“It is my mission to make health accessible and sustainable for families living in N/NE Portland. It is my dream to provide primary care to families in the city I grew up in, in my neighborhood, for the duration of my career. It’s about quality of life. I love walking to work and look forward to practicing here until I am an old woman.”
Shelda R. Holmes, FNP
Family Nurse Practitioner, Co-Medical Director, Owner
Pronouns: She/Her
“Be what you want to see in the world.”
Shelda Holmes established Hands On Medicine in 2006. After working many years within several different clinics in Portland she became fed-up with 6-minute office visits and 28-patient days. Recognizing she couldn’t hold her breath waiting for a nationalized health care system, Shelda decided to create a different kind of clinic. Hands On Medicine was established to provide high quality care with the patient-clinician interaction at the heart of the practice.
Shelda believes a person’s relationship with their family and community affects one’s health. She feels the clinic experience should empower patients and providers alike with the expectation of personal accountability and autonomy while balancing our responsibilities to one another.
Over a decade later, she is still creating a healing space in the neighborhood. However, she has taken a step back from direct patient care to work as the Medical Director. In this role she continues to see high acuity patients but spends more time managing the business, advising the fabulous Hands On Medicine staff, and providing both advocacy and consultation services.
Shelda has an impressive professional CV that includes inpatient experience in hematology-oncology and blood, marrow and stem cell transplantation; outpatient experience in reproductive health, community medicine and nursing, and drug and alcohol treatment; research experience in massage therapy, immunotherapy, and health systems; and extensive policy experience as a citizen lobbyist.
Shelda Holmes is a Portlander through and through. She was born and raised in Portland. While she has traveled extensively for medical charity and pleasure, she always comes home. Shelda and her family live in North Portland, and she is the proud mama of Ruby and foster mom to many children. She is very politically involved and especially passionate about improving foster care in Oregon. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor sports, gardening and reading.
Following the closure of Hands On Medicine, Shelda intends to take a nap (visualize a hammock and a gentle Caribbean breeze). Eventually she plans to reengage with the foster care system as a child and family advocate. She will keep her hands-on skills through humanitarian relief work locally and internationally. If she ever chooses to reengage with social media, you may occasionally see pictures and posts. Until then she strongly suggests watching for smoke signals.
Primary Care
Kim Kelsey, FNP
Family Nurse Practitioner, Co-Medical Director
Pronouns: She/Her
Kim Kelsey is a Family Nurse Practitioner who provides primary care for adults and children. She offers care for people with chronic diseases and as well as preventative care. Kim has a special interest in women’s health, pediatrics, and integrative medicine.
Kim uses a collaborative approach, helping her patients to define and meet their own health goals. She believes that listening is the most important aspect of her job. Kim sees her role as a teacher and guide, offering information and tools to promote health and reduce the negative effects of disease. These tools may include medications, herbs, food, exercises, referrals to conventional or alternative specialists, or assistance with lifestyle changes.
Kim grew up in Washington state on the Puget Sound. She moved to Portland in 2005 to work as a Registered Nurse. She spent the beginning of her career taking care of new mothers and their babies. She received a Master of Nursing degree from Oregon Health and Science University and was certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2012. Prior to joining Hands On Medicine she had a primary care practice in Woodland, Washington at the Cowlitz Family Health Center.
In addition to her work as a nurse, Kim teaches Anatomy and Physiology at The Elderberry School of Botanical Medicine, which she co-founded in 2007. She enjoys making music, hiking in the woods, and spending time with her husband and daughter.
Following the closure of Hands On Medicine, Kim has accepted a position at Adventist Health’s Clackamas Primary Care Clinic in Clackamas, and would love to see any patients that wish to continue care with her. She sees all ages and genders, and they accept Medicare, OHP, and all commercial insurance plans. She looks forward to seeing some familiar faces!
Melanie Anthony, FNP
Family Nurse Practitioner
Pronouns: She/Her
Melanie is a licensed and board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She graduated with honors from Humboldt State University with a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology, and then went on to study nurse-midwifery at Vanderbilt University. After catching a handful of babies, she ultimately moved into family practice where she can nurture her love for working with patients of all ages and genders on a variety of health issues. While completing her MSN, Melanie worked as a registered nurse in a correctional facility in Nashville. She remains passionate about providing accessible and nonjudgmental healthcare to patients who are members of medically underserved or stigmatized populations.
As a provider, Melanie strongly believes in meeting patients wherever they are in their healthcare journey. She sees partnering in care as crucial to patient empowerment. Melanie is a compassionate listener, educator, and motivator.
Melanie enjoys hiking, cooking, running, and being outside. She is excited to be back in the Pacific Northwest where she can adventure with her partner and dog.
Following the closure of Hands On Medicine, Melanie will be starting at Pacific Medical Group in North Portland in January 2025 and would love to see any patients that wish to continue care with her. Melanie encourages patients to check with their insurance to confirm that the clinic is in-network prior to scheduling. She looks forward to seeing some familiar faces!
Behavioral Health
Myra Bazell, LCSW
Children & Adult Individual, Couple & Family Therapy Psychotherapist
Pronouns: She/Her
Myra Bazell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and received her Masters in Social Work from the Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work & Social Research. Myra comes with an extensive background in dance that has provided her with an understanding of how our histories live in our bodies and provide a great resource for understanding our lived experience.
Myra is passionate about escorting clients on a journey of rediscovery; the revealing of one’s natural strength and deep-rooted source of power is for her a road to managing stress and embracing daily challenges.
Myra has been in practice for fifteen years, working with diverse populations in areas of anxiety, depression, body image, loneliness, procrastination, relationships, LGBTQ, the social and internal dynamics of aging, teen challenges, illness, PTSD and Trauma. Myra teaches mindfulness and meditation when desired and collaborates on finding motivation for change. Myra is a proponent of healthy eating and exercise as well as setting realistic goals and a sensible plan of action.
Following the closure of Hands On Medicine, Myra Bazell, LCSW will be accepting new and existing patients at her own independent practice, which can be reached by clicking here.
Management
Jodi Dauphinais, CMA
Clinic Manager
Pronouns: She/Her
Jodi graduated from Portland Community College with her American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) certification and Associates degree in General Studies in 2010. Jodi has had a passion to work in the medical field since as long as she can remember. Her goal is to complete the path she started and work on getting her Registered Nurse’s (RN) degree.
While originally from the Midwest, she moved to Portland with her husband, four children, and cat in the summer of 2004. When she is not working Jodi enjoys various outdoor activities such as camping, snowboarding, hiking, running and exploring the city.
Jacob Aiello
Accounts Manager
Pronouns: He/Him
When away from Hands On Medicine Jacob writes creative nonfiction, and in 2018 he received the Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship in Literary Nonfiction from Literary Arts. He has a degree in English Literature from Portland State University with a Minor in Professional Writing.
He grew up in a small town in Northern California and experimented briefly with Texas, but has been happily residing in Portland since 2004, where he lives with his wife Amy, two dogs, and three cats.
Superstar Staff
April Lloyd
Lead Medical Receptionist
Pronouns: She/Her
April Lloyd went to Concorde Career Institute and graduated and received her Medical Assistant Certificate in October of 2008. She worked as a Medical Assistant for seven years before leaving to take care of a quadriplegic family member following a tragic accident. Born and raised in North/Northeast Portland, April loves helping others, spending much time with family, swimming, traveling, reading and trying new things.
Hands On Medicine 