Janelle Schwittay
Family Nurse Practitioner
Education: Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner, Seattle University. Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Washington Bothell. Board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Philosophy of care: I had my heart set on becoming a nurse for as long as I can remember. I began working as a nursing assistant at just 16 years old and graduated with my bachelor’s degree in nursing at 21. I worked as a charge nurse on a step-down ICU unit as an RN for five years while pursuing my doctorate degree and eventually becoming a nurse practitioner.
While I loved working in the fast-paced hospital setting, it fueled my desire to keep people OUT of the hospital, which is what draws me to primary care. My practice is driven by shared decision making; it is my job to ensure my patients have all of the evidence-drive information they need to make decisions about their health, and support them in those decisions.
I spend my free time with my husband and baby son. I am a dog lover- have a Weimaraner and a Pug that I compete in AKC dog shows with.
Katya Melnik
Family Nurse Practitioner
Languages Spoken:
English, Russian, Ukrainian
Education: Master of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner, University of Cincinnati. Bachelor of Science, Nursing, University of Cincinnati. Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Western Washington University.
Philosophy of Care:
I was born in Russia and immigrated with my family when I was young. I always knew I wanted a career where I could help people. Once I completed my Bachelor of Arts in psychology degree, I realized that I had a passion for medicine and how the human body works. I went on to become a registered nurse and spent most of my nursing career working in the Emergency Department setting before becoming a Nurse Practitioner.
My passion is working in partnership with patients to empower them to make better choices about their health. I believe that everyone should be equipped with the right information to be able to participate in shared decision-making.
At home I love to spend time with my four children and my husband. We love to travel places as a family, go camping, fishing and be involved in our local church.
Alina Ostapchuk
Family Nurse Practitioner
Languages Spoken:
English, Russian, Ukrainian
Education: Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner from University of Washington; Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Washington. Board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Philosophy of care: I was born prematurely in a small town in Ukraine. My mother became very ill and did not have access to proper healthcare. Soon it was too late, she died three days after I was born. Because of this background my interest and passion for medicine began in early childhood. I immigrated to America as a child and my passion continued to grow through the years; in high school I took elective healthcare classes, then became a nursing assistant and then a nurse.
From the beginning I felt honored to work with patients one on one and to share the joys of their lives but also the difficult moments. I decided to become a nurse practitioner because I feel that this role blends what I love most about nursing – the advocacy for people, patient teaching, patient-centeredness, and what I love about medicine-making the diagnosis, finding the root-cause of a problem, and providing evidence based treatment. I love being a family nurse practitioner because I get to care for people of all ages and develop relationships with their family.
I am passionate about preventing disease. I am very excited to think that deliberate and timely intervention during early years can prevent poor health in the future. What is special about my practice is that my goal is to understand what is important to the patient and be their mentor to help them reach the optimal health they want. I want to be there for the patient and help in any way I can.
I have five children and a very supportive husband. On my downtime some of the things I enjoy are spending time outdoors, attending church, baking, and cooking with my toddlers, gardening, snowboarding, and camping.
Allison Berglin
Family Nurse Practitioner
Education: University of Michigan Master of Science (MS) Family Nurse Practitioner; University of Michigan Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Board Certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Philosophy of Care: First as a nurse and then as a nurse practitioner I have worked in a variety of settings with patients young to old from every walk of life. While in nursing school, I worked in an assisted living facility with geriatric patients as well as a personal care aide for a pediatric patient with severe medical and behavioral issues. As a new nursing school graduate, I first worked in nursing research and then at a large University Health System on a medical surgical unit. While there were parts of each of these roles that were special to me, I found that the most rewarding aspect was working with patients and families to educate and empower them in their own healthcare. With my heart set on primary care and family practice, I chose to return for graduate work to expand my scope of practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
In my practice, I love to get to know patients and their families and partner with them to provide holistic, person-centered care. I believe that everyone deserves a healthcare provider who will listen and work with them to achieve their best health. I enjoy educating patients and helping them choose an optimal treatment plan for their individual needs and health goals. On a personal level, I love the challenge of every day being different and continually learning new ways to care for my patients.
I moved to Skagit Valley in 2015 to be closer to family and being a Midwesterner, fell in love with the beauty of the PNW (Mountains!). I first came to know the staff at Skagit Family Health when my daughter was born in 2018 at the Birth Center and I am excited to join such a caring and dedicated team. When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my husband, daughter and son and two dogs. I like being outside, cooking, reading and travel.
Seth Cowan
Family Nurse Practitioner
Education: Bachelor of Arts, Zoology, University of Washington; MSN, Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Seattle University; Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine, Bastyr University.
Philosophy of care: I was born and raised in the Seattle area. While at the University of Washington I recognized a career in health care would allow me to combine a science interest with the need to work closely with people. I became intrigued by complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) after graduating with my zoology degree, which eventually led me to Bastyr University where I obtained a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine and also I met my wife and future practice partner. We opened our practice in Mount Vernon in 2001. Though I appreciated the role that CAM provided, I felt limited in my ability to meet the spectrum of patient’s primary health care needs. Therefore, I returned to school and obtained my masters as a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner from Seattle University.
I appreciate seeing patients of all ages and especially enjoy long-term relationships with the entire family. I believe in working with patients to determine the underlying cause of illness and deciding what makes each person well. I am a strong believer in preventative health care and encourage patients to actively participate in their own health care.
When not in clinic, I enjoy working on home and yard projects, but especially riding my bikes, running, hiking and fly fishing. Most of all, I love spending time and having adventures with my wife and three children.
Lydia LaSalle
Naturopathic Doctor
Education: Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University and Bachelor of Science in Biology from Trinity Western University.
Philosophy of Care: As a naturopathic doctor, my passion is to blend a conventional and integrative approach for whole-person health in the context of primary care. It is my belief that patients should be well informed of their diagnostic and treatment options and further empowered to choose what best aligns with their values. I really enjoy educating my patients about their health concerns and creating a comprehensive and individualized treatment plan to ultimately improve their quality of life. It is my distinct privilege to partner with you and your family in your healthcare journey. My special interests in primary care include pediatrics, women’s health, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and general preventative care.
As a primary care provider, I believe that high quality and individualized family healthcare should be available to all. As a graduate from Bastyr University, I completed two additional years of post-doctoral residency which included rotations through a community health center that focuses on serving immigrants and refugees. I had the privilege and opportunity to get to know families and attend to their unique healthcare needs from birth to geriatrics.
As a resident of Skagit County since 2018, I moved to this area to be closer to mountains, ocean and my first home, Canada. I could not be more excited to be serving the individuals and families of my community. In my time off, I enjoy mountain biking, paragliding, and exploring the Cascade Mountains on skis.