Amisha Parekh, MD, MPH, FACEP
Dr. Parekh graduated from medical school in 2007 and completed residency training at the New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Parekh is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and has been Board Certified since 2013. She has completed training in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. In addition to her medical training, Dr. Parekh has also completed a Masters of Public Health at the Medical College of Ohio. She is an Assistant Professor at the Weill Cornell Medical Center and is available for consultation at the clinic for both urgent and primary care matters. She is licensed to practice medicine in Oregon, Washington, and New York. Dr. Parekh continues to practice full time in an Emergency Department setting.
Robert Birkhahn, MD, FACEP, AAFP
Dr. Birkhahn is an active member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a Fellow in the American College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Birkhahn graduated from the University of Cincinnati, completed residency training at the New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY and received his Masters from Cornell University in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services Research. He is Board Certified by ABEM and has been trained in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. Dr. Birkhahn is a Professor at the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York and has produced more than 70 peer-reviewed publications, conducted more than 50 clinical research trials, and still actively teaches medical students, paramedics, residency candidates and clinical fellows. In his spare time Dr. Birkhahn volunteers as a Primary Care Physician providing free medical care at the Southwest Community Health Center in Hillsboro.
Elliot Taxman ND, MS, Assistant Medical Director
Dr. Elliot Taxman is a licensed naturopathic physician. He completed a three-year CNME accredited residency in primary care. He graduated with honors from NUNM in 2017 with a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Masters of Science in Integrative Medicine Research. His masters’ thesis, Conceptualizing Integrative Medicine: A Qualitative Study Using Focus Groups, provided further insight into healthcare and clinical practice. As a student, he was the president of the Student Alliance for Integrative Medicine, where he worked to foster an integrative medical community in Portland. He has a passion for clinical integrative primary care and family practice.
Dr. Taxman has completed several integrative rotations, globally and locally, in multiple hospitals and private clinical settings. He draws on this experience to develop individualized and evidence-informed treatment plans for every patient. Dr. Taxman is excited to continue to help make modern naturopathic primary care more available to the community.
Outside of the clinic, Dr. Taxman is an avid sports fan and enjoys being active outdoors, at the gym, or playing ice hocky, tennis, paddle boarding, traveling, exploring the arts, cooking, and spending time with his lovely wife and friends.
Summer Massina, FNP-C
Summer Massina is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. Summer recently moved to Portland from Iowa with her husband. She has worked in the health field for the past 13 years. She received her BSN and worked as a RN on a surgical unit until 2018 while going to school for her nurse practitioner. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2017 with a Master’s Degree in Nursing Science for Family Practice. From 2018-2022, she worked in an Orthopedic Clinic before moving to Portland. She is excited to have joined the Pearl Health Center team and to follow her true passion of being in Family Practice. She is looking forward to building long-lasting and trusting relationships with patients to assist them in their journey of healthy living though compassionate and evidence-based care. Summer and her husband are also excited to set down their roots in Portland with their black lab and two cats and to explore what the state of Oregon has to offer including the food scene, entertainment and outdoor activities including hiking and camping.
Cait Byrne, LMFT
Cait Byrne, LMFT with Expressive Arts
Mental Health Therapist (Individuals, Couples, Adolescents, Young Adults, Seniors and Families)
Cait Byrne is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in Expressive Arts Therapy, currently based in Portland, Oregon. With a
robust background in mental health counseling, Cait has dedicated her career to supporting disenfranchised populations, including individuals with
intellectual and developmental disabilities, formerly incarcerated women, and the homeless.
Her extensive experience includes serving as the Executive Director at Opportunity for Independence in San Rafael, California, where she oversaw daily operations, managed staff, and implemented program development to promote the wellbeing of those she served. Cait has also held positions as a Residential Therapist and Case Manager, providing trauma-informed therapy and case management services in various settings, such as transitional housing and emergency shelters. Cait holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the California
Institute of Integral Studies and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Gonzaga University. Her clinical skills encompass individual and group therapy, crisis
intervention, program development, and motivational interviewing. In addition to her professional work, Cait has demonstrated her commitment to humanitarian efforts through volunteer experiences,
including facilitating expressive arts therapy workshops for sex-trafficked women in Nepal and participating in community service initiatives in the
San Francisco Bay Area. Passionate about integrating creativity and therapy, Cait seeks to create a
safe and enriching environment for her clients, enabling them to express themselves fully and embark on their healing journeys. She is dedicated to
finding opportunities that align with her expertise and values in Portland. When she is not working, she enjoys swimming, making art, eating good
food, cooking, gardening, traveling, hanging out with her husband and two cats, and anything Japanese.
Jillian McMahon, LCSW
Jillian (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Oregon who enjoys working with people from all backgrounds and collaborating with patients on their goals towards growth and change. Jillian obtained her MSW from Portland State University in 2022 and has been working the last several years as a medical social worker in acute care settings with experience in crisis intervention, grief/trauma support, suicide risk assessment, and navigating end-of-life care. Prior to obtaining her MSW, Jillian worked with several non-profits centered on affordable housing and worked with individuals experiencing housing insecurity/homelessness. She also worked in several positions at PSU both during her master’s degree and prior to starting her program.
As a clinician, Jillian believes strongly in fostering a therapeutic alliance that is built on empathy and rapport building, as well as providing choice and collaboration with patients wherever possible. As a social worker, Jillian also brings in an understanding of systemic challenges and limitations that influence an individuals’ experience and well-being.
When not working, Jillian enjoys spending time with her spouse and Beagle, being outdoors, and connecting with her community in Portland.
Dr. David Rief
My name is Dayxe (Daisy) however professionally I am David Rief and my pronouns are They/She/Xe. My specialty of care has foundations in weightlifting and physical medicine through my education as a chiropractor at University of Western States following graduation from University of Washington. I have been practicing in the greater Portland metropolitan area for over 9 years with physical medicine and chiropractic as my specialty. I have been competitive in olympic style weightlifting since ‘02 with a singular international showing at the Jr. world championships in 2009.
The preferred practice of care is to explain and educate around the concerns you come with to an appointment. By being a supplement to your lifestyle with directions on self care throughout your life. This is to give you the autonomy to care for your lifestyle when schedule does not allow you to seek counsel from a physical medicine practitioner. When managing injuries this care is much more frequent and in depth due to recovery being a trek from injury to recovery.
I enjoy Sci-Fi. So if you travel by Warp, TARDIS, Lightspeed, Phonebooth, Bi-Frost or Cryosleep we can nerd out on several threads of our celestial adventures.
Darren Brooks, L.Ac
Darren is a licensed and national board certified acupuncturist with many years experience helping patients of all ages with their healing process. His training encompasses a number of classical healing practices, including teaching classical meditation and therapeutic exercises.
Darren encourages an integrative medicine approach, where a patient has support from all their practitioners to achieve optimal health and wellness in body and mind. Acupuncture treatments are a wonderful way to assist in the care of a wide variety of conditions and to help healing of the whole person.
Jeremy Adversalo, LPC
Jeremy is a licensed professional counseling (LPC), and received his Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Pacific University. Jeremy has provided mental health services for a wide range of individuals, including those impacted by depression, anxiety, trauma, loss, substance use, and challenging life transitions. Jeremy believes it is important for mental health treatment to be tailored to our clients’ wants and needs. Through this collaborative process, clients are able to identify their own personal goals, and begin to develop a meaningful and fulfilling life. When Jeremy is not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife, playing fetch with his dog, riding his bike, and going to music concerts.
Megan Couture, Professional Counselor Associate
Megan (she/her) is a National Board-Certified Counselor with an interest in working collaboratively with patients to meet their health and wellness goals in a way that is supportive, kind, and compassionate.
A native of Georgia, Megan spent her formative years in the southeastern U.S. and graduated from North Carolina Central University with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. She completed a year-long internship in integrated behavioral health counseling at Outside In and gained broad experience working with adults of all ages. Prior to becoming a counselor, Megan worked as a research assistant on health behavior studies which focused on expanding care to vulnerable populations. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her pets and connecting with the local community.
Megan is a Registered Professional Counseling Associate (R8105) under the supervision of Joseph Bonnell LPC, CRC, CADC III.
