Meet Our Team

All Big Sur Health Center practitioners are trained in family practice which includes emergency medicine, basic cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, gynecology, pediatrics, urology and general medicine. If a problem is discovered which requires specialty care, the health center maintains a working relationship with many specialists on the Monterey Peninsula and will help arrange the appropriate referral.

Staff

Dr. Sharen CareySharen Carey, PA-C

Executive Director

Sharen started her career as a laboratory technician for Dr. Jonas Salk at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.  She became a licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist in 1969, working at Children’s Hospital in San Francisco for 2 years, followed by 7 years in immunology and cancer research at the University of California at San Diego. With a keen interest in medicine, Sharen returned to school at the University of Southern California where she completed her Family Practice training in 1981.  She has been a Physician Assistant at the Big Sur Health Center since 1987.  In 2005 Sharen received the Outstanding Service Award from the California Academy of Physician Assistants. In 2006, she was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Women of Monterey County. Sharen was Administrator of the Big Sur Health Center from 1990-1994 and 1998-2008. She became the center’s first Executive Director following a strategic plan update and reorganization in early 2008.  Sharen is a member of the California Academy of Physician Assistants. She is a member of the Allied Health Staff at Westland House.

MargaretDr. Margaret Simon, MD

Medical Director

Dr. Simon completed medical school at the University of California, San Francisco. She completed residency at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, CA earning the Hannon-Lauderdale-Rumbel-Santell Memorial Award for outstanding performance in 2010. She is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. 

Dr. Simon has been in practice for 13 years, delivering high-quality, patient-centered care to families in the Salinas Valley. During the pandemic, she helped open, staff, and run the two new Altais by Everside clinics. Dr. Simon cherishes the time she spends with her patients. She believes that hearing their stories and actively listening to their concerns fosters a strong doctor-patient relationship that all patients deserve. She insists on providing thorough, high-quality, evidence-based medical care and strives to do so with compassion and humor. 

Her interests include integrative medicine, improving care for the underserved, and championing family medicine. 

Outside of her working hours, Dr. Simon enjoys spending time with her family, which includes, (but is not limited to) daughters, dogs, and chickens. She enjoys being in her garden, under redwoods and in the ocean. She also enjoys reading, fiber arts, and baking.

Danielle GlazerDanielle Glazer, FNP-C

Nurse Practitioner

Danielle was born in Southern California but has called Big Sur "home" since the age of four. After graduating from Carmel High School, she studied Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley where she received her Bachelor of Arts in 2003. She then spent a year traveling and working in New Zealand before returning to school to study medicine. In 2010, Danielle received her RN license and in 2012 completed a Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner, both from the UC San Francisco, School of Nursing. Danielle's clinical experience encompasses a wide range including family practice, women's health and children's care. Danielle has a special interest in end-of-life care and planning. While at UCSF she completed research on how to integrate advance care planning into everyday family medical practice.

Danielle brings a diverse set of skills and experience with her. She has an intimate knowledge of the health center, having worked at BSHC intermittently since 2001. During that time she served in a variety of capacities including: Front Office Receptionist, Medical Assistant, IT Project Manager, and relief RN. She is also fluent in Spanish.

JulieJulie Franke , FNP-C

Nurse Practitioner

Big Sur Health Center welcomes Julie as the newest member of our Team.

Julie grew up in Sonora, California. She moved to Fresno to attend Fresno State University in 1987. In 1990, she moved to Visalia to attend the College of the Sequoias where she received her Associate Degree in nursing. She then transferred to Fresno Pacific University to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2015. While Julie loves bedside nursing, she developed an interest in broadening her skills by completing the Master of Science in Nursing program. She became a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner in 2020.

Julie has an extensive nursing background, with 28 years of critical care experience at Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia, California. She also has been a critical care Adjunct Clinical Instructor for registered nursing students. Finally, Julie moved to Monterey where she has been a staff nurse in the medical and surgical intensive care unit at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula since March of 2021.

Julie has a son who lives in Seattle and 2 “bonus sons” - foreign exchange students, from Ukraine and Turkmenistan, who lived with her when they were in high school. Currently, Julie lives in Monterey, and in her “spare” time, enjoys bicycling, kayaking and dance lessons with her partner Alex. They have 3 miniature pinschers to round out the family.

JanyceJanyce Brumsey, RN

Staff Nurse

Born in Virginia and raised in New York City, Janyce came to California in 1979.      Initially working as a Nurse’s Aid at Beverly Manor, she later attended Maruine Church Coburn School of Nursing in Monterey. Upon graduation in 1993, she worked as a registered nurse at Natividad Medical Center.  After leaving Natividad, she worked at Crestwood Skilled Nursing Facility as a Wound Care Specialist and Nursing Supervisor, from 1994 until 2001. She joined the staff at the Big Sur Health Center in June of 2001.  Her passions are reading, quilting and walking.

FatimaFatima Ortiz , CMA

Medical Assistant

Fatima was born in Monterey California and has lived here all her life. After high school, Fatima studied medical assisting at Monterey Peninsula College and graduated in 2018. Currently, Fatima is studying to become an ultrasound technician, taking prerequisites at MPC, with plans to eventually attend a training program at Foothill College. Fatima’s past times include reading fiction and hanging out with her friends at social gatherings. Fatima is also very family oriented and enjoys spending additional time with them.

FelaFelicitas Tejeda “Fela”

Senior Office Manager

Originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Fela came to California at the age of 11. After graduating from Carmel High School she worked at Apple Pie Preschool as a teacher’s aid.  She frequently accompanied Spanish-speaking patients to the Big Sur Health Center to assist with translation, so when there was an opening at the health center for a receptionist in 1997, it was obvious that Fela was the perfect choice.  She soon expanded her duties and was promoted to Front Office Manager. She is the busy working mother of 2 daughters.

MarlenMarlen Perez

Front Office Manager

Marlen was born and raised in Big Sur where she attended Captain Cooper School. After graduating from Carmel High School, she won a scholarship to attend Marinello’s Schools of Beauty and earned a cosmetology license. Afterward, she worked in the hospitality industry at several of the area’s hotels and restaurants. Marlen comes from a large, traditional Mexican family and is the 2nd of 3 children. She also has 2 young children of her own. Marlen said she was ecstatic to be given the opportunity to work at the Big Sur Health Center because she has always been fascinated by the medical field. She was quick to learn new skills and after celebrating her second anniversary with us was promoted to Front Office Manager. Marlen has become a truly valuable member of our Health Center family. And, by the way, she has never given up her passion for cosmetology; she continues to do beauty treatments on the side by special request.

GabrielaGabriela Ponce Vargas

Billing Specialist

Gabriela was born in Big Sur, one of a set of twins. She attended Gazebo School, then Carmel School District before going on to Monterey Peninsula College. During her time in community college, she also worked in several of the local businesses. In the spring of 2017, Gabriela graduated from San Jose State University in Business Administration, which fostered her fascination with numbers and honed her attention to detail. Gabriela started at Big Sur Health Center in the fall of 2017 and soon put those skills to good use, being promoted to Billing Specialist at the end of her first year. She works closely with the Health Center’s billing company to make sure all accounts are current and accurate, as well as assisting the staff with daily administrative tasks.

In her free time, Gabriela is a dedicated artist and sings at the local church every other Saturday.


Board of Directors

President - Derric Oliver
Vice President - Mike Linder
Secretary - Fran Heller
Treasurer - Lizbette Hernandez

Directors at Large:

Samantha Jones
Kendra Morgenrath
Nancy Sanders
Tajha Chappellet
Dr. Michael Jacobson