DO

Dr. Yasir Saleem was a history major in college but that all changed when he took an emergency medical technician (EMT) course. “I thought it would be a good way to explore the medical field,” he explains. “And while being an EMT is an important job, I wanted the ability to do more and that’s what helped get me interested in medical school and becoming a physician.”

Dr. Saleem enjoys working at ReadyMED because he finds each day different. “Here, every day is truly unique,” he explains. “One moment you might be treating a viral infection and then later you might be helping someone with an orthopedic injury. There’s a lot of great ways I can use my skills here to help patients.”

One of the things Dr. Saleem is encouraged by is all the new technologies benefitting patients. “There is a lot of great technology out there, and it is getting better all the time,” he explains. “For instance, there are small ultrasound devices that I can connect to my phone to view internal images. There are also wearable devices for diabetic patients that help them track their blood sugar. And a patient can even monitor their own heart health with an Apple watch. Technology is becoming easier to use and more helpful for doctors and patients alike.”

According to Dr. Saleem, one of the biggest advantages of ReadyMED is that he can provide quick answers to his patient’s problems. “At ReadyMED, we have fast access to lab results, X-rays, and even CT scans at ReadyMED PLUS. So that helps us deliver care that’s fast and convenient for patients.”

When he is not busy at ReadyMED Dr. Saleem enjoys spending time with his wife and family. Some of his hobbies include Civil War reenacting and table-top gaming. He also enjoys traveling with his family members.

NP

MD

Dr. Daniel Hartman had an extensive career working in emergency medicinebefore coming to ReadyMED. “When I was in medical school, emergency medicine was first starting to become specialty,” he explains. “During my rotations, it was what I enjoyed the most, I found it very challenging and exciting. So when I finished my residency, I immediately starting working in an ER.”

In his work at ReadyMED, Dr. Hartman always strives to make sure the patient has input into the treatment plan. “I’m very much into shared decision-making,” he explains. “I find that’s best for both the doctor and the patient. Not all patients that come here need extensive care. Some just need to know that they are going to be okay. However, one of the best things about ReadyMED PLUS is that if a condition is serious, we have the ability to diagnose it with our advanced imaging. We can even do IV therapy here. So, with capabilities like that we can often prevent a visit to the ER and give them the treatment they need.”

In addition to his work at ReadyMED, Dr. Hartman has a strong interest in academics and teaches epidemiology and biostatistics at Yale Medical School. Dr. Hartman is also a musician and on the weekends can often be found playing the trumpet in a jazz band. He also enjoys hiking, skiing, going to the beach, and watersports such as swimming, sailing, and kayaking.

Physician Assistant

Szu-Ping Huang always had an interest in helping others. After volunteering for several medical mission trips when she was younger, she was inspired to pursue a career as a physician assistant.

Szu-Ping loves the fast pace of caring for patients at ReadyMED, and has a special interest in pediatrics. “I really love interacting with children. They are fun, honest, adventurous, and they also make me laugh,” she explains. “For me, it is an honor to have the opportunity to make a positive impact on children’s health.”

At ReadyMED, Szu-Ping strives to provide high quality, personalized care and emotional support to each patient based on their needs. “For me, the greatest and most satisfying feelings come from creating a better quality of life for patients and giving medical help to those who have the greatest need,” she explains.

When she is not busy helping patients, Szu-Ping enjoys traveling and finding new coffee shops to enjoy.

Nurse Practitioner

Dinara started her career in medicine as a registered nurse before becoming an advanced practitioner. “During my time as a nurse, I frequently cared for individuals suffering from complications stemming from preventable diseases,” she explains. “Seeing this firsthand motivated me to pursue an advanced degree. I realized that by acquiring further education, I could play a pivotal role in educating the public about making healthier choices to delay onset and progression of chronic illnesses.”

In her work at ReadyMED, Dinara strives to approach each patient with respect, kindness and empathy. “Knowing that individuals seek medical assistance during times of vulnerability, I strive to create a supportive and compassionate environment where patients feel values and listened to,” she explains. “Ultimately, I view my role not only as a healthcare provider but also a source of comfort and reassurance during challenging times.”

In her spare time Dinara enjoys being with her husband and children and their two dogs. She also enjoys traveling, gardening, listening to audiobooks, watching Eurovision, and all things Disney.

MD

After over 20 years of experience working in emergency medicine, Dr. Michael DeMelis now puts all his skills to work at ReadyMED.

“I have always loved the fast pace of emergency medicine. Every day was different and you would have to often make a diagnosis on the spot,” he explains. “It could be anything from a broken bone to respiratory distress. You kind of have to be an expert in every field to be an ER doctor. Fortunately, a lot of the things I liked about working in an emergency room, such as talking to patients, making a diagnosis, and doing tests, I can still do here at ReadyMED. Plus it’s a better environment for the patients.”

In his work at ReadyMED, Dr. DeMelis enjoys listening to his patients and getting a feel for who they are before making a diagnosis. “I make a point to make them feel comfortable, educate them on what we are going to do, and let them know we’ll do everything we can to help them,” he explains. “It’s very gratifying to be able to use your expertise to help people.”

When he is not busy caring for patients, Dr. DeMelis enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, running, working out at the gym, skiing, and bicycling.

Pediatrician

Physician Assistant

Nurse Practitioner

Ever since she was young, Rachel has been fascinated by medicine and passionate about caring for the sick. “As a young hospice volunteer, I found that providing care for patients and their families was very meaningful and fulfilling,” she explains. “I knew that becoming an advanced practitioner would be the right career for me, because I find the work fascinating and it allows me to help others. As an advanced practitioner, I can give patients the tools that they need to reach their healthcare goals.”

In her practice, Rachel likes to connect closely with her patients and is a strong believer in providing patient-centered care. “I strive to meet the needs of my patients. I use evidence-based practice to achieve safe and effective care. What I like most about my job is helping my patients improve their quality of life by working with them to create individualized care plans.”

In her spare time, Rachel enjoys growing plants, baking, hiking, camping, and traveling with her husband.

Nurse Practitioner

Amelia-Jae started her career as a nurse but after a few years decided to further her career to become a nurse practitioner. “After about six years of being a nurse, I wanted to provide more advanced care to my patients,” she explains. “So I decided to continue my education and obtain a Master’s degree to become an advanced practitioner.”

“I loved working as an RN in the emergency room but I also enjoyed my time in primary care as a nurse practitioner getting to know my patients and making decisions together about their health,” she explains. “I chose ReadyMED because it combines providing care to the community with a combination of everything I love in one setting. Plus, I get to see patients of all ages which I really enjoy.”

Amelia-Jae enjoys using the latest technology when caring for patients. “Technology has advanced my ability to help patients in a faster and more reliable way,” she explains. “The ability to confirm any previous diagnosis and treatments and being able to communicate with other providers using the same EMR is very helpful.”

In her free time Amelia-Jae likes to travel, spend time with family and friends, and try new foods and restaurants.

Physician Assistant

Nurse Practitioner

A graduate of Walden University, Maria started her career as an LPN and later became a registered nurse and then a nurse practitioner.

Maria decided to become an advanced practitioner because she wanted to continue learning and provide a higher level of care to her patients, including skills such as suturing. After spending so much time studying to be a caregiver, Maria has developed an interest in teaching. “Later in life I would love to teach nursing students in a classroom setting or out in the field,” she explains. “I would also like to do some medical mission trips someday.”

Maria says that her biggest area of expertise is acute care. “I have enjoyed the fast pace of acute care, treating many different patients with a variety of problems,” she explains. “I love coming into work and caring for a wide range of issues, from a common cold to someone needing inpatient care. What I like the most about being an advanced practitioner is helping people feel better. Knowing that I can help others and being able to care for them really makes me happy.”

In her spare time Maria loves spending time with her family and friends, especially her nephews. “I love outdoor activities whether it is the beach or hiking with my dog Harold,” she explains. “I also enjoy playing soccer and traveling with my sister, cousins, or girlfriends to different countries. There is so much to explore in the world!”

Nurse Practitioner

A graduate of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Laura started her career as a registered nurse before becoming an advanced practitioner. Laura has always been drawn to medicine. “I enjoy being able to help people as well as listening to their stories,” she explains. “That’s what makes my job so enjoyable.”

Laura truly enjoys working with patients each day. “The patient is the reason I am in this profession. I work hard to uncover their problem and help them as much as I can. I enjoy being a medical detective, and coming up with a diagnosis after carefully listening to their symptoms.”

In her spare time, Laura enjoys gardening and helping things grow. Her home includes a vineyard, orchard and vegetable garden. She utilizes the produce she grows to make jam, sauces, salsa and wine. Laura also enjoys relaxing with her animals (including cats, chickens and a dog) as well as vacationing in the winter where it’s warm.

Nurse Practitioner

Marissa started her career as a nurse, working in a medical intensive care unit. As a nurse at the bedside, she realized the impact of education and communication on patient care outcomes. “I wanted the opportunity to enhance my patient’s understanding of their health as well as become an active member in their outpatient care,” she explains.

Now Marissa works at ReadyMED, which provides an array of walk-in care services for patients. “ReadyMED offered me a great opportunity to see a diverse patient population with a wide variety of concerns,” she explains. “I love taking on new challenges.”

Marissa says her ultimate goal is to make her patient’s feel empowered about their health and help them improve it when they need to. “I want every patient to have a better understanding of their condition and their prognosis as well as feel like they are an active participant in their care.”

When she is not busy helping patients, Marissa enjoys staying active. She is an avid runner who also loves skiing, photography and creating – whether it’s sewing or refinishing an old piece of furniture. She also enjoys taking care of her two cats.

MD

Growing up, Dr. James Sullivan used to watch the TV show MASH and dreamed of becoming a surgeon one day. “Although my mother was a nurse, watching that show definitely got me interested in medicine as well as the military,” he explains. “When I was in the service, I did start medical training as a surgeon, but later decided that working in emergency medicine was more suited to someone with a growing family. However, it was a great experience being a physician in the military and something that I will always be very proud of.”

At ReadyMED PLUS, Dr. Sullivan sees patients for a variety of issues large and small. He likes to work closely with his patients and quickly communicate everything they need to know. “I like to tell patients that this is what you have been diagnosed with, this is how we are going to treat it, and this is what you need to do after you leave. People want you to be attentive to their needs, and I think we do a good job of that at ReadyMED.”

One of the reasons that Dr. Sullivan likes working at ReadyMED PLUS so much is the breadth of care he can provide. “We can perform CT scans as well as ultrasounds and provide patients a very high level of care here,” he explains. “The technology we have gives us the ability to diagnose a lot of different problems and that can really make a difference for the patient.”

When he is not busy at ReadyMED, Dr. Sullivan enjoys listening to music (he is a big Bruce Springsteen fan) as well as reading, hiking, biking and gardening. Once his children are finished with their education, he and his wife look forward to traveling more.

Nurse Practitioner

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Irfana worked as a registered nurse for seven years before becoming a family nurse practitioner. She made the decision to become a nurse practitioner after watching the advanced practitioners she worked with bring a higher level of care to patients and realizing she could do the same.

At ReadyMED, Irfana enjoys working closely with patients and offering the best care that she can provide. When seeing patients, Irfana makes a point to always listen carefully and get all the medical information she needs to make a diagnosis. “I believe the patient knows their body and their symptoms better than anyone and they need to be involved in making decisions about their care,” she explains.

Irfana says that the best part of her job at ReadyMED is knowing that she has helped someone. When she is not busy with patients Irfana enjoys reading and watching movies with her kids.

Physician

Originally from Syria, Dr. Omar Alani began his medical career as an emergency room physician. He first came to America to begin a residency in Pediatrics. At ReadyMED, Dr. Alani concentrates on seeing children and young adults under the age of 26.

“Considering my medical interests, this is really a dream job for me,” he explains. “I have always liked treating children and adolescents. They usually recover from illness better because they are younger and have fewer health issues. Plus having my own children, I know what they go through when they are sick.”

Dr. Alani is a very “hands-on” physician and enjoys doing different procedures in the office such as suturing, casting, removing skin lesions and warts, and incision and draining. He always makes a point to work closely with the family of a child when making a diagnosis. “When you work in pediatrics, you need to connect with the parents as well as the child. It’s important to explain the problem and make sure that everyone is on track with the treatment plan.”

Dr. Alani says that seeing patients in a walk-in care facility is always more challenging than in a typical office. “In this type of setting, you need to make decisions very quickly. Fortunately, at ReadyMED we have a lot of great technology to help in diagnosis, and this makes it a lot easier for everyone.”

When Dr. Alani isn’t busy treating patients he enjoys being around his family and watching sports, especially soccer. He also loves reading history and literature. He and his wife also enjoy visiting local restaurants and being a part of the Arabic-speaking community in Worcester.

Physician

Originally from New Jersey, Dr. Robert Hansen says that he has been in Massachusetts long enough to become a Red Sox fan but not long enough to have an accent. After studying chemical engineering at WPI, he found that field really wasn’t his cup of tea. “I found I missed the interaction with people,” he explains. “So, I decided to apply to medical school and have been enjoying medicine ever since.”

Dr. Hansen spent most of his career working in emergency medicine before coming to Reliant. One of the reasons he enjoys working at ReadyMED now is that he can have an immediate effect on his patients. “I like the fact that you can fix things like cuts and scrapes, sore throats and minor broken bones here. At ReadyMED Plus we have a lot of great technology including a CT scanner, ultrasound and a lab to help diagnose patients, so we can handle a lot of different problems here. It also helps patients avoid going to the emergency room for care.”

One thing that Dr. Hansen likes to do when he is with a patient is avoid confusing medical jargon. “I have taken my parents to the doctor and after hearing an explanation they have asked me, ‘what did he just say?’ So, I always try to explain things in simple terms that people can understand. That really makes it easier for everyone involved.”

When he is not seeing patients at ReadyMED, Dr. Hansen enjoys being with his wife and family. He has a real passion for physical fitness and has turned his garage at home into a dedicated gym. He enjoys participating in a sport called the Tactical Games, which combines athletic contests and target shooting.

Physician

Although he was born in India, Dr. Darshak Patel grew up in Massachusetts not far from Worcester. After graduating from medical school, he became a Family Practice physician but also spent some time working for walk-in care providers. “I found I really enjoyed providing walk-in care. As a primary care doctor, you usually don’t do a lot of procedures and I found I really enjoyed that aspect as well as the faster pace,” he explains. “I liked the balance of different types of care.”

One of the reasons Dr. Patel enjoys working at ReadyMED PLUS is that it provides many extra services for patients including ultrasound imaging, CT scans, and IV infusions. “The technology we have here can really make a difference,” he explains. “For instance, with a CT scanner you can diagnose appendicitis on the spot, and get that patient quickly to the operating room for treatment. I think that’s pretty impressive.”

Dr. Patel always makes a point to take as much time as needed when working with patients. “Walk-in care is very fast-paced but that doesn’t mean you can compromise the care that you give. You have to make sure that you know all the different issues your patient is facing. So I always take my time to make my assessment and make sure my patients get the care they need.”

When he is not busy at ReadyMED, Dr. Patel enjoys spending time with his wife and children. He also loves watching movies, going to the gym, listening to music, and sports such as rowing and biking.

Physician Assistant