Deborah Cross completed her undergraduate degree with a psychology major from Rutgers University. She went on to get an associates degree in nursing from LSU Medical Center in New Orleans. For the next eleven years she worked in a wide variety of hospital settings as a registered nurse including telemetry, ICU, pediatrics, and ER. She decided to switch her focus to primary care after volunteering in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. She had always had a passion for helping the underserved access healthcare. In 2009, she graduated from the UCSF family nurse practitioner program. She began working at White Mountain Community Health Center later that year.  She received her certification as a psychiatric nurse practitioner with a post-masters degree from the University of New Hampshire in 2023.

Deborah has started a Medication Assisted Therapy program at the health center to respond to the opioid crisis in our area. She has also received specialized training to treat chronic hepatitis C in primary care. Deborah and her husband are also licensed foster parents. They have adopted three teenage girls, two of whom still live with them. Deborah enjoys getting outside and spending time with her bunnies.

Lisa earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of New Hampshire with a designation of magna cum laude in 2012. She then went on to receive a Master of Science in physician assistant studies from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York in 2017. Her physician assistant program focus was primary care, but she also explored clinical training in pediatrics. She has been happily working at the center and just recently moved to the Valley. Lisa enjoys road trips with her Mini Cooper and photography, especially of the stunning views of the White Mountains. She also loves all things outdoors, including snowboarding, rock climbing, hiking, and stand-up paddle boarding.

Josie Lamb completed her nursing degree at Kentucky State University. She went on to complete a bachelor of science at the University of Kentucky, and a master of science in nursing at Frontier Nursing University with a 4.0 GPA. She has worked as a hospital RN, both as a staff nurse and as a traveler in five different states.

She is passionate about her role as a family nurse practitioner, working to listen to her patients to understand their unique goals, and to empower them with evidence-based knowledge to help achieve optimal health outcomes.  A lifelong learner, Josie is an active member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Nurses Association, and the American Holistic Nurses Association.

Josie is excited to live and work in Mount Washington Valley, and loves hiking, gardening, and writing and illustrating children’s books that teach growth mindset.

Read more about Josie in our interview with her here.

Marcelo Maiorano is a Family Nurse Practitioner who provides primary care services to patients from newborn to older adult, including medication assisted treatment (MAT) services. He graduated from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2023 and has worked as an RN on the Brain Injury Unit at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown, Mass., and as an LNA at the Merriman House here in North Conway.

Prior to his nursing career, Marcelo has had a wide variety of work and volunteer experience including as a mental health support worker for youth and families; farming and putting up hay; a short time in the building trades; a short time as a baker; and as a volunteer public radio host in Alaska. Marcelo has committed a significant part of his life to service and volunteering, including as a Jesuit Volunteer in Juneau, AK, where he met his wife. In Juneau he co-facilitated an domestic violence intervention, re-education, and violence prevention program. Later he served with his family with Maryknoll Lay Missioners in São Paulo, Brazil, for over 3 years, where he hosted a radio series interviewing immigrants and refugees, made weekly visits to the state prison hospital, and provided support in a variety of capacities at an organization supporting men experiencing homelessness and striving to create a more just and connected society.

He's enjoyed opportunities to volunteer here in the Valley as well, as a past volunteer firefighter as well as a coach and assistant for soccer and cross-country skiing programs his daughters have been involved in. He enjoys running, playing soccer, hiking, cross-country skiing, cooking, and playing music.

Read more about Marcelo in our interview with him here.

Margie received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Windsor in Ontario and her Bachelor of Arts in nursing from D'Youville College in Buffalo, N.Y. She attended the State University of New York at Buffalo to become an advanced registered nurse practitioner. After practicing in Buffalo, N.Y. and Baltimore, Md. she moved to Conway and began working at the Family Health Centre. Margie has over thirty years of experience and currently provides adult primary care and family planning services at the health center.

Valerie Lozier has been working in the medical field since 2002 and working in the Mount Washington Valley since 2003. Board certified in family medicine, she provides healthcare to patients from pediatrics to geriatrics, working with patients and families in order to develop a collaborative healthcare plan. Along with family medicine she is certified to treat patients with substance use disorders, primarily opioid use disorders. Experienced in the medication assistance treatment (MAT) format for outpatient treatment. This type of program is primarily used for the treatment of addiction to opioids such as heroin and prescription pain relievers that contain opiates, using prescribed medication in conjunction with behavioral therapy through counseling.

Inspired by her patients and their recovery, she returned to college recently to earn a doctorate in psychological counseling to better incorporate care. While she does not do counseling, the additional education has given her more tools to better work with patients to coordinate care and treatment options. She is very excited to continue to provide care to the wonderful residents of Mount Washington Valley and surrounding communities.

Jim earned his bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of Southern Maine with a designation of suma cum laude in 2010. In 2013 he went on to complete a master of science in counseling. Jim is a board-certified counselor through the National Board of Certified Counselors and is a member of the American Counseling Association. He holds dual licenses for both clinical mental health counseling and drug and alcohol counseling.

Jim began his counseling career providing outpatient mental health and substance misuse counseling in community mental health. He then spent several years providing mental health and substance misuse counseling services in the criminal justice system. Additionally, Jim served as the team leader and group counselor for an outpatient medication-assisted treatment program. After being part of the larger White Mountain Community Health Center family for years through his wife, dental hygienist Amy Stoddard, he joined the staff in June 2022 and is excited to provide mental health services in Mount Washington Valley.

Dr. Hirschfeld received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from New York University, graduating in the first quartile, and completed residencies at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, and at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He opened Conway Oral Healthcare in 1990 and this continues to be his primary practice.

Amy is a lifelong resident of the Mount Washington Valley area. From an early age Amy wanted to serve the oral health care needs of her community, a dream she realized in 1993. Initially, Amy worked with area dental offices as a certified dental assistant. She further developed her skills through the dental hygiene program at the University of New England, and she is now a licensed dental hygienist in both New Hampshire and Maine.

Alicia earned her bachelor of science degree with a double major in food science and human nutrition from the University of Vermont in 2003. She went on to receive her masters of science degree from the University of Maine in 2007. Alicia knew she wanted to work in the field of nutrition at a young age. She loves all aspects of nutrition and can't quite seem to find a favorite. In fact, for the past 15 years she has worked in many different healthcare settings, including hospitals, outpatient, dialysis, and long-term care. In her free time, she enjoys being outside, gardening, hiking, skiing, and swimming.