Val embodies the spirit of Amherst Family Practice with her warmth, her dedication, her high standards and her cheerful efficiency. She serves as office manager while also working at the front desk, greeting people, answering phones, and being sure that patients are scheduled promptly and appropriately. She helped create Amherst Family Practice, bringing to us her extensive experience in the many aspects of running an office. She previously served as office manager or office coordinator for several dental offices, and has worked in other medical, industrial, retail, and city government offices. She was for many years a dental assistant, so has first hand experience with the patient care aspect of the practice.

She has three grown children - and two new grandchildren. She is certified as a Master Gardener - her green thumb keeps Amherst Family Practice looking beautiful! Val enjoys yoga, which she practices on a regular basis. She has also taken courses in clowning and she raises goats! Very artistic, she makes the wreaths in our office and the cards that we use for special occasions.

Liliana, our compassionate and skillful medical assistant, puts everyone at ease - from infants to elders - with her gentle ways and quick sense of humor. Never flustered, she efficiently cares for patients, runs laboratory tests, does patient education, and helps with procedures. She earned her Medical Assistant Certificate from Ultrasound Diagnostic School and previously worked as a home health aide. She has also worked for us as a receptionist. She came to Amherst Family Practice from the hotel industry, bringing a commitment to excellent customer service; she worked in various capacities including as supervisor and manager at the Springfield Marriott International Hotels, the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, and the Yankee Peddler Inn.

A native of Colombia, she passed her examinations and is now a naturalized US citizen! She is a wonderful translator for our Spanish-speaking patients; she even has a second job as an interpreter at Baystate Medical Center. An eager learner, she is taking nursing courses in her "spare" time! Liliana loves to travel, to learn about new cultures, and spend time with her family.

Giovanna's energy and enthusiasm make quick work of many varied tasks at Amherst Family Practice. She is a receptionist at the front desk, cheerfully scheduling appointments and welcoming you to the office. She is in charge of medical records and does our computer scanning. She actually enjoys cleaning and is responsible for keeping our custom-made gowns and other laundry clean and neat. She worked in retailing and customer service in her native Colombia and worked at Sears in this country. She has taken computer courses at STCC and is a graduate of the ESL program there.

She enjoys cooking and crocheting. Most important: she is the proud mom of two adorable sons.

Laurie is our expert in the mysteries of medical insurance. She comes to us with over sixteen years of experience in medical billing. She makes sure that the bills we submit are timely, accurate and correctly coded. She will cheerfully answer your questions about insurance payments and charges. She also serves as a receptionist, to greet you and help you schedule appointments.

Laurie loves to cook. She is a superb baker and candy maker, and even has her own business creating delicious homemade chocolate candies and other goods for sale. (Order from her if you ever want a special treat for yourself or others.) She enjoys spending time with her family -- her husband, three children, and a granddaughter.

Lynn followed her heart to become a medical assistant after a long career in banking. She loves working in health care, and she finds that her managerial and customer service expertise are helpful in this new setting. She is friendly, energetic, enthusiastic, and eager to help patients or staff in any way. She received her certification from the Porter and Chester Institute and worked in another medical office before coming to Amherst Family Practice.

When she is not at work, Lynn loves to spend time with her family - husband, four children, a grandchild, and a dog. She enjoys cooking and gardening, and keeps active with hiking, biking, walking, and snow shoeing.

Debby is our talented LPN with the sly sense of humor who is now working at the front desk - scheduling, checking people in, helping with medical records, and doing a myriad other tasks. You will find her nurse's training very helpful if you call with a question or need to schedule an appointment.

She is a graduate of Greenfield Community College with many years of nursing experience, in family practice and in specialty practices including urology and ophthalmology. She is unfailingly polite and pleasant, she holds herself to exceptionally high standards, she provides wonderful care, and she regularly makes us laugh when we least expect it.

Deb has also worked in banking and retail and knows how important customer satisfaction is. She is the proud mom of two college-age kids. She enjoys perennial gardening - another green thumb to keep us in bloom. She also likes bike rides and walking her dogs (2 chihuahuas and two lab-retrievers!).