Ob/Gyn: Project CARA

Tammy Cody, MSW, LCSW, has been a social worker focusing on the mother-baby dyad for over 25 years. She is the Western North Carolina regional lead for plan of safe care and integration of multi-disciplinary teams that work with substance-affected families (both inpatient and outpatient). A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, she has spent 20 years in a neonatal intensive care unit providing complex care management and crisis intervention services to the families of Western North Carolina.

Her current role is the Director of Navigation within the Integrated Care Team of Project CARA, which provides comprehensive substance use treatment within a high-risk obstetrical care program at MAHEC. This work will cross multiple counties and systems. Tammy is dedicated to patient-centered healthcare systems.

Anna Gerhardt, RN, MSW, is Project CARA’s lead nurse. She has worked in women’s health in a variety of capacities for over 10 years providing support for pregnant and laboring moms and postpartum families. Anna has a master’s degree in social work and understands the impact of trauma on addiction, parenting, and overall health. She is passionate about helping women achieve their goals for self-care, healthy relationships, and being an awesome parent. A parent herself, Anna knows it is a tough job with plenty of opportunities to make (and learn from) mistakes, but it is the best job she’s ever had.

Steph Stone, CMA, has been with MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists for several years and decided to become a Centering Pregnancy facilitator because it sounded like so much fun. While she doesn’t have any children, being a Centering facilitator has given her a wonderful sense of family. She is grateful for all of the warm connections she has made in her Centering groups. Steph loves watching people become parents and couples become families.

Olivia Caron is a clinical pharmacist at MAHEC who works with chronic disease management including substance use, hepatitis C, diabetes, and more. She strives to provide comprehensive and compassionate care to all her patients and loves working with the Spanish-speaking community as she speaks both Spanish and French. She also serves as Project CARA’s Director of Research. Olivia was born and raised in Northern Virginia as the youngest of four kids born to Belgian parents. She studied chemical engineering and Spanish at Virginia Tech and then attended Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy where she graduated with her Certificate of Aging and Doctorate of Pharmacy.

Christian Kaufman is a Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Director of Project CARA within MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists. She completed her Nurse Practitioner program at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA, where she obtained dual certification in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care and Women’s Health. During her Master's program, she worked in reproductive health and volunteered by facilitating educational groups about substance use disorder and post-release planning at a Boston jail. She moved to Asheville, NC, in 2018 and worked in primary care for several years before transitioning to MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists, where she is privileged to provide prenatal and postpartum care for people in recovery at any stage with the Project CARA integrated team. Her free time is spent being bossed around by her toddler, hiking, and connecting with friends.

Nathan Mullins, MD, is a board-certified Ob/Gyn and addictionologist with expertise in substance use disorders in pregnancy. Dr. Mullins provides comprehensive Ob/Gyn and substance use treatment services for Project CARA patients. He also serves as the medical director for a community-based opioid treatment program and understands how different medications can stabilize and support women with opioid use disorders. In addition to patient care, Dr. Mullins is a faculty educator and directs MAHEC’s Addiction Medicine Fellowship where he trains physicians in the treatment of opioid and other substance use disorders. He is also a parent who understands the daily challenges that can make recovery more difficult and more rewarding.

Medical School: Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
Residency: UNC-Chapel Hill Family Medicine Residency Program
Board Certification: American Board of Family Medicine

Dr. Nimalendran is a dedicated family medicine physician who provides care to all ages, including prenatal care and children. Dr. Nimalendran enjoys the breadth of family medicine, including acute illness, preventative healthcare, and chronic disease management. Additionally, she has a strong interest in reproductive healthcare, substance use disorder treatment, breastfeeding medicine, and health of the underserved. Dr. Nimalendran strives to develop relationships with her patients and utilize her expertise to collaborate with them on their health and wellness goals.

Caitlin Hettich, LCSW, LCAS, is a mental health and substance use counselor with Project CARA, focusing on the care of women during and after pregnancy. Originally from Miami and trained as a sculptor, she taught art and art history to children and young adults for many years. Caitlin’s interest in women’s mental health arose during the years surrounding the birth of her own children, and her experience as a mother deeply informs her approach with clients. While she considers the cultivation of relationship central to healing, she enjoys sharing a range of tools, techniques, and strategies to help her clients develop resilience, and to safely navigate difficult experiences.