Meet Our Staff
Rosaly Rivero
Job Title: Clinic Care Coordinator
About Me: I was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1982. I graduated from High School at the age of 16. I pursued a career in Modern Languages at the Central University of Venezuela where I received my degree as a translator (Spanish, English and French) in 2010. I worked as an English Teacher for Senior High School students and as a Language Center Coordinator at UNEFA University. I moved to the USA in 2016. I got my Washington State Medical Interpreter Certificate and Document Translator Certificate in 2017 and was offered a position by ICHS as the Clinic Care Coordinator for the Highland Health Center.
Role at Highland Health Center: I’m in charge of making appointments, coordinate staff scheduling, checking in and checking out patients, making referrals, receiving / making phone calls, ordering and stocking medical and administrative inventory, registering patients, provide interpreting and translation services, coordinating care (including collaborating with other community service providers), participate in quality improvement activities, among others. I’m also certified to help students get medical insurance. I’m also open to answer any questions you might have about our services, just reach out!
Hobbies: I love exercising. As a matter of fact, I’m also a personal trainer. I love lifting weights, taking HIIT classes, hiking, swimming, etc. I also love to read, solving puzzles, Sudoku, board games, etc.
Fun Fact: I participated twice in the Venezuelan version of the show “Who wants to be a millionaire”. It was quite an interesting experience!
Zach Stevens
Job Title: Bilingual Physician Assistant (PA)
About Me: I am a bilingual (English/Spanish) Physician Assistant (PA) who has practiced medicine in underserved communities since 2020. I worked as an EMT and Paramedic in Kitsap County before receiving my medical training at MEDEX Northwest and a Master’s degree from the University of Washington. In addition to my interest in underserved medicine, I have special interests in emergency medicine, dermatology, adolescent health, and mental health.
Role at Highland Health Center: As a Physician Assistant, I can perform advanced skills similar to that of a doctor, but right here at school! I can diagnose illnesses, prescribe medication, administer vaccines, conduct sports physicals, answer general health questions, and much more. I especially enjoy helping patients live physically and emotionally balanced lives by teaching healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors.
Hobbies: I love the outdoors, coffee, and dinner conversation. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, board games, and working on projects around the house.
Fun Fact: I have three children in the Bellevue School District.
Dennis Pang
Job Title: Pediatrician
About Me: I am a board-certified pediatrician. I received my medical degree from the University of California San Francisco and completed a residency in general pediatrics at UW/Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Role at Highland Health Center: As a Physician I partner with the clinic team to provide medical visits, sports physicals, vaccinations, and more. See you at the health center!
Hobbies: Cooking, outdoors, basketball
Fun Fact: My favorite backpacking trail is the John Muir Trail.
Sarah Burdell
Job Title: Behavioral Health Specialist
About Me: I am an auntie. I am a friend. I am an athlete. I am a lot of things. What I do for my work is that I am a Washington State licensed mental health counselor and substance use provider. Born and raised in the Seattle area but have lived in Portland, Oregon, Missoula, Montana, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. I return back to Seattle because it’s where I feel home. My journey to becoming a counselor has been windy. My first year in college was spent at Portland State University. I transferred to the University of Montana and graduated in 1996 with a BA in Creative Writing. I worked in retail and painted houses until 2001 when I transitioned to non-profits as a fundraiser. In 2012, I applied to the LIOS clinical psychology program at Saybrook University, was accepted in the 2013 cohort, and graduated in 2015. My psychology program approaches counseling with a systems lens. That means acknowledging the communities and cultures of a patient. School Based Health Centers are an opportunity for me to collaborate with the SBHC medical team; school staff; and parents in support of a patient’s mental wellbeing.
Role at Highland Health Center: I have the best job. My job is to talk with students, listen to what is on their minds, and help find resources and/or collaborate with them to discover sustainable practices that will support them over time on how to manage anxiety, depression, grief, PTSD, OCD, or relationship concerns. Sometimes, patients need additional care. When that comes up, we will work to refer patients out to providers that will help them to address their needs.
Hobbies: Biking to work; I spend my time with friends and family; spending time outside in nature and taking long urban walks; photography; listening to music/podcasts, coaching soccer; playing in water; reading and solving puzzles; and cooking. I also love superheroes, Star Wars, and dogs too.
How I relax: A few of my favorite ways to relax is to listen to records and color and/or in the morning, kayaking out into the middle of the lake to listen to music and drink my coffee and/or taking myself out on solo dates (dinners, movies, walks, etc). A solo date is an opportunity for an individual to spend quality time alone getting to know themselves and doing something they like to do.
Fun Fact: When I laugh really hard, I sound like I’m crying and have a hard time breathing. It’s awesome and I love every minute of it!
Caroni Arias
Job Title: Lead Community Health Specialist
About Me: I am from Venezuela. My native language is Spanish. I started working with kids when I was 20 years old as an English teacher in a Merchant Marine Institute with kids from Elementary School to High School. I graduated from college as a Business Administration Manager. I also studied an audiovisual career and I’ve done different courses as a graphic designer and video editing. I moved to Dominican Republic when I was 29 years old and had the opportunity to mix all my passions in one single job as a School Project Coordinator. I worked with kids raging from 9 to 15 years old, doing all kind of projects involving health, planet preservation and robotics, using all types of audiovisual media. In 2019, I moved to the US, and this year, I was given this amazing opportunity to start working at the ICHS Highland Health
Center as a Lead Community Health Specialist.
Role at Highland Health Center: My job at the Highland Health Center is mainly focus on community outreach. I’m in charge of organizing community and school events, working closely with the students, parents and school staff to make sure they have access to resources that help our community members thrive. I also serve as a backup for the Clinic Care Coordinator, Rosaly Rivero, so I can support her on scheduling appointments, checking-in and checking-out patients, phone calls, and providing medical translation services to students at the Health Center.
Hobbies: I love video editing and graphic design, meditating, dancing salsa, travel, and spend time in open nature.
Fun Fact: My name, Caroni [kã̠ɾõ̞’nĩ], is the name of one of the biggest and more important rivers in my country, Venezuela, and I have never met anybody with the same name. The funny part is that nobody has been able to pronounce it, not here in the US, not in Dominican Republic and even some people from my country, Venezuela, have trouble saying my name.