PROVIDERS

Dr. Lopez earned her Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree from Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Harrogate, Tennessee, in 2015.  Dr. Lopez completed her medical residency in family practice at Glendale Adventist Medical Center in 2018. She worked as a Medical Director at Mountain View Community Center, an FQHC in Kern County, from 2018 to January 2022.  Dr. Lopez made CLCHC her home as of February 2022, and speaks Korean and English.

Dr. Lopez has gained years of experience in outpatient care and family health, and focuses her efforts on providing care to the underserved. Dr. Lopez is also experienced in inpatient hospital acute care settings, including pediatric and adult medicine.

Dr. Samir Ahmad, MD joined the CLCHC in 2023.  Dr. Ahmad speaks English, Arabic, Bulgarian, and medical Spanish.

Dr. Sabrina Cooley, MD, first attended Cornell University for her Bachelor’s degree before continuing on to Ohio State University for medical school. Dr. Cooley completed her Residency at Kaiser Permanente Family Medicine, and has also received a certificate degree in Academic Medicine Leadership and Education. Dr. Cooley served for four years in the United States Navy as a Medical Officer, for one year at the County of San Diego Psychiatric Hospital, and for four years at the Urgent Care with MemorialCare Medical Group before advancing to become the Site Medical Director at ShareOurselves Community Health Center.

In 2021 Dr. Cooley brought her wealth of knowledge and experience to Celebrating Life Community Health Center, where she pursues her passion of providing whole-person care (physical, emotional, spiritual) to underserved communities. Dr. Cooley is a member of the American Academy of Family Medicine Physicians (AAFP) and is Board Certified in Family Medicine. She enjoys the arts, Zumba, paddleboarding, and spending her free time with her loved ones and her pets.

Dr. Siamak Nabili comes to us as a dual board certified physician in Internal Medicine as well as Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine. He earned his medical degree from St. George’s University and completed his residency training at Alameda Medical Center in Oakland in 2004. In pursuit of a broader understanding of healthcare, he had already obtained a Master of Public Health from UCLA in 1996. With nearly two decades as a hospitalist, Dr. Nabili has vast experience taking care of acutely ill hospitalized patients.  Since 2010, he has served as a hospice and palliative care medical director providing compassionate care for patients with terminal diseases.  Dr. Nabili speaks fluently in English and Farsi, and comfortably in medical Spanish.  Throughout his career, he has prioritized patient advocacy, consistently demonstrating a genuine dedication to improving the lives of those he serves, making him a respected and valued member of the medical community. Dr. Nabili has joined CLCHC in 2023.

Dr. Shahla Heshmati, MD is a Board Certified pediatrician with over 25 years of extensive experience in pediatric and adolescent care. Dr. Heshmati received her Medical Doctor degree from Shahid Chamran University, Iran. She is also a graduate of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, in Chicago, where she conducted her training in pediatrics. She is both a mother and a passionate pediatrician.

Dr. Heshmati believes very strongly in the quality of care that every child should receive. She believes that her patients, as well as their parents, should always feel that they have been listened to and that their problems have been addressed with both skill and compassion. She wants to be sure that her patients will have easy access to the pediatrician when they have questions or need to be seen.

Dr. Heshmati joined Celebrating Life Community Health Center in 2023, and she is fluent in English and Farsi.

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Dr. Sidhom graduated from The University of Alexandria in 1977 and moved to Long Beach California in 1984. After completing his Pediatric Residency, Dr. Sidhom shifted toward Private Practice in Visalia, CA. Today, Dr. Sidhom is a Board Certified General Pediatrician with special expertise in Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis. Dr. Sidhom is a proud husband and father of two, and in his spare time enjoys spending time playing bridge, traveling, or lounging at the beach with his family. He speaks English, French, Italian, and Arabic.

Dr. Hanna Zameni graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Family Nurse Practitioner’s Master’s degree, and is a current doctorate candidate for nursing practice. She is certified with ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center) for Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) and Nurse Executive (NE-BC). Dr. Zameni has a background in community medicine, nursing management, rheumatology, and post-surgical care. She is currently a contributing member of the Quality Improvement Team, and has over ten years of experience working in healthcare. She joined CLCHC in 2020, and speaks Korean and English.

Ms. Aida Medawar joined Celebrating Life Community Health Center in 2023.

Ms. Donna Ball, NP, began her career as Family Nurse Practitioner in December o 1978, and has been practicing ever since. Ms. Ball’s first job as a Nurse Practitioner was at Kaiser Permanente Internal Medicine Clinic in Norwalk, where she stayed for six years. She then spent 19 years working at Recovery Solutions of Santa Ana under Dr. Michael Mumford, specializing in addiction medicine, before going on to work at Sano Medical (now CLCHC-Sano). Ms. Ball is proud to have worked at Sano for 18 years under the guidance of Dr. James Stirbl serving the communities of Costa Mesa and Santa Ana, California. Ms. Ball joined Celebrating Life Community Health Center in 2023 and looks forward to working with us for many years to come.

Ms. Monica White Garcia is an experienced Family Nurse Practitioner who joined our team in 2023.

Ms. Rosemay Ricaforte is an experienced Family Nurse Practitioner. She joined the CLCHC team in 2023.

Meinrado Cedeno, CPNP-PC, immigrated from the Philippines at just sixteen years old. From a young age, he found a passion for assuring the health and well-being of others. Dedicated to his passion, Mr. Cedeno graduated with his Masters of Science in Nursing from California State University, Long Beach. After gaining ten years of experience in pediatric nursing, Meinrado further advanced his career and became a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. CLCHC welcomed him to the team in 2020, and speaks English and Tagalog.

Mr. Cedeno values respectful partnership and collaboration with families and is committed to honoring the diversities of families from all racial, ethnic, religious, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In his time away from work, Mr. Cedeno loves to explore new restaurants, follow NBA games, go for long walks, and spend time with his family.

After receiving her Bachelors in Nursing at California State University, Long Beach, Ms. Claudine Yamaoka, NP, worked as a Registered Nurse at Children’s Hospital Orange County as well as at Children’s of Los Angeles. She then returned to academia by attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and received her Masters in Nursing as well as her PNP. She also served as a school PNP for the Irvine Unified School District.

Most of her career, however, has been in private practice pediatrics seeing infants to adolescents. NP Yamaoka also served as a clinical instructor for UCI graduate students for four years teaching pediatrics, and has preceptored students from Cal. State Long Beach and UCLA for many years. She has been a part of the team here at CLCHC since 2021, and enjoys caring for patients of all ages from infants to adolescents in well and sick care.

Ms. Shawnna Morrison, NP-C, is an experienced Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. Ms. Morrison completed her education first at Vassar College and then at Cal. State University, Long Beach. She speaks English and Spanish fluently, and brings many years of practical experience to our team at CLCHC where she joined in 2023.

Joined CLCHC in 2023.

Susan Elftman is an experienced Family Physician Assistant. She joined the CLCHC team in 2023.

Dr. Tristen Nguyen completed her Bachelor of Sciences degree from UCLA, double-majoring in Neuroscience and Psychobiology. She obtained her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at USC Dental School.

Through her prior practice in Santa Monica; externships in New Orleans, Portland and San Francisco; and at community clinics in inner-city Los Angeles and in Vietnam, Dr. Tristen Nguyen has treated and cared for thousands of patients. She and her staff believe that communication and compassion are crucial to their relationship with you and your family. Her greatest rewards are your satisfied smiles and a healthy mouth, which leads to a healthy life. Dr. Nguyen speaks Vietnamese and English, and has been at CLCHC since 2022.

Dr. Vinh Ngo joined CLCHC in 2023.

Joined CLCHC in 2023.

Ms. Thach is a Masters of Social Work graduate (2008) at the University of Southern California (USC) – “GO TROJANS”! Ms. Thach emphasizes a dynamic approach to patient care where results and measurable outcomes are key to success in mental health services treatment. Ms. Thach’s attention to detail through comprehensive assessments cultivates a higher standard of care at CLCHC. She has been a member of the CLCHC team since 2022, and speaks English and Khmer.

Ms. Thach specializes in faith-based therapy, trauma-informed care, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Strength-Based Therapy, Asian-Americans, geriatrics, and the veteran population. With over 20 years of experience working in 17 programs, Ms. Thach will take your care to the next level.

Melisa Nicholson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services and a Master’s in Social Work from California State University, Fullerton. Melisa has experience working as a medical social worker for the County of Orange’s Child Protective Services, as a mental health clinician in community wraparound teams, and in residential care for unaccompanied refugee minors. Melisa joined CLCHC in 2022.

She is Spanish- and English-speaking, EMDR trauma therapy-trained, and very passionate about providing a safe space for teens and adults to tell their stories and begin their healing journey.

Joined CLCHC in 2023.

Joined CLCHC in 2023.

Rowena Fernandez received her Masters in Social Work from UCLA and has over 25 years of experience working within various levels of behavioral health care. Most recently, she worked as a Psychiatric Emergency Triage clinician at Mission Hospital for 16 years evaluating high risk adults and older adults.

Throughout her career, she incorporated a private practice specializing in mood and anxiety disorders, supervised MSW graduate students and enjoyed educating families and the community about mental illness as a N.A.M.I. (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) volunteer facilitator.

Ms. Fernandez is client centered and utilizes a psychodynamic and solution-focused approach. She values collaborative treatment planning with an emphasis on overall wellness of mind, body, and spirit.

She joined CLCHC in 2023 and speaks Tagalog and English.

Joined the CLCHC team in 2023.