Since 1971, the Tallahassee Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program has attracted students from across the country and beyond to train as primary care physicians. Beginning with the efforts of long-time faculty and Tallahassee legend Dr. Alexander D. Brickler in 1979, the fellowship has also offered additional training in operative obstetrics to interested graduates of family medicine residency programs. More recently, the “Leaders in Maternal Health” (LMH) fellowship was added for those seeking to complement this obstetrical training with experiences in community health and other domains to better equip themselves for service in rural and underserviced areas.
OB Fellowship
Proudly honoring its founder, the Alexander D. Brickler, MD Fellowship in Obstetrics at the Tallahassee Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program continues the legacy started in 1979 of training family doctors for the practice of advanced obstetrics while caring for the communities of the Florida Big Bend area. Attracting applicants from across the country, the fellowship is based in the family medicine residency program with a mix of family medicine, FMOB, OB/GYN, and midwife faculty. Our goal is to train family medicine physicians in inpatient and outpatient obstetrics with particular attention to operative skills, including cesarean sections. This will enable physicians to practice as independent "Family Medicine with OB" providers in areas of need, including positions that require/offer privileges such as cesarean sections. Prior graduates work in private practice in both rural and urban settings, and also in residency faculty positions. We invite you to review the links for more information on the fellowship and how to apply. Please contact us prior to submitting an application to verify the availability of the positions. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Surgical
Nonsurgical
2024 OB Fellows
Adrian Carder, MD
Adrian Carder, MD was born and raised in a small town in Western Missouri. He completed his medical school education at St. George’s University School of Medicine. During his clinical years, his passion for family medicine grew. Dr. Carder learned the value of being able to care for the entire family and developing life-long relationships with his patients.
After completion of his medical school training, Dr. Carder completed his residency in Family Medicine at Union Hospital in Terre Haute, Indiana. This is where his passion for obstetrics grew. After graduation from residency, Dr. Carder chose the Alexander D. Brickler, MD Fellowship in Obstetrics so he can provide advanced maternal and obstetrical care for his future patients.
In his free time, Dr. Carder enjoys spending time with his wife Krislyn, their golden retriever puppy, Chief, cheering on his hometown Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals, fishing, and traveling.
Jordan Dever, MD
Jordan Dever, MD, was born and raised in the small town of Minford, Ohio. She completed her undergraduate education at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio. She attended medical school at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia. In medical school, she fell in love with family medicine as it would allow her to take care of the entire family, from infant to elderly. After graduation, she relocated to the Midwest to pursue residency training at In His Image Family Medicine Residency Program in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
During residency, Dr. Dever focused on women’s health and participated in the maternal health and obstetrical training track. This track allowed her to develop strong continuity patient relationships, increase her passion for maternal health, and solidify her desire to pursue advanced training in surgical obstetrics at TMH. Throughout residency, Dr. Dever sat under the excellent mentorship and guidance of faculty members that inspired and motivated her to not only imitate their leadership, medical decision making, and patient interactions, but their personal devotion to faith, family, and medicine.
In her free time, Dr. Dever enjoys spending time with her 2-year-old poodle, Izzy-Grace, and going on walks together. She loves reading theology, going hiking, watching The Ohio State University football, and attending a local church.
Katherine Napuri, MD
Katherine Napuri, MD was born and raised in Miami, Florida. As a first-generation Peruvian American, she knew early on in her life she wanted to pursue medicine. Her clinical experience varies widely from her first job as a patient transporter to working as an MRI technologist assistant in college. During medical school she worked as a clinical research coordinator at the University of Miami. Throughout her academic journey and various work experiences she fell in love with medicine.
She completed her medical schooling at Trinity School of Medicine, and moved on to complete FM residency at UCF HCA in Gainesville, Florida. As chief resident of her program, she developed a women’s health track for other residents interested in Obstetrics. Recognizing her passion for women’s health and Obstetrics, Dr. Napuri decided to complete additional training in this field at TMH.
Outside of medicine Dr. Napuri enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, traveling, CrossFit, playing pickleball, volleyball, and trying new restaurants.
Lindsey Wells, MD
Lindsey Wells, MD, grew up in Meigs, Georgia, a small town in southwest Georgia located about 50 miles from Tallahassee. Because of her rural upbringing and personal health challenges encountered in this setting, she has always had a strong calling to return to a similar environment to provide comprehensive medical care to an underserved community.
Dr. Wells graduated with honors from Georgia Southern University with a BS in Biology. She participated in the Pathway to Med School program based out of Albany, Georgia, where she spent a summer shadowing primary care physicians and completing a research project on lung cancer screening. This opportunity helped spark an interest in pursuing family medicine as a specialty which would allow her to see patients of all ages through all stages of their lives while also focusing on a broader sense of community health.
Dr. Wells then attended Emory University where she earned her MD. During this time, she spent two months in Blue Ridge completing her family medicine rotations in rural north Georgia. She participated in research to help improve Emory's telemedicine platform during the COVID pandemic and was recognized for her work by being selected as one of the STFM Foundation Student Scholars. She also helped create a Family Medicine Mentorship Program and held a leadership role in Emory's Pipeline Program, both geared to helping inspire and prepare future generations of physicians.
Dr. Wells was eager to return home and decided to complete her training at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare's Family Medicine Residency Program. She thoroughly enjoyed seeing patients from all across the Big Bend Area, including many from southwest Georgia. During her residency, Dr. Wells focused on strengthening her skills not only as a healthcare provider but in other aspects of medicine as well. She was elected chief resident which required leadership and advocacy. She also fostered her deep passion for teaching and created multiple educational presentations, one earning her a first-place award at the FAFP Spring Forum in 2024.
Dr. Wells is excited to be staying at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare for one additional year to complete her OB Fellowship. She has a special interest in providing comprehensive obstetrical care to underserved populations in rural areas and improving women's health in these communities. She will be seeing pregnant patients in the counties surrounding Tallahassee and will be working with current family medicine residents to help identify and eliminate factors present in these outlying communities that may negatively impact maternal health. After graduation, Dr. Wells plans to continue providing full spectrum primary care including OB while also incorporating medical education into her career. She will be moving back to southwest Georgia to serve as an FM-OB faculty member at a nearby residency program.
In her spare time, Dr. Wells enjoys fishing, scalloping, traveling, and going on cruises. She loves spending time with her family and pets and participating in faith-based activities at her church.
2023 OB Fellows
Allison Akridge, DO
Allison Akridge, DO was born and raised in rural Alabama. She completed her medical school education at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Auburn, Alabama. Following graduation, she then went on to complete her family medicine residency right here in Tallahassee at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.
Dr. Akridge is excited to continue to serve Tallahassee and the surrounding communities. With a passion for women’s health and rural medicine, Dr. Akridge decided to complete additional training in Obstetrics. She plans to practice full scope family medicine with obstetrics in a maternity care desert after completing her Obstetrics fellowship. Dr. Akridge fell in love with Family Medicine because it allows her to provide care from the beginning to the end stages of life.
In her spare time, Dr. Akridge enjoys traveling, Gulf Coast beaches, attending concerts, house plants, audio books, and spending time with her husband/family.
Livia Nishi, MD
Dr. Livia Nishi, MD, was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She received her medical education at one of the top private medical schools in the state, which is also the starting point of Neymar and Pele, both renowned soccer players. During her time in medical school, her interest in high-risk pregnancy and women's health grew. After moving to the United States, she worked as a research assistant at the University of Texas Health Science Center in the Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine. However, she eventually decided to pursue family medicine and provide comprehensive care for families. Before successfully matching at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa, she spent a year as a research trainee at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, specifically in the family medicine department.
During her residency, Dr. Nishi focused on women's health and participated in the Family Medicine Obstetrics training track. She also developed a quality improvement project using the IHI model to enhance structured improvement in women's access to contraception at her residency clinic. As chief resident, she graduated from the residency program and was honored with the Paul E. Tietze Memorial Award for delivering excellent and compassionate care, going above and beyond for her patients when needed.
After completing her residency, Dr. Nishi decided to pursue additional training in obstetrics and women's health at TMH. She chose this path not only because it aligns with her passion but also because she wanted to continue providing care to the patients she formed bonds with during their prenatal care and developed complicated pregnancies or required c-sections.
In her free time, Dr. Nishi enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and traveling. She also plays tennis and volleyball. Both Dr. Nishi and her husband have a deep fondness for amusement parks, especially Disney and Universal, and they have an extensive knowledge of Disney songs. In November 2022, they celebrated their wedding ceremony in Orlando, FL.
Troy Watson, MD
Troy Watson, MD was born and raised in a small town in Central Illinois. He early on developed an interest in family medicine, as his mother is a nurse practitioner in family medicine. Dr. Watson values the unique opportunity family medicine offers to provide a wide variety of services to a small community while also developing meaningful relationships with his patients.
Dr. Watson completed his medical school training at the University of Illinois College of Medicine - Rockford Campus where he was a member of the Rural Medical Education Department (RMED). After graduating from medical school in 2020, he went on to complete his three-year family medicine residency at Self Regional Hospital in Greenwood, SC. With a plan to practice full-scope, rural family medicine including obstetrics, he moved to Tallahassee to continue his training at the Alexander D. Brickler, MD Fellowship in Obstetrics at TMH.
While not working, Dr. Watson enjoys exploring new places, being involved in a local church, having a good cup of coffee, hiking, and playing various sports.
2022 OB Fellows
Starr Harmon, DO
Starr Harmon was born and raised in Arkansas. With her mother being a well-respected family physician, she discovered early on in life that she was called to follow in her footsteps.
Dr. Harmon completed her medical school education at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2018. Following graduation, she spent the next three years completing her family medicine residency at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She remained at the residency as an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine where she supervised residents in the clinical and hospital settings. With a love for obstetrics and women’s health, she decided to move from Oklahoma to Florida to complete the Obstetrics Fellowship at TMH.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Harmon enjoys anything outdoors, especially hiking and camping, as well as enjoying time with her many dogs.
Valeriya Yabluchanska, MD
Valeriya Yabluchanska was born and raised in Ukraine. She received her medical education in one of the highly renowned medical schools in western Europe, at the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in Ukraine. During her time in medical school, she served as a Chief of the Class and received a scholarship from the President of Ukraine for her academic achievements before graduating with honors.
Dr. Yabluchanska and her family came to the United States, first to the wonderful state of Mississippi, where she and her husband Andriy Yabluchanskiy, MD, PhD had their first son, Philip. They later moved and settled in Oklahoma where they welcomed their second son, Nikita. During this time, while managing two little kids, Dr. Yabluchanska worked as a patient’s services representative and medical assistant, while preparing and taking the US Medical Licensing Examination. Dr. Yabluchanska successfully matched to an outstanding family medicine residency program with a busy obstetrical and women’s health practice in Richmond, Virginia. She graduated residency with recognition and multiple awards, including AAFP Family Medicine Leads Scholarship Award, STFM Resident Teacher Award and Renaissance Award.
Upon completing her medical training in Virginia, Dr. Yabluchanska sought to enhance her training in obstetrics and women’s health. While looking for fellowship training, Dr. Yabluchanska chose the Alexander D. Brickler, MD Fellowship in Obstetrics for its high quality of care, high volume and variety of procedures that are offered to patients at TMH.
In her spare time, Dr. Yabluchanska enjoys cooking and baking, spending time with her family, watching British shows, traveling, discovering new places and taking up new adventures.
