Malone

Dr. Richards is a Board Certified Internist, who received his Medical Degree from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa in 1996. Dr. Richards completed a one-year Internship and a two-year Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, MA, where he received the Resident Teaching Award. Dr. Richards is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, and the American Osteopathic Association.

Melissa is dual Certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP-C), and a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C), and also holds certification as a Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Specialist. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Illinois State University in 2000. After graduation, she worked as an acute care nurse at a Level III Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit. After moving to Malone in 2003, she continued her work in pediatrics and obtained her Master of Science in Nursing, and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner degrees, from Stony Brook University in 2012. After seeing the need for more access for people of all ages, Melissa received a Post Masters Certification from Frontier Nursing University and was certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and now sees Pediatric and Adult Patients. Melissa is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Sigma Theta Tau International. When not caring for her patients, Melissa enjoys the beauty of the North Country with her family, and also serves on numerous local boards. Accepting new patients now.

Lauren originally obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Physics from SUNY Potsdam before going on to receive her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. She joins us with a wealth of experience, with her most recent stops being at BHS Women's Care Associates in Butler, PA, Elizabethtown Community Health Center in Elizabethtown, NY, and Kids Plus Pediatrics in Pittsburgh.

Abby is the newest member of our Primary Care team in our Malone health center. Starting off with a career in Biology, Abby decided to pursue an education in Nursing due to her passion for helping people. She received her Bachelor of Nursing degree at the University of Southern New Hampshire in 2018, before earning her Family Nurse Practitioner status at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. Abby joins us with a plethora of experience, having worked at several different health agencies including Medical Associates of Saranac Lake, Hudson Headwaters Health Network, and Adirondack Medical Center, among several others. While her career and education has taken her across many states, she always finds her way back to the North Country, where she has already put down roots and is excited to be caring for the members of our communities.

Our team welcomed Marcia to our behavioral/mental health team in February 2017. After Marcia received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from Plattsburgh State University, she attended Norfolk State University in Virginia where she received her Master's degree in 1992. Prior to joining us, she held positions with Glens Falls Hospital, North Star Behavioral Health Services, Franklin County Public Health, and Malone Central School District.