MILWAUKIE CLINIC FACULTY
Faculty at our Milwaukie Clinic
Brenda Brischetto, MD
Washington University Medical School
Residency: Greater Lawrence Family Medicine Residency
I was drawn to Family Medicine because it allows me to care for the whole person and the whole family, over the continuum of a lifespan. It is so lovely to follow along in a woman's journey through pregnancy, participate in her childbirth, and then to watch that child grow and develop into adulthood. I also love working with the entire family, and helping them through all stages of life (and through end of life). One of the things I find most valuable is establishing that longer term relationship built on trust and mutual respect. I find getting to know my patients and their stories is not only a privilege, but it also allows me to feel more connected to them and to serve them better.
I love our residency program because I am working with other physicians who are not only intelligent but thoughtful and collaborative and attentive to caring holistically for our patients. Every one of them is committed to learning and teaching, and improving themselves and those around them by finding the best evidence behind current practices. They are colleagues whom I would feel very comfortable trusting to care for my patients, and whom I would recommend to family and friends.
What I really enjoy about the Pacific Northwest is the ease with which I can access such beauty in nature - on hikes, long bike rides, camping trips with family, white water rafting, or even just a lovely scenic drive (be it exploring mountains or waterfalls, old growth forest, the coast, alpine lakes, historical sites, you name it!). In addition, Portland offers such a rich diversity of opportunities. I have been able to connect with communities of people with which I share common interests (choral groups, dance groups, religious communities, political activism groups). After living in various regions of the US (East coast, Midwest, South, Southwest), I feel that I have finally found what feels like home.
Jessica Burness, MD
Pronouns: she/her
Brown University School of Medicine
Residency: OHSU Family Medicine Residency
I stayed on at OHSU as chief resident in family medicine from 2004-2005. I spent several years working in Kotzebue, Alaska, and at the Native American Rehabilitation Association, NARA, before joining the faculty of Providence Oregon Family Medicine in 2007. I took on the role of Associate Program Director in 2014 and oversee the curriculum for the residency. My clinical passions include geriatrics, women’s health, including colposcopy, and health education. I visit patients in a local nursing home weekly. I live with my husband and two daughters and am an avid reader, hiker and wannabe cyclist.
Jill Christensen, MD
Pronouns: she/her
Oregon Health Sciences University
Residency: Providence Oregon Family Medicine
After college, I joined the Peace Corps in Kenya as a public health volunteer, working on water and sanitation and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. After returning to the US, I worked in public health research in Oregon looking into adolescent tobacco use and neighborhood influences on physical activity and obesity. These experiences showed me the importance of social determinants of health and led me to a career in family medicine. I chose family medicine because of it’s focus on the community as well as the whole person. I love the long term relationships that I am able to build with patients across the lifespan, that I can walk with them through the most challenging moments as well as times of joy and wellness.
After attending OHSU for medical school, I chose Providence Milwaukie for residency because of the wonderful people here- the residents, the faculty and the community which has all the resources of a big hospital system but the small feel of a community hospital serving diverse patients from a variety of backgrounds. I was a new mom when I finished medical school and I was attracted to a program full of role model faculty who have balanced family and medicine. I was chief resident then stayed on after graduation as a clinical mentor and now faculty. Today, I supervise the new-parent elective as this program continues to support our residents as whole people with families. I also serve as medical director of our Mother Baby lactation clinic as well as our Community Teaching Kitchen. I love that our hospital supports innovative programs to serve the community and that our program has a strong sense of social justice to serve the underserved.
I love living in the PNW- my husband and 2 daughters and I enjoy camping, paddleboarding, and hiking. This is a beautiful place to call home.
Jennifer Hill, PhD, MAC, ABPP
Pronouns: she/her
Augustana College
University of Iowa
I provide behavioral health treatment for our family medicine patients in the Milwaukie clinic, teach psychology trainees & medical residents, and help run our residency's in-house substance use programs. In addition to being a licensed psychologist, I specialize in chemical dependency issues, personality disorders, and anxiety. I adore my job with the residency because it involves all the best things: working with interdisciplinary teams, being inspired daily by a community of lifelong learners, and helping treat people at various places in the lifespan. After growing up in Colorado and Wyoming, I still feels most at home under a clear blue sky with a mountain on the horizon and I’ve made Portland my home since 2008. I found my way to psychology through a desire to help people focus on health, wellness, prevention and treatment. I trained at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD and at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Hobbies and wellness favorites include: Cooking, reading, yoga, travel, walking on my lunch break, and camping. I’m a cat person.
Holly Hofkamp, MD
Pronouns: she/her
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Residency: University of California, Los Angeles
I grew up on the East Coast in a loving family that valued hard work and education. I had access to good schools and teachers, study abroad programs that broadened my perspectives, and great family medicine mentors in medical school and residency that helped to shape me as a clinician. After residency, I met my husband in Oregon and have 3 beautiful children and now feel at home in the lush greenery of the Pacific Northwest. In short, I consider myself super lucky and try to remember that privilege every day when caring for patients.
While I originally planned on a career in pediatrics, I fell in love with caring for patients of all ages and for the wide variety of clinical medicine that family medicine allows. I have particular interests in residency education and curriculum design, inpatient medicine, supporting children and parents to create healthy families, health equity, community engagement, and transgender medicine.
My main goal as a doctor is to do right for my patients. To me, this means putting in the work to be clinically excellent, listening deeply to make people feel safe and heard, and having an eye towards social justice and advocacy. I try hard to think about each patient as an individual, and consider their family context, their communities, and their lived experience when partnering with people to improve their health. As an educator, I hope to contribute to a residency culture that values these things as well – clinical excellence, relational leadership and communication, and community engagement to promote equity.
Outside of work, I can be found outside with my husband and 3 young children biking, skiing, camping, and generally making messes. I’ve also been known to dabble in musical theater.
Tanya Page, MD
Pronouns: she/her
Mount Sinai School of Medicine in NYC
Residency: OHSU Family Medicine Residency
I’ve always enjoyed the simple, inclusive approach of family medicine – we see everybody, and we don’t have to give them-up when they grow up, get pregnant, or run out of treatment options. As a family doctor, I can see any patient of any age who walks through my door with any complaint. I may not be an expert in their issue, but I can at least partner with them and get the ball rolling. I love finding out what motivates people and working with them on empowerment to improve their own health. The breadth of experiences one can have in family medicine is also rewarding – my current practice encompasses addiction medicine, outpatient family medicine and inpatient medicine.
My mother’s family is from the PNW, so we ventured West regularly on vacations as a child, and I always loved the mountains! I was happy to match in the PNW for residency, but didn’t actually intend to stay. However, it’s too easy to get used to the mountains, the ocean, the amazing food, and the endless things to do outside. One husband and two small native-Oregonians later, I think I’m probably going to be here awhile.
Cynthia Talbot, MD
Pronouns: she/her
UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Joint Medical Program
Residency: Group Health Cooperative Family Medicine Residency (now Kaiser)
I chose Family Medicine because I like to think holistically — to look at the big picture and think about the whole person in the context of their family and community. Working with people and families through 30+ years of practice has deepened my knowledge and understanding. I care deeply about the relationships I have built with patients, families and the community over time.
The wonderful thing about Family Medicine is it is a very diverse and adaptable specialty. Your day has so much diversity that it is hard to be bored! Also, your focus can shift as you develop new interests or as you go through different stages of your own life. Where once I focused on maternity and young family care, now I enjoy working with elder patients and palliative care. I also have developed a strong interest in the treatment of chronic pain and substance use disorders. And I’ve really enjoyed traveling with residents to West Africa (Ghana and Nigeria) for global health rotations.
I love living in Portland Oregon. There is so much natural beauty around us as well as the best bookstore in the US (Powell’s). Its a great place to raise kids - my husband and I raised three here. One of my passions has been riding and working with horses - it’s amazing that you can have horses 20 minutes from downtown Portland! I also come from a theatrical family and love movies, music and theater and there is plenty of all here to experience and enjoy.
Josh Reagan, MD
Pronouns: he/him
UCSF Medical School
Residency: OHSU Family Medicine Residency
I grew up in Portland Oregon but whenever my family could we left Portland for the wilds of eastern Oregon, or Washington or California. Our family dinners involved my sister and I listening to my parents (both family physicians) talking about their day and the amazing things they were able to see and do (as well as use a whole lot of terminology we could not understand). I eventually decided to follow their footsteps in some ways, and attended UCSF medical school and then OHSU family medicine residency, along the way starting my own family.
I chose family medicine because of my love of the whole picture, the person as well as their medical problems. It is incredible to get to play a role in the way family’s grow, in the way people deal with adversity, and in the transformations that people experience. I probably have special interest in obstetrics, pediatrics, diabetes, addiction, contraception, but really enjoy most things in medicine. I love this program because of the people that are here. I have never worked with such an amazing set of partners, who all have different ideas about making the world, and residency, a better place.
My hobbies include reading books, trying to keep track of current events (although this is sometimes frustrating too), but mostly hiking, biking, backpacking, kayaking, river rafting, climbing, pretty much anything I can do outdoors without a motor.
W. Daniel Ruegg, MD
Pronouns: he/him
Oregon Health Sciences University
Residency: University of Washington Family Medicine - Harborview
Beth Uno M.D.
Pronouns: she/her