Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Sarah Katkhouda, CRNP has joined CalvertHealth Primary Care in Dunkirk. The practice, which also includes Dr. J. Michael Brooks, Lacy Pitman, CRNP and J. Christopher Costabile, PA-C, provides personalized health care for the whole family including health screenings, preventive medicine, complete physicals and well woman exams.

The providers are specialists in family medicine and are trained to diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of medical conditions from acute care to chronic disease for all ages -- including babies, children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. Their role is to be your advocate in achieving and maintaining good health.

Katkhouda, who has been in nursing for more than 10 years, graduated from George Mason University in 2008 and immediately started her career at Johns Hopkins Hospital in hematology and oncology. Last year, she obtained her master’s in nursing as a family nurse practitioner.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with newborns, children, teens, adults and the elderly and love each age range for different reasons, “ she said. “I have a special interest in health promotion, disease prevention, lactation consultation/support and pain management through alternative measures.”

Her philosophy of care focuses on working with her patients as partners in their care. “My goal is to guide my patients, not lecture them. Their best interests are my priority 100 percent of the time. I believe that no issue is too trivial to address with your primary care provider. If my patients have concerns, I want to hear about them.”

Board-certified Physician Assistant J. Christopher Costabile, PA-C, also sees patients at CalvertHealth Primary Care in Solomons along with Dr. Maria Papino-Higgs, Dr. Keyonna Proctor and Kimberly Cook, CRNP. In addition to family medicine, he has experience in urgent care and neurology.

Costabile said, “I was attracted to Calvert Health because it is a comprehensive network with wide ranging medical expertise. This allows for quick and efficient delivery of care as well as timely information sharing, which makes for good coordination.”

After his first career in information technology, he decided to pursue his lifelong goal to practice medicine and attended DeSales University where he earned his PA degree in 2011. “I care deeply for my patients. I consider them as part of my family,” said the father of seven and grandfather of 11.

Costabile believes in taking a holistic approach to patient care. “I strive to delve to the core of the issue,” he said. “I do not want my patients to be passive participants in their care. From time to time, they can expect some ‘homework’ such as reading or watching an educational video.”

To make an appointment with Katkhouda or Costabile, call CalvertHealth Primary Care at 410.414.2778 (APPT).