practitioner
Christine Strickland, CRNP, MSN is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner at Esperanza Health Center. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Scranton and her graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She has worked as a nurse in cardiovascular, medical-surgical, emergency, home care, and rural health settings in Philadelphia, New York City, and Cameroon. Mrs. Strickland is thankful for the opportunity to accompany her patients at Esperanza as they journey together toward health and into deeper relationship with God. She and her husband enjoy hiking, cycling, trying new foods, and talking about someday taking salsa lessons together.
BSN: University of Scranton
MSN: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner
• Board Certified: Family Nurse Practitioner
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, French
Sites where Ms. Strickland sees patients: Kensington
Rebekah Lynn Weber, MSN, CNM, CRNP
Certified Nurse Midwife and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Rebekah Lynn Weber, MSN, CNM, CRNP is a Certified Nurse Midwife and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner who joined the Esperanza team in 2021. Originally from a small town in Texas, she moved to the big city to attend the University of Pennsylvania. She worked for several years as a nurse at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the Neonatal, Pediatric, and Cardiac Intensive Care Units. She later entered Women’s Health because of the opportunity to support and encourage women throughout the lifespan. Rebekah enjoys visiting her family in Mexico, traveling throughout Latin America, and spending time with her husband. She is excited to join Esperanza’s team and provide holistic, patient centered care.
BSN: University of Pennsylvania
MSN: University of Pennsylvania
Licensures/Certifications:
- Pennsylvania License: Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner
- Board Certified: Nurse Midwife, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
- NRP, PALS, BLS
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Ms. Weber sees patients: Hunting Park and Kensington
Sarah Wilson, DO
Family Medicine Physician
Sarah Wilson, DO, Family Medicine Physician at Esperanza, is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and completed her internship and residency in family medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Ehrling Bergquist Clinic at Offutt AFB in Omaha, NE. Before joining Esperanza in 2017, Dr. Wilson served with Affinia Healthcare, a federally-qualified health center in Saint Louis, MO. Dr. Wilson shadowed at Esperanza in 2006 while attending medical school, and she is excited to return to the North Philadelphia community to serve at Esperanza. She and her husband have three young children, and love to spend evenings with friends, family and neighbors.
BS: Pennsylvania State University
DO: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Postgraduate: University of Nebraska Medical Center/ Ehrling Bergquist Clinic
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Family Medicine
• Board Certified: Family Medicine
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Dr. Wilson sees patients: Fifth Street, Hunting Park
Brian Wong, MD
Internal Medicine, Pediatrics
Dr. Brian Wong was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He completed undergrad at UCLA and medical school at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. After completing his residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics in 2018, he practiced medicine at Christ Community Health Services in Memphis, Tennessee for 5 years. During his free time, Brian enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 daughters, going to the park, playing board games, and playing the piano.
BS: University of California, Los Angeles
DO: Loma Linda University
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Dr. Wong sees patients: Kensington & Allegheny
Steven Wood, CRNP, MSN
Family Nurse Practitioner
Steven Wood, CRNP, MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner joined the Esperanza staff in 2020. Originally from a small town in southern Illinois, he is a graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Steven was drawn to Esperanza by the caring and dedicated staff and its mission to glorify God through relational, holistic, high-quality healthcare. He is excited about the opportunity to contribute to this mission alongside such an experienced and committed team. In his free time, he enjoys running, backpacking, reading and volunteering with the youth program at his church.
BS, MSN: Vanderbilt University
Licensures/Certifications:
- Pennsylvania License: Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner
- Board Certified: Family Nurse Practitioner
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Mr. Wood sees patients: Kensington
Katherine Yori-Biermaas, CRNP, ACLS
Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner
Katherine Yori-Biermaas, CRNP, joined the Esperanza staff in 2020 as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Born and raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, Katherine completed her education close to home receiving a BS in Kinesiology at Temple University, and an accelerated BSN at Drexel. She felt God’s leading over her life to serve in healthcare and loves to care for people’s well-being, the Bible verses of Isaiah 17:7-8 continue to be her motivation. A pastor of hers from over 10 years ago shared the mission of Esperanza with her, and as she prayed for where to work, Esperanza became a home. She strives to listen to her patients well and hear their thoughts and concerns, all while trying to implement quality and evidence-based care. Katherine loves to spend time with her immediate and extended family: husband Nathan and her children Lucas and Allona (“Lonnie”). She also enjoys running, cycling, and swimming and has very much enjoyed being on the Philly marathon pace team.
BS: Temple University Kinesiology. Drexel University- Accelerated BSN.
Family nurse practitioner: Simmons College.
Licensures/Certifications: CRNP, ACLS.
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish.
Site where Ms. Yori-Biermass sees patients: Hunting Park
Charles Young, CRNP, MSN
Family Nurse Practitioner
Charles Young, CRNP, MSN is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner at Esperanza Health Center. Originally from Queens, NY and a graduate of State University of New York at Binghamton, Charles received his graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania School Of Nursing and previously worked as a emergency room nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. After observing the patient-centered care and the commitment to love people with the love of Christ at Esperanza during a shadowing experience at the clinic, Charles knew that he wanted to join the clinical team as well. He is thankful for the privilege of caring and walking with the community at Esperanza in their journeys with God.
BSN: SUNY Binghamton
MSN: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Licensures/Certifications:
• Pennsylvania License: Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner
• Board Certified: Family Nurse Practitioner
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Site where Mr. Young sees patients: Kensington
Olivia Young, MSN, CNM, IBCLC
Nurse Midwife
- Pennsylvania License: Certified Nurse-Midwife
- Board Certified: Nurse-Midwife, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
- International Board Certified Lactation Consultant