NUESTRO EQUIPO
Leadership
Dr. Richard Carr, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Richard Carr graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI in 1990. He has been fellowship trained in Addiction Medicine at the University of Florida Medical School. He is originally from Michigan and moved to New Orleans in 2014 and has been practicing addiction medicine here since then. He has directed the detoxification facility at River Oaks Hospital and directed intensive outpatient treatment programs at Addiction Recovery Resources, Crescent Care, and Longbranch Wellness Center. prior to coming to OHL in September 2021. Dr. Carr has
been in recovery himself for several years
and is active in the recovery community in
New Orleans.
Helena Likaj, MPH-CLSSGB
Director: Prevention, Clinic, and Pharmacy Departments
Helena leads various initiatives centered on addressing and alleviating health issues impacting our most marginalized communities. She lead the expansion of OHL's HIV and Hep C Testing and Treatment efforts, Syringe Access Program, Naloxone Access Program, developed a robust Outreach Department, and ensure our departments are providing quality nonjudgemental care to our communities. Helena is an Albanian refugee dedicated to empowering, equipping, and educating communities when it comes to healthcare. Ms. Likaj received her Masters in Public Health from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and has years of experience developing unique programs designed to increase access to quality health care and prevention of illnesses. Helena’s experience includes working with Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Tulane University, and APEX Youth Center.
Ciera Bryant, MBA
Tonti Clinic Supervisor
Ciera is a New Orleans native who has held numerous positions with Ochsner and Chenmed. She earned her MBA in Health/Health Care Administration/ Management from American InterContinental University. Ciera is dedicated to serving the underserved population by assisting in the provision of high-quality healthcare services that will help to reduce healthcare disparities.
Allen Chighizola
Bohn Clinic Manager
Allen was born and raised in the New Orleans Metro area. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology fron Nicholls State University in 1987 and has gone on to earn a Specialist degree in School Psychology and a MBA in Healthcare Management. With over 22 years of work experience in healthcare, Allen has served in multiple capacities in the Mental Health and Substance Abuse field. He started out as an admissions counselor and has worked his way through the ranks to positions as Operations Director for a residential treatment program, Health Center Manager, Mental Health Program Director for the State of Louisiana and aa Administrator of a local Psychiatric hospital. Allen’s passion is in working with patients and being able to help make a difference in the lives of those in the programs where he has worked. He brings a wealth of education and experience to his role as Bohn Clinic Manager.
Lana Huling, FNP-C
Nurse Practitioner Supervisor
Lana graduated the Family Nurse Practitioner Program from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana in 2019. She has practiced in urgent care, retail health care and assisted with the COVID-19 response in New York. She began her Nursing career as a registered nurse at Charity Hospital in 2004 in the Emergency Department and continued her RN career in the emergency department with UMC.
Practitioners
Joella Das, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
Joella recently graduated the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Franciscan Missionaries of our Lady University in Baton Rouge. She has practiced as a Registered Nurse at Our Lady of the Lake Emergency Department since 2016. She looks forward to serving the community in need.
Kareem Neal, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Kareem Neal, DNP, PMHNP-BC recently graduated the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program from Louisiana State University Health - New Orleans with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in May of 2021. He has been a Registered Nurse since 2009 in the Baton Rouge area in numerous settings including Psychiatry, ICU, and Cardiology. He completed clinical at Odyssey House Louisiana and looks forward to assisting clients in need of a mental health provider.
Renata Weatherspoon, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Renata obtained her Master's Degree in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati. Ms. Weatherspoon brings an extensive amount of experience to the OHL organization. Her background includes both inpatient and outpatient experience, as well as having serviced the legal system as a Forensic Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Expert Witness. More notable achievements include Medical Director for Community Based Mental Health Rehabilitation Center, published articles written for BlackDoctor.org, Co-Authored "the Black Girl's Guide to Nursing School", and currently serves as a Mental Health Consultant assisting Psychiatric Providers with developing private practices.
Whitney Jones, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
Whitney is a family nurse practitioner at the OHL Community Health Center. She graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with both bachelor's and Master's degrees in the Science of Nursing. She was a nurse for 5 years before becoming an FNP. As a registered nurse, she specialized in women's health/mother/baby/postpartum.
Veronica Schaufelberger, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
Veronica has been an FNP since 2010, and an RN since 1984. Veronica moved to New Orleans with her husband in January 2022 from rural Southern Illinois. She loves traveling, going to music events, and walking around the city with her chocolate lab, Myrtle Mae.
Chancelyn Penn, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
Chancey is New Orleanian and a new Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) from Herzing University where she received a Post Master’s Certificate in August 2021. She graduated from Dillard University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health Administration/Health Systems Management and worked for the Department of Health & Hospitals (DHH) Delgado clinic as a Disease Intervention Specialist/Public Health Analyst. She changed career paths to pursue her initial passion of becoming a RN after graduating with an Associate’s Degree of Nursing (ADN) from Our Lady of the Lake College in Baton Rouge, LA in 2004. Chancey has mastered her profession as an RN by receiving a Master of Science in nursing (MSN) concentrating in Nursing Leadership and Administration from Excelsior College in Albany, NY in 2017. Her nursing career started on a Pediatric Medical Surgical unit at Tulane Medical Center and blossomed into multiple specialties over an 18-year span. Chancey brings a wealth of experience to OHL. Chancey’s passion and experience as an RN has allowed her to provide diverse and culturally competent care to the underserved populations in various capacities of her community.