Primary Care Team

Available:
Monday 12:30p-6p
Tuesday 10a-6p
Wednesday 10a-6p
Thursday 10a-6p

Dr. angela Carter, ND
Clinical director
Pronouns: They/them

Dr. Carter is a primary care physician, the Co-Director of the Equi Institute, and Clinical Director for Sacred Vessel Medicine. They began serving the LGBTQI2S community at 16 when they joined the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center (LYRIC) in San Francisco as a peer counselor on their youth hotline.  They moved to Seattle in 1997 and joined Q Patrol, Seattle’s LGBTQI2S street safety patrol organization, then in 2001 upon arriving in Portland, they began volunteering with Outside In Clinic.  Over many years of volunteering with service organizations and being part of the LGBTQI2S community, Dr. Carter developed a keen understanding of the discrimination and health disparities faced by their community.  In 2007 they began medical school with an interest in Queer and Transgender health care.  In 2009, they became chair of the Queers and Allies group on campus, facilitating educational seminars on LGBTQI2S health, changing clinic and school policy around gender requirements, and improving aspects of LGBTQI2S care in the community clinics.

Dr. Carter’s work has attracted a large and primarily transgender and queer patient base to their practice, uniquely positioning them to see larger trends in LGBTQQI2S health and care.  Dr. Carter has attended and taught at numerous conferences around the world in LGBTQI2S health. They teach several courses focused on the culturally specific variables in primary care for LGBTQI2S and sexual minority communities as adjunct faculty at the University of Western States, and at other institutions. They have volunteered continuously with the Portland LGBTQ Meaningful Care Conference since 2009, helping to provide accessible training in culturally sensitive and appropriate health care to thousands of medical providers.   They train SANE nurses with the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force to improve the experience of Transgender and Gender Non Conforming survivors of sexual assault.

Available:
Monday 3p-6p
Tuesday 10a-6p
Wednesday 10a-6p
Thursday 12p-6p

Dr. S. Annah Shapiro, ND
Resident
Pronouns: They/them

Annah's work as a health care provider prioritizes actively addressing racial, economic, and gender affirming health equity work. They graduated from The National College of Natural Medicine in the summer of 2015 with a degree as a Naturopathic Doctor. There, they focused on internships in community health settings and working with LGBT and gender non-conforming folks. Annah also worked for four years with the FAME (Food as Medicine Every Day) institute teaching nutrition and cooking classes in the community, including classes for monolingual Spanish speakers. Annah is bilingual in English and Spanish and happy to provide care for patients in either language. They also completed a 1 year peer counseling internship at the school’s counseling center. Other medical experience includes training others in first aid workshops, previous EMT training, and a current WFR (Wilderness First Certification) that they have maintained since 2005.

Annah is very excited and honored to be a primary care doctor at Sacred Vessel Natural Medicine, a center dedicated to working within the communities to which they belong. Their work includes diagnosing and treating illness, prescriptions, labs and imaging, counseling, nutrition, herbs, physical adjustments, and gentle body work.

Annah come to this work with a background in social services. For several years, they worked in Philadelphia (where they call home) as an HIV medical case manager. Annah has worked with youth since being one themself through service learning, Jewish education, wilderness backpacking trips, and challenge course facilitation. Annah has 6 years of experience leading backpacking and adventure trips for youth. Making the outdoors feel accessible and fun is something Annah is passionate about. They also believe being in relationship with nature is ultimately nourishing for overall well-being and welcome the discussion around the many ways that we can explore the natural world – even without leaving home.

Annah graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA in 2005 where they focused on peace and social justice studies along with popular education models. Annah believes in showing up and working for a world that interrupts and ideally prevents bigotry and oppression and affirms people's identities and heritage. For fun, they play in their garden and with their three legged 12 year old dog Callisto, travel out to nature, and cook delicious food for themself and loved ones.