My mission is to provide comprehensive care and holistic support to patients throughout their cancer journey.

With over a decade of service in healthcare, I have expertise in clinical practice, research, and patient-centered care. I earned my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from UMASS Worcester. My experience ranges across inpatient and outpatient settings, including hematology, oncology, clinical research, medical/surgical care, and primary care.  Outside work, I enjoy sailing and spending time with my family including our dog Una. 

My treatment philosophy is to provide high quality, compassionate, and patient centered care.

Throughout my career at BU Medical Center and South Shore Health, I have divided my time between healthcare administration and direct patient care. Administratively, I have focused on medical education, patient safety and quality improvement. However, my true passion for medicine is driven by the bonds I build with my patients and caring for them throughout life. 

My mission as an emergency department physician is to provide timely and excellent care to patients while helping them through what are likely very stressful and difficult emergency situations.

I grew up in southern New Hampshire and attended Providence College in Rhode Island. I then obtained my MD at the University of Connecticut. I completed my emergency medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati and while I loved the Midwest, I always planned to come back to New England and was happy to move to the South Shore. In my free time I enjoy hiking, skiing, and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. O'Brien is Medical Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at South Shore Health. 

As a Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician, I am dedicated to caring for women and families navigating high-risk and medically complex pregnancies with expertise, compassion, and individualized attention. 

I strive to integrate evidence-based medicine with a holistic approach that recognizes the physical, emotional, and social factors that shape each patient’s experience. 

I am also committed to advocating for equitable healthcare and improving access and outcomes for marginalized and underserved communities.

Treatment of disease begins with a correct diagnosis, using all of the available clinical and laboratory data available. While we do not have the same visibility to the patient as their primary care provider or surgeon, pathologists are an integral part of every patient's health care team, assuring that their physicians have accurate and timely pathology and laboratory data on which to act.  Away from the office, I'm a singer and cellist - you can find your way to my office by following the music.

Having grown up on the South Shore, it is a pleasure to care for patients of this region. I served in the US Navy following medical school and completed my surgical training through the Navy. Following multiple military assignments, I chose to return to the area in order to serve my local community and reside closer to my family. 

Establishing a good patient-physician relationship is crucial to help provide the best care. I believe in allowing ample time in a visit to listen to my patients' needs and thoroughly explain their diagnosis and treatment plan. Most podiatric issues can be treated with aggressive conservative therapy, although when surgical intervention is necessary, I will communicate that to the patient in a direct and concise manner. 

Patients with vascular disease often face many challenges—medical and otherwise. Consequently, I recognize that there are many important aspects to your care.  I also appreciate that having surgery is a major life event. With all of this in mind, I will do my best to provide you with patient-centered, high quality, effective and compassionate care.

I earned my Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College and my medical degree from Loyola University in Chicago. Upon graduation from Loyola, I returned to my native Long Island to complete my residency in pediatrics at SUNY Stony Brook. Following an additional year as Chief Resident, I returned to Massachusetts to settle. Professionally, I cherish the privilege of establishing long-term relationships with my patients' families and playing a small role in assisting a child to blossom into a happy, healthy, well-adjusted adult. In my spare time, I enjoy kayaking, practicing yoga, going to the beach, and spending time with my husband and five children.
 

In my career as an emergency physician, I have gotten to take care of patients in both the usual emergency department setting as well as some other unusual environment. Regardless of the location, one thing remains the same - it is about the patient and the care they need at a time of medical crisis. I spend most of my time outside of work, still engaged in medicine with a variety of emergency response organizations as well as the military.