Dr. David Kalla

Dr. David Kalla received his Bachelors of Arts in Mathematics from Brown University in Providence, RI, in 1979. He attended University School of Medicine where he received his Medical Degree in 1983. During this time, he was awarded the Sara & David Weis Fellowship in Cardiovascular Research (1980) at the Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Kalla completed his Residency at the University of Connecticut in 1987 and holds membership in the American Medical Association and Connecticut State Medical Society and is a Representative for New London County Medical Society.

He has been with OB-GYN Services since 1987 and is Board Certified. Dr. Kalla serves on various committees at Backus Hospital including the Medical Executive Committee, the Infection Control Committee, and the Quality Improvement Committee, as well as served on the Backus Board of Directors from 2001-2005.

Dr. Suzelle Hendsch

Suzelle Hendsch, MD, received a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. During this time she was in the Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical Engineering Honor Society and President of MIT Chapter of American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Dr. Hendsch attended Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, where she received her Medical Degree in 1997. During this time she was in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and was an instructor at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Hendsch completed her residency in 2001 from Western Campus of the Tufts University School of Medicine at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA. While at Tufts, Dr. Hendsch served on the Colposcopy Committee, participated in the Student Mentorship Program, and was Clinical Instructor for the Department of OB/GYN at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Dr. Hendsch has been at OB-GYN Services since 2001. She is Board Certified and serves on various committees at Backus Hospital.

Dr. Stephen Briggs

Stephen Briggs, MD, is a lifelong resident of Connecticut.  For his training, he received a Bachelors of Arts in English from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.  He attended medical school at the University of Connecticut, in Farmington, CT from 1987-1991.  Dr. Briggs completed his residency at the Medical Center of Delaware in Newark, DE in 1995.

Dr. Briggs has been at OB-GYN Services since 1995.  He has twice been named a “Top Doc” by Connecticut Magazine.  He is Board Certified and a past president of the Medical Staff at William W. Backus Hospital where he now serves on its Board of Directors, Bylaws Committee, and Institutional Review Board.

Dr. Melissa Welch

Melissa Welch, MD, received a Bachelors of Science in Biology from Yale University in New Haven, CT, in 1992. Dr. Welch received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine in New York, NY, in 1999. During this time she did an AMSA International Language and Culture Summer Fellowship in Mexico. Dr. Welch completed her residency at Brown University at Women’s and Infants Hospital in Providence, RI, receiving the Berlex Award for Top Resident Teacher of the Year (2001) and a Resident Excellence Teaching Pin (1999-2001). She has volunteered at the Rape Crisis Center and Planned Parenthood and speaks some Spanish in addition to English. 

Dr. Welch has been at OB-GYN Services since 2002. She is Board Certified and serves on various Medical Staff Committees at Backus Hospital.  She is from Southeastern Ct and grew up in Mystic.

Dr. Matthew Brown

Matthew Brown, MD, received a Bachelors of Science in Genetics and Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University in 1995 and his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, TX, in 2000. He completed his internship and residency at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, CA, where he received the Berlex Laboratories Teaching Resident of the Year (2002) and Pfizer OB/GYN Resident Scholarship (2003). He was Administrative OB/GYN Chief Resident from 2003 – 2004. From 2004 through 2007 he served at the US Naval Hospitals in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Charleston, SC, receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Medal of Commendation (2005). Dr. Brown has been with OB-GYN Services since 2007. He is Board Certified and serves on various committees at Backus Hospital.

Dr. Julie Belcher

Julie Belcher, MD, is originally from Granby, Connecticut.  She received a Bachelors of Arts in Economics from Williams College in Williamstown, MA, graduating cum laude.  She received her Doctor of Medicine from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA, ranking in the top third of her class and received the Sarah G. Miller Obstetrics and Gynecology Prize in OB/GYN.  She completed her residency at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC.  During this period she was Resident Physician of the Year in 2008 and Administrative Chief Resident from 2007-2008.  She belongs to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has been with OB-GYN Services since 2008.  Dr. Belcher is Board Certified and serves on several committees at Backus Hospital.  She is married and has two children.  She enjoys reading, cooking, and hiking. 

Dr. Kellen Sikora

Kellen Sikora, MD, received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Biology from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, in 2007 graduating magna cum laude. Dr. Sikora received her medical degree from Rush University School of Medicine in Chicago, IL, in 2011. During this time she completed the Illinois Medical Society Externship Program in 2004 and volunteered at Marah’s Place providing women’s health and education services.  She completed her residency at the University of Connecticut, receiving the Dr. Spero Neckles Award for Outstanding Resident Research (2014) and The Dorfman Award for Excellence in Patient Care (2015).

Dr. Sikora belongs to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is Board Certified. She has been with OB-GYN Services since 2015. She enjoys playing basketball, reading, and travel.

Melissa Bergfeld, APRN

Melissa Bergfeld, APRN, is an Adult and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. She graduated with honors from Yale School of Nursing, earning a Master of Science in Nursing. She also holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from Wesleyan University. She is certified with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the National Certification Corporation. Melissa is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Society of Nursing and serves as clinical faculty for the Yale School of Nursing. She has been with OB-GYN Services since 2004.

Outside of the office, Melissa enjoys yoga, cooking, knitting, reading, hiking, skiing, tennis and spending time with her husband and two boys.

Kathleen Gauthier, CNM, IBCLC

Kathleen Gauthier, CNM, IBCLC, received a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH, in 1981. Kathleen received her MSN from Stony Brook University in NY in Midwifery in 2009. Kathleen is a member of Sigma Theta Tau and American College of Nurse Midwives. She is currently an adjunct faculty for Rhode Island College and teaches the maternal child clinical rotation for nursing students at Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, RI. Kathleen is on the board of directors for MATH (Medical Aid to Haiti), a nonprofit organization that supports a medical mobile clinic in outlying villages in Haiti. Kathleen coordinates US medical team trips to Haiti several times a year to provide primary and obstetrical care to the villages.  Most recently, Kathleen recevied her IBCLC (International Board of Certificatied Lactation Consultants).

Olivia Carson, APRN

Olivia Carson, MSN, APRN, FNP-C is a Family Nurse Practitioner. She has been a part of the OBGYN Services team since the beginning of 2021. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Saint Joseph. Olivia has RN experience at Hartford Hospital as a liver and kidney transplant nurse. She also served her community as an RN at Backus Hospital in the Critical Care Unit. She earned her Masters of Science in Nursing from Purdue University Global. Olivia is certified with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Society of Nursing. Outside of the office, she enjoys exercise, traveling and raising her son and daughter with her husband.

Mary Flanigan, CNM 

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Mary attended Hendrix College in Arkansas where she studied Anthropology and Spanish. She served in AmeriCorps and worked with youth in Oregon and Austin, Texas prior to returning to school. She received her Masters in Nursing from Vanderbilt University and is a member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Mary has a special interest in working with LGBTQIAPK+ folx and welcomes all of her patients to come as they are. She enjoys witnessing the strength and vulnerability that patients have in pregnancy. Her goal is to empower patients as they take control of their health and wellness, whether that's during well-person exams, pregnancy, exploring birth control options, trying to conceive, or navigating the changes of menopause. 

In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside with family and friends rock climbing, gardening, and playing soccer. She also attempts to wear out her energetic rescue dog, Clover.

Kyla Collins, CNM

Kyla Collins, CNM is from Berkeley, California.  She has been a part of the OB GYN Services team since the beginning of 2020.  She earned her BA in Sociology from UC Berkeley and worked as a Reproductive Health Specialist at Planned Parenthood in San Francisco before moving to Guatemala to improve her Spanish fluency.  There, she was able to spend time with community health workers including midwives--inspiring her to return to school to become a nurse-midwife herself.  Kyla graduated from Vanderbilt University with a masters in Nurse-Midwifery in 2018.  She views each person in the context of their individual lives and she believes in centering the specific needs and desires of the patient in each visit. She appreciates that we each come with a unique life perspective and are the experts on our own bodies.  She is excited to meet your wherever you are in your journey in life and in wellness.   

Grace Carver, APRN

Grace received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT. After completing her undergraduate degree, Grace went on to complete her Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice from Columbia University in New York, NY. Grace is a Family Nurse Practitioner with a focus in Women’s Health. Grace has worked in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics, and Gynecology; and has provided Women’s Health services in New York, Boston, and Eastern Connecticut. 

Originally from Niantic, CT, Grace relocated to Southeastern CT in 2020 and is pleased to be serving a community near and dear to her heart.