At Northern Lights Health, our healthcare professionals share a deep commitment to delivering respectful, resident-centered care within the facilities we serve. With extensive clinical experience and a passion for supporting aging populations, our team provides consistent, high-quality on-site medical services that enhance both resident health and facility operations in communities throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Meet the team dedicated to improving health and enriching the lives of the people we serve. Simply put, we care.
Adeana Shepherd brings a wealth of experience to her role as Systems Navigator at Northern Lights Healthcare. After a distinguished 12-year career in the military, she spent 8 years in logistics, developing a deep foundation in complex operations and efficiency. In her personal time, Adeana enjoys cooking, and spending time with her family and her two dogs.
Alejandra has been a CNA for 8 years. She has worked in multiple different facilities including memory care, assisted living, TCU and long-term facilities. She describes herself as, “someone who is very passionate about providing the best care for patients.” In her free time, Alejandra enjoys spending time with loved ones and trying new foods!
Angie joined Northern Lights Health with a strong customer service background. Most notably, she was a veterinary technician for over 15 years. She was excited to utilize her strong customer service skills in a different capacity while serving NLH patients in multiple facilities. Angie is a proud mom of twins – one boy / one girl and is definitely a pet enthusiast with cats and a small dog for pets. Her hobbies include hiking or spending time outdoors, watching movies, and listening to music. She is native to St. Paul, MN.
Ashley’s journey in elder care started in 2016, inspiring her to earn her CNA certification a few years later. For the past three years, she’s worked independently as a private home health aide, helping seniors maintain their independence and comfort at home. When she’s not working, Ashley enjoys exploring the outdoors – hiking, camping, kayaking, and capturing memories through photography, alongside her daughter and three dogs. She’s excited to join the Northern Lights Healthcare Team and continue making a positive difference in the lives of others.
Bonnie joined Northern Lights Health with 28 years professional experience; 18 years in corrections and 10 years in project management. She is excited to utilize her broad range of skills to serve the patients and providers of Northern Lights Health. Outside of work, Bonnie enjoys spending time with her family, boating, and traveling.
Brittany is a CNA with almost 9 years of healthcare experience. She has worked at assisted living facilities, memory care, nursing homes and a youth treatment center. She enjoys working with the geriatric population and appreciates their amazing sorties. When not working, she is typically on an adventure with her 3 dogs, Hemi, Axys & Yeti. She enjoys being outdoors on walks or at the dog park. Brittany is excited about her new adventure with Northern Lights.
Chelsie’s love for working with the elderly began in 2013 as a CNA. She wanted to advance her role so she worked to become an LPN in 2017. Chelsie feels very fortunate to enjoy this passion by working with older people. She loves to have podcasts playing in the background and outside of work she enjoys reading, cooking, fishing, and spending time on Lake Kabetogama. Basically, anything she can do with her daughter, husband, and spunky goldendoodle named Harlow. Chelsie is excited to support the NLH team working with patients at Guardian Angels.
Erin Vacek is the medical records and insurance navigator for Northern Lights Health. She is responsible for maintaining patient medical records as information is received or requested from various sources. In addition, Erin is responsible for verifying insurance for our patient population. She enjoys spending her free time watching her children participate in activities. Erin also loves boating, golfing, reading, traveling, and walking her dog Rudy.
Gail is originally from New Jersey. After four amazing years in the Army, she relocated to the Midwest in order to pursue her nursing degree and start her family. Gail has spent most of her career specializing in geriatric care, wound care, and end of life care. She has three adult daughters and five grandchildren. Outside of work, Gail enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, going for walks, and playing with her cat, Bella.
Haley joined Northern Lights Health with over 10 years’ experience in communication and coordination. Haley earned her B.S. in Broadcast Communication with a minor in acting and directing. She is excited about working with patients and providers. In her spare time, Haley is passionate about serving her community through adaptive recreation, creative projects, and high school speech. If she is not spending time serving, you can find her out on the water kayaking, attending concerts, or finding adventures with her dog, Hatch!
Dr. Ibrahim Mujir has nearly 4 decades of experience in geriatrics. He enjoys the challenge of working with patients who have complex medical problems and strives to make the aging experience as smooth as possible for his patients. Dr. Mujir is married and has 3 children and it is very important for him to spend time with his family outside of work. Additionally, he enjoys reading and woodworking. His woodworking projects focus on Arabic calligraphy and he donates his work to several mosques throughout the Twin Cities area.
Jessalyn has over 10 years of nursing experience – primarily in mental health. She is passionate about providing compassionate care, advocating for patients, and supporting emotional wellness. Outside of work, she recharges with music, enjoys pending meaningful time with family and loves traveling.
Joey joins Northern Lights Health with 10 years of patient care experience and is excited to share her lifelong passion for the geriatric population. She graduated with a Masters degree in Nursing in 2023. In her spare time, Joey enjoys spending time with her family, including her 4-year-old daughter. Together, they enjoy visiting the zoo, camping, traveling, and watching movies. In Spring 2024, they plan to start a hobby farm.
Judy is a native of Minnesota, with over 30 years of experience in the medical field. She is a graduate of Walden University of Minneapolis. This is where she received her Masters of Science degree in Nursing. Judy chose to specialize in Adult/Geriatric Care. This includes the care of the elderly with an emphasis on dementia and behavioral health management.
She has a true passion for older adults and their healthcare needs. Judy loves to travel with her family and friends. She also enjoys cooking and baking.
Kari has worked in a variety of customer service roles in Minnesota over the past several years. She joined Northern Lights Health in Spring 2023 and is dedicated to supporting our providers. Kari is married with 4 children and recently became an empty nester. Outside of work, Kari enjoys watching her two boys wrestle; one at Augustana University and one at the University of Minnesota. She also enjoys reading, boating, traveling, and spending time with family and friends!
Kate’s career began in the telecommunications industry in both HR & billing, protecting organizations from internal fraud and securing billing systems. She took a detour by volunteering and working in an elementary school for the past several years. She is excited to return to her systems roots with Northern Lights Health and looks forward to evolving in her career while still meeting her family needs! Kate values her family time most of all by spending it with her husband, daughter, son, and two dogs.
Katherine has been a CNA for 8 years, working in long-term care, transitional care units, and assisted living facilities. She has had the opportunity to care of a wide range of patients and really values the relationships built along the way. “Providing compassionate, reliable care has always been a the heart of what I do.”
Kim brings a passion in advocating for patients while using a whole person, existential approach to promote overall wellness. Kim started her early work experience obtaining a range of certifications and licensures including; CNA/TMA/Pharmacy Technician, EMT, BA in Psychology and lastly a MS CCMHC.
Kim loves to spend time laughing, creating memories and cooking with family and friends. Reading, exploring new restaurants, and traveling are a few of her favorite activities
Laura has been on her nursing journey for over 17 years. She started out in massage therapy and most recently added health coaching to her repertoire of skills. These certifications along with other professional experiences allow her to fulfill her passion for patient education and advocacy. Laura lives on a farm in southern Minnesota with her husband, two children, a dog, and two cats. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the lake, gardening, painting, and spending time with her family.
Linda has 30 plus years of experience working with private specialty clinics and has enjoyed consulting and leading new providers through their start up phase. She graduated from Concordia University in St. Paul, MN with a Bachelor Degree in Education.
Other hobbies include acrylic painting, gardening, and anything to do with Formula 1 racing.
Lisa has joined the Northern Lights Health team as a Care Navigator. She will be working with Nikki Siddons and with the patients at Woodlyn Heights and Highland Chateau. The teams there are very excited to have her support and knowledge! Lisa is an LPN with a strong background in long-term care.
Lisa has been a traveling nurse for the past year and a half. Before that she worked as a nurse manager. She has a wealth of experience in long term care communities and has worked in various positions in centers across the metro area. She loves spending time with her granddaughter and loves Florida!
Melissa brings over 25 years of administrative and customer experience, supporting Executives from multiple industries. Melissa prides herself in building and maintaining productive business relationships. She is excited to put her communication skills to work to assist the patients and families as a Northern Lights Care Navigator. Melissa enjoys spending time with her family. In her free time, she enjoys walking around local lakes and songwriting.
Micaela was born and raised in Minnesota. She brings 15 years of customer service experience and more than six years of expertise in short-term disability and FMLA benefits administration. She is excited for the opportunity to contribute her skills and dedication to Northern Lights Health. Outside of work, she enjoys camping, rock hunting, gardening, crocheting , and spending time with her daughter, three dogs and their rabbit.
Prior to joining Northern Lights Health, Michelle worked in medical and merchandise sales. She grew up in California and moved with her family to Minnesota in 2016. She is excited to contribute to the services offered by Northern Lights Health!
Michelle has been married to her husband, Anthony, for 28 years and appreciates how he makes her laugh every single day! In her spare time, Michelle loves to cook, travel, read, and walk the best dog, Macy. She also enjoys spending time talking to one or more of her three beautiful children.
Misty brings over 20 years of nursing experience across a variety of settings, including long-term care, urgent care, inpatient medicine, home health, and mental healthcare. She takes great pride in providing the highest quality of care to her patients, treating each one as if they are a member of her own family. Misty enjoys spending time with her family and friends, whether relaxing around a campfire or enjoying the comforts of home.
Dr. Siddons is a graduate from the University of Minnesota School of Nursing in both the Family Nurse Practitioner and Health Innovation & Leadership doctoral tracks. There she also received a certificate for Healthcare Design. She currently works in urgent care, long-term care, transitional care units and also assisted living.
Dr. Siddons is passionate about patient safety and quality, which has lead her to be involved in the University of Minnesota’s Regional Training Center for TeamSTEPPS. She remains actively engaged in improving the health of patients through partnership and collaboration.
She loves spending time with her family and friends in the great outdoors and traveling.
Becca has built a fulfilling career as a nurse over the past 14 years. Originally from a small town in Illinois, Becca’s early years were filled with basketball games and rodeo events, shaping her strong and dynamic personality. After moving to Minnesota in 2020, she has been happily married for nearly 4 years to her amazing husband. Together, they enjoy the company of their three beloved dogs and their two children, a 15-year old and a 2-year old, who keep life lively and adventurous. Becca is enthusiastic and eager to contribute to enhancing patient lives and continue her passion for caregiving.
Sam grew up in Minnesota, moved to San Diego for college and after graduating was a rural public health Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador. Prior to starting medical school, he lived in Boston where he taught high school biology and chemistry. Sam’s wanderlust continued through medical school and his internal medicine-pediatrics residency during which he spent time working and living in Juarez, Mexico, Kampala, Uganda, and Pavia, Italy. He lives in St. Paul with his wife and two kids. When he is not working, he enjoys volunteering at their schools and with their activities.
Sean is certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and Wound Care Practitioner. He graduated from The College of St. Scholastica and enjoys forming relationships with his patients to promote optimal health outcomes. He believes that putting the patient first can empower them to take control of their healthcare. When Sean is not working, he loves spending time with his family while being outdoors and on the water.
Shari joined Northern Lights Health with 19 years of professional experience as Operations Supervisor and Business Technology Analyst. Shari is eager to utilize her strong communication and organizational skills to provide a high quality of care for the patients and providers at Northern Lights Health. She enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 teenage daughters and 2 dogs up north when she is not watching her youngest at the hockey rink. Shari also loves to travel and spend quiet time reading a good book. She enjoys spending her free time watching her children participate in activities.
Vici joined NLH with over 25 years experience as a Senior Executive Assistant working collaboratively with every level of executive in the healthcare field. She is an outstanding and technically skilled business professional. Vici has a very versatile administrative support and customer service skill set developed through experience as an executive assistant, office manager, and small business owner.