Primary Care
Physicians Profiles
Dr. Edward M. Kowaloff
Dr. Kowaloff is a graduate of the University of Rochester and the Washington University Medical School in St. Louis. He completed his internship and junior residency at Boston City Hospital and his senior residency at Beth Israel Hospital. Dr. Kowaloff is board certified in Internal Medicine. He has been trained in Endocrinology and Diabetes at Massachusetts General Hospital and the National Institute of Health. `Dr. Kowaloff is a primary care physician and practices both Endocrinology and Internal Medicine. He is on staff at Mt. Auburn Hospital. Dr. Kowaloff is no longer accepting new primary care patients and is no longer working on full time basis. He is seeing his patients on only one day a week in suite 5300.
Dr. Trevor H. Kaye
A graduate of the University of Cape Town, South Africa and a member of the Royal College of Physicians (UK), Dr. Kaye completed his postgraduate training at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. He has practiced as a PCP in this area since 1979 and is a Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kaye is board certified in Internal Medicine and is on staff at Mt. Auburn Hospital. He is no longer accepting new patients and is seeing his patients in suite 6100.
Dr. Deneen E. Pelletier
Dr. Pelletier graduated Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College and with Clinical Honors from the University of Connecticut Medical School. She completed her internship and residency at Boston University Medical Center/The University Hospital, with rotations at Boston City Hospital, Brockton Hospital, Boston VA Medical Center and the Jewish Memorial Hospital. She is board certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Pelletier is on staff at Mt. Auburn Hospital. She is not taking on new patients at this time. She is seeing patients in suite 6100.
Dr. Olga V. Minkoff
Dr. Minkoff is a graduate of Bogomolets Kiev Medical University in Ukraine and The University of Wisconsin. She completed a second residency in Family Medicine at the University of Wisconsin and has been practicing primary care medicine since 2006. She is board certified in Family Practice. She is fluent in three languages (English, Russian, and Ukrainian.) Dr. Minkoff is on staff at the Mount Auburn Hospital. She is happy to take on new patients and is seeing her patients in suite 6100.
Dr. Gabriel Szentpaly
Dr. Szentpaly is a graduate of Semmelweis University School of Medicine, Budapest Hungary in 1994, after graduation completed residency at NY Medical College – Sound Shore Program where he stayed on as Chief Resident. He was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in 1999, He moved Florida and spent 8 years building a large internal medicine practice. He moved to this area in 2007 and became affiliated with Mount Auburn Hospital. He is fluent in English, Hungarian and Romanian, also able to speak basic Italian, Spanish and German. He is happy to take on new patients and is seeing patients in suite 6100.
Dr. Nancy H. Tran
Dr. Tran is a graduate of University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She did her internal medicine residency at Mount Auburn Hospital and became chief medical resident. She was most recently at Tufts New England Medical Center. She is board certified in Internal Medicine. She is not taking on new patients at this time. She is seeing patients in suite 6100.
Dr. Hiromichi Miyashita
Dr. Miyashita is a graduate of Shinshu University School of Medicine, Japan and did a Family Practice residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Shadyside, PA. For 5 years practiced Family Medicine/Integrative Medicine at the Marino Center in Cambridge. He is on staff at Mount Auburn Hospital. He is fluent in English, Japanese and Chinese. He is happy to take on new patients and is seeing his patients in suite 5300.
Dr. Dinah Gorelik
Dr. Gorelik is a summa cum laude graduate of University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst. She went to UMass Medical School in Worcester and stayed on to complete her residency in Family Medicine at Hahnemann UMass Family Medicine of Worcester. She enjoys cooking (and trying new restaurants!), spending time outdoors, and travelling. She is on staff at Mount Auburn Hospital. She is happy to take on new patients and sees her patients in suite 6100.
Dr. Naris Ghazarians
Dr. Ghazarians is a graduate of St Georges University of London at the Nicosia Medical School and did her residency at University of Massachusetts in Fitchburg where she was chief medical resident.
She is happy to take on new patients and sees her patients in suite 5300.
Dr. Martha N. Martents
Dr. Martents is a graduate of Yerevan State Medical School and did her residency at both Metrowest Medical Center and the Lahey Cliic. She was in a solo private practice in Watertown for over 20 years and is now seeing her patients here at BMA on one day a week. Her practice is closed to new patients.
Dr. Samuel Maghuyop
Dr. Maghuyop is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. He did his residency at the University of Connecticut in Farmington. He subsequently did a geriatric fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven. He is board certified and is on the staff at Mt. Auburn Hospital. His practice is closed to new patients, as he will be leaving BMA soon. He currently sees his patients in suite 6100.
Primary Care
Nurse Practitioners [NP]
and
Physician Assistant [PA]
Profiles
Anna Ost, NP
A cum laude graduate of University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Regis College, Anna Ost is a board certified Nurse Practitioner in adult and gerontology primary care. She joined the practice in 2013. Prior nursing experience since 2006 in Intensive Care, Telemetry, and most recently Interventional Radiology at Mount Auburn Hospital. She also holds a Master’s degree in English and speaks fluent Russian. She is now seeing patients on the 6th floor for urgent visits and preventative medical care.
Carrie MacLeod, NP
A graduate of Rivier University as a Family Nurse Practitioner and a graduate of Fitchburg University with a Master of Science in Forensic Nursing. Carrie MacLeod is board certified with the ANCC. She joined the practice in March of 2023. Her previous nursing experience is richly varied in medical-surgical nursing, geriatric care, orthopedics, emergency and community medicine. She is now seeing patients on the 6th floor for urgent same day appointments as well as preventative and follow-up care.
Kelsey Moulton, PA
Kelsey Moulton is a Physician Assistant board certified by the NCCPA. A graduate of the University of New England in Portland, Maine. She joined the practice at the beginning of September 2023 and will be working with Dr. Trevor Kaye on the 6th floor. She will be seeing patients for urgent same day appointments as well as preventative and follow-up care.
Kelsey Moulton, PA
What is an internist?
Doctors of internal medicine focus on adult medicine and have had special study and training focusing on the prevention and treatment of adult diseases. At least three of their seven or more years of medical school and postgraduate training are dedicated to learning how to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases that affect adults. Internists are sometimes referred to as the "doctor's doctor," because they are often called upon to act as consultants to other physicians to help solve puzzling diagnostic problems.
Simply put, internists are Doctors of Internal Medicine. You may see them referred to by several terms, including "internists," "general internists" and "doctors of internal medicine." But don't mistake them with "interns," who are doctors in their first year of residency training.
Although internists may act as primary care physicians, they are not "family physicians," "family practitioners," or "general practitioners," whose training is not solely concentrated on adults and may include surgery, obstetrics and pediatrics.
Internists are equipped to deal with whatever problem a patient brings -- no matter how common or rare, or how simple or complex. They are specially trained to solve puzzling diagnostic problems and can handle severe chronic illnesses and situations where several different illnesses may strike at the same time. They also bring to patients an understanding of wellness (disease prevention and the promotion of health), women's health, substance abuse, mental health, as well as effective treatment of common problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system and reproductive organs.
In today's complex medical environment, internists take pride in caring for their patients for life -- in the office or clinic, during hospitalization and intensive care, and in nursing homes. When other medical specialists, such as surgeons or obstetricians, are involved, they coordinate their patient's care and manage difficult medical problems associated with that care.
Consumer Reports surveyed 660 primary care physicians about what they wish their patients knew and what they faced as professional challenges. Some of the highlights are:
- Doctors believed forming a long term relationship with the primary care physician is the most important thing a patient can do to obtain better medical care. They believe continuity is really undervalued and patients who frequently switch doctors have more health problems and spend more on care than patients who have a relationship with one physician.
- Doctors want respect and 70% said that respect and appreciation from patients had gotten worse since they started practicing medicine.
- Doctors want patients to be compliant with advice or treatment and 37% said non-compliance affected optimal care "a lot".
- Doctors don't think they are very effective at minimizing pain, discomfort or disability caused by a chronic condition. Only 37% thought they were very effective, yet 79% of patients said their doctor helped to minimize their pain or discomfort.
- Doctors want patients to know that each patient should keep track of their own medical history. Eighty nine percent said that keeping an informal log of treatments, drugs, changes in condition and tests and procedures would be helpful. Eighty percent also thought taking a friend or relative to the office visit could be helpful.
- Doctors are not convinced that online research is very helpful. Only 8% thought it was helpful.
- Doctors said the sheer volume of insurance paperwork was the #1 thing that interfered with their ability to provide care Financial pressures that forced them to see more and more patients and work more than 50 hour weeks to break even came in at number 2.
- Doctors talk to drug salespeople more than patients realize. The majority of physicians surveyed said they were contacted by pharmaceutical sales reps more than 10 times a month.
- Doctors don't think patients knowing about malpractice claims or professional disciplinary action was of value. Only 17% of physicians surveyed said that information about disciplinary actions by medical licensing boards was "very valuable".
NEVER LOSE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR!
How to Pick a Primary-Care Doctor
The best physicians are caring, competent and connected. Often patients choose and remain with a doctor because he or she is warm and engaging, an excellent diagnostician or highly accessible. The best PCPs are excellent in all three dimensions.
Choose a physician who is caring.
A caring physician:
Choose a physician who is competent.
A few ways for patients to evaluate a physician’s competency include:
Choose a physician who is connected.
With the significant changes in health-care markets, it’s important for patients to:
The best physicians are caring, competent and connected. Often patients choose and remain with a doctor because he or she is warm and engaging, an excellent diagnostician or highly accessible. The best PCPs are excellent in all three dimensions.
Choose a physician who is caring.
A caring physician:
- Listens to patients’ concerns, makes eye contact, and asks and cares about patients’ personal stories.
- Discusses the plan for the visit and the future, offers a warm smile and empathizes.
- Avoids or explains unfamiliar medical terms.
Choose a physician who is competent.
A few ways for patients to evaluate a physician’s competency include:
- Look for information about the physician’s background and training online. For example, is he or she board-certified? You may also find patient reviews, which generally evaluate caring more than competency. It’s important to note that health care lacks standards for reporting physician or hospital performance, so the type and accuracy of information varies widely among sites.
- Ask the PCP what quality data they collect and how the data collection is performed. For example, how many of their patients with high blood pressure or diabetes has their disease controlled?
- Find out whether the physician—or more likely the practice—is part of a primary-care medical home, which provides coordinated care and monitors several measures of quality.
Choose a physician who is connected.
With the significant changes in health-care markets, it’s important for patients to:
- Ask and understand how the physician schedules urgent appointments, who covers when they are away, and whom to call and what to do if help is needed in the middle of the night.
- Find out whether the physician uses email or provides online access to your medical record, and how available they are by phone.
- Ask what network of specialists the primary-care physician works with and how they choose those networks. What is known about their quality? What hospitals are they associated with, and do they have access to an academic medical center? Do any financial conflicts of interest exist with any of the networks? The same questions apply for lab testing sites, imaging centers and hospitals.
Picking a doctor is a very personal decision. Just because a doctor is recommended by someone or has an excellent rating on a website doesn’t mean he or she is right for you.
When picking a primary-care provider, in general, it’s important to have someone who you trust and who you feel listens to you, has up-to-date knowledge and expertise, and is accessible, whether by email or phone. Making sense of health-care information is an enormous challenge. Unfortunately, there’s not an owner’s manual that tells you when to get a tune up. While the Internet is a terrific resource, the information you find about health care, treatments and general wellness can be confusing and, at times, misleading. Having the right doctor to help you is key. But even choosing a doctor is tough. Patients say that they want a doctor with good bedside manner but they also want someone with up-to-date knowledge and expertise.
Many people ask for recommendations from friends or family when they are looking for a new doctor. Interpreting ratings you find online for doctors may be hard. For example, doctors with great ratings might get them more for being warm and friendly than for their expertise. In some cities, you can obtain information about which doctors are recommended most by other physicians, which may help you make a decision. Each state also has a medical board that lists physicians’ education and training, whether they are certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties, and any adverse actions that may have been taken against them.
It’s most important to know that as a patient, you have options and you should trust your gut. If you feel you have a physician who listens to you, explains your options and the rationale behind care, and makes sure you can get answers day or night when necessary, you’re probably on the right path.
When picking a primary-care provider, in general, it’s important to have someone who you trust and who you feel listens to you, has up-to-date knowledge and expertise, and is accessible, whether by email or phone. Making sense of health-care information is an enormous challenge. Unfortunately, there’s not an owner’s manual that tells you when to get a tune up. While the Internet is a terrific resource, the information you find about health care, treatments and general wellness can be confusing and, at times, misleading. Having the right doctor to help you is key. But even choosing a doctor is tough. Patients say that they want a doctor with good bedside manner but they also want someone with up-to-date knowledge and expertise.
Many people ask for recommendations from friends or family when they are looking for a new doctor. Interpreting ratings you find online for doctors may be hard. For example, doctors with great ratings might get them more for being warm and friendly than for their expertise. In some cities, you can obtain information about which doctors are recommended most by other physicians, which may help you make a decision. Each state also has a medical board that lists physicians’ education and training, whether they are certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties, and any adverse actions that may have been taken against them.
It’s most important to know that as a patient, you have options and you should trust your gut. If you feel you have a physician who listens to you, explains your options and the rationale behind care, and makes sure you can get answers day or night when necessary, you’re probably on the right path.
