Family Medicine Residency
LEADERSHIP
Founding Program Director
Joyce Robert, MD, FAAFP, is the Founding Program Director of Family Medicine Residency at Beebe Healthcare's R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education. She is responsible for developing, designing, and implementing a new, community-based residency program, accounting for strategic planning, research, curriculum development, planning of scholarly activities, and faculty recruitment and development. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She is an active board member of the Delaware Academy of Family Physicians (DAFP) and the Medical Society of Delaware. Dr. Robert is a graduate of SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn, and Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education (CUNY School of Medicine) in New York City. She completed her post graduate training in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Program – Downtown Residency in Urban Family Medicine. Dr. Robert has over 10 years’ experience teaching at one of the largest residencies and fellowship programs in the nation. She is excited to start the family medicine residency at Beebe Healthcare. Dr. Robert sees patients at Beebe Primary Care Long Neck; the site of the Family Medicine Residency Continuity Clinic.
Associate Program Director
Nicholas DeStefano, MD, is a family medicine physician who serves as Associate Director of the Family Medicine Residency within the R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education at Beebe Healthcare. He collaborates closely with medical residents, providing education, support, and mentorship for physicians who are new-to-practice and are being trained to serve families in Sussex County for generations to come. As a clinician caring for patients in the hospital setting, Dr. DeStefano provides comprehensive care for patients through the full spectrum of life – from birth through geriatrics. He has a special interest in women’s health, and is committed to use of evidence-based medicine in his practice.
Family Medicine Program Administrator
Avery Allen was born and raised in Greenville, Pennsylvania. Graduating from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Marketing and Minor in Environmental Studies graduating in 2008. He then returned in 2014 to further his education with a Master of Arts in Communications with a dual focus in Integrated Marketing Communications and Managerial Leadership, graduating in 2016. Since graduating he has held several market data related positions in industries such as automotive, entertainment and banking before joining Beebe Healthcare in late 2024 as the GME Program Administrator for Family Medicine Residency.
Family Medicine Practice Administrator
Melissa Keiluhn, BS is the Practice Administrator for the Long Neck Primary Care and Family Medicine Residency Practice at Beebe Healthcare, where she oversees all aspects of practice operations. With over 15 years of healthcare experience, Melissa specializes in medical practice operations and optimization, focusing on regulatory compliance, process improvement, financial performance, patient safety, and staff development. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Keiser University and brings a diverse background spanning orthopaedics, women’s health, wound care, urgent care, primary care, residency programs, and Medicare benefits. Outside of work, Melissa enjoys spending time with family and friends, singing karaoke, golfing, and participating in Wine Club.
FACULTY
Core Faculty, Family Medicine OB
Jenna Dafgek, MD, is a family medicine obstetrician and core teaching faculty for Beebe's Family Medicine Residency. She is board certified in Family Medicine and cares for patients at the Long Neck clinic. Our residents work with her on labor and delivery floor and in the clinic. Dr. Dafgek earned her medical degree at the Robert Larner College of Medicine at The University of Vermont. She completed her family medicine residency at Middlesex Health and completed the Maternal Child Health Track. Dr. Dafgek is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. She has a passion for women's health, prenatal care and obstetrics, office procedures, and narrative medicine. She enjoys writing fantasy novels, participating in multiple book clubs, and learning new hobbies including piano and sword fighting.
Core Faculty/Medical Director, Residency Continuity Practice
Cynthia Lamour, DO, is general faculty in the Family Medicine Residency at Beebe Healthcare’s R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education and provides supervision in the Residency Continuity Clinic. She received her medical degree from Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency in family medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau. She is a Diplomate of The American Board of Obesity Medicine, signifying specialized knowledge in diagnoses, management, and treatment of patients with obesity. She previously worked as a primary care provider at Mount Sinai South Nassau Primary Medical Care in New York. She sees patients and precepts with the resident physicians at Beebe Primary Care Long Neck. In addition, Dr. Lamour is also the physician chair for the wellness committee for the Family Medicine Residency.
Core Faculty, Family Medicine
Sofia Perez Delgado, DO, is a family medicine provider and core teaching faculty for Beebe’s Family Medicine Residency. She is board certified in Family Medicine and in OMM. She works with our residents in the Long Neck clinic and on academic service in hospital. Dr. Perez Delgado earned her medical degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) – Georgia Campus. She completed her family medicine residency at Beebe Healthcare where she was chief resident. She stayed with Beebe and is now faculty. She has a passion for continuity care for her patients and helping recruit and teach the next wave of family medicine providers. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and cat, reading, and watching television novellas.
Core Faculty, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics
Kaitlyn Ruffing, MD, is an internal medicine and pediatrics care provider who is part of Beebe Healthcare’s medical staff. She treats patients of all ages who have been diagnosed with various medical issues, and has specialized training to care for those diagnosed with complex neurodevelopmental disorders. As a Family Medicine Residency faculty member, Dr. Ruffing works closely with resident physicians who are in training at the R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education. Additionally, on a rotational basis, she works as a hospitalist at Beebe, providing comprehensive care for patients of all ages who have been admitted to the hospital for management of acute and chronic medical issues.
Behavioral Health Faculty
Wendi Schirvar, PhD, LP, NCSP, is a member of the core faculty in the Family Medicine Residency at Beebe Healthcare’s R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education. Dr. Schirvar is a licensed Clinical Psychologist hired by Beebe Healthcare, she concentrates on supporting and advancing the healthcare system’s behavioral health service line. Dr. Schirvar develops, implements, and coordinates behavioral health programs through fostering collaborative networks between primary care and behavioral health specialists. She is passionate about educating providers and patients about the connection between physical and mental health. Additionally, Dr. Schirvar sees patients of all ages at Beebe Primary Care Long Neck in Millsboro, where she treats and evaluates a number of clinical and behavioral conditions including autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood disorders, developmental delays, dementia, and complicated behavioral presentations. In her role as core faculty for Beebe’s Family Medicine Residency, her focus is on the enhancement of educational and well-being opportunities for resident physicians and faculty.
Dr. Schirvar earned her PhD in Educational Psychology and School Psychology at the University of Minnesota. She completed a post-doctoral clinical fellowship within the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at University of Minnesota Medical School. She is licensed in the state of Delaware as a Clinical Psychologist and a School Psychologist, and is also nationally certified as a school psychologist.
Prior to joining Beebe Healthcare, Dr. Schirvar served as a pediatric Clinical Psychologist and chief operating officer at the Child and Family Behavioral Health Clinic in Lewes. Earlier in her career, she worked as a mental health practitioner and school psychologist for various school systems in Delaware, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Throughout her career, Dr. Schirvar’s research has been presented and published in numerous respectable industry publications.
Dr. Schirvar engages in an array of outdoor fitness adventures while also enjoying museums, concerts, and “ducking” on the beach. She is the proud mom of three exquisite adult children – Gabriel, Samuel, and Charlie – whom she is thrilled to live near and visits often.
Core Faculty, Family Medicine & Transitional Year
Dr. Valvis graduated with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he then completed a transitional year of residency training. He also completed a Master of Science at Drexel College of Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences at the University of Delaware. Dr. Valvis’s interests are just as diverse outside of work. He enjoys exploring new places, visiting restaurants and breweries with friends, watching and playing sports, seeing new movies and concerts, and playing video games. What he has been most passionate about since a child is building model kits from the anime “mobile suit gundam.”
Faculty, POCUS Instructor
Jeff Leggit, MD, is a primary care sports medicine specialist who practices at Beebe Healthcare, and is part of the healthcare system’s rapidly-growing Family Medicine Residency program. As a faculty member, Dr. Leggit collaborates closely with family medicine residents and program leaders to optimize care delivery models for patients at Beebe Primary Care Longneck. He also supports continued development of clinic procedures as well curriculum for residents who are completing their post-doctoral training at Beebe. Dr. Leggit is a graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, located in Bethesda, Maryland. Following graduation from medical school, he pursued an internship and residency training – both with focus on family medicine, at the DeWitt Army Community Hospital, located in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Dr. Leggit’s training continued with a fellowship at his alma matter, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and concluded with completion of a Command and General Staff Officer’s course, facilitated by the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Dr. Leggit is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (Uniformed Services Branch), the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, the American Medical Athletic Association, and the American Academy of Pain Management. He is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, with a certificate of added qualification in primary care sports medicine. Prior to joining Beebe, Dr. Leggit was a family medicine faculty member at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Throughout his career, he has served the United States military in numerous leadership-based clinical roles, spanning across the country. In tandem, he was an active participate in countless research activities, focused on primary care sports medicine and the use of acupuncture and other therapeutic treatments to optimize the healing process. Dr. Leggit’s expertise and unwavering commitment to the field of medicine have earned him honors as the recipient of numerous prestigious military awards, in addition to many teaching-based awards. When he is not working, Dr. Leggit enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Mary, their daughter Erica and her husband, Cole, and their son Nick. He loves spending time on the local beaches.
.jpg.webp)
Faculty
Carolyn O’Conor, MD, is a preceptor at Beebe Primary Care Long Neck, providing clinical oversight, education, support, and mentorship for family medicine residents as they see patients in the clinic setting. As a long-time clinical educator and passionate family medicine physician, she is committed to cultivating the next generation of family physicians who will serve Sussex County. Dr. O’Conor earned her medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and completed her internship and residency within the UCLA Division of Family Medicine. She is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and is a member of the Montgomery County Medical Society Board of Directors. Prior to joining Beebe, Dr. O’Conor served as a family medicine physician at several practices in Maryland, including Montgomery Medical Group, Georgetown University Physician Practice at Rockville, and Spectrum Family Medicine. She also served as a newborn hospitalist for Pediatrix Medical Group, and as a primary care provider at Comprehensive Primary Care and Associates. Earlier in her career, Dr. O’Conor held key leadership positions at Adventist Healthcare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville, Maryland, including service as both President and Vice President of the Medical Staff, and Chair and Vice Chair of the Medical Center’s Department of Family Medicine. Additionally, she worked as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Health Care Science at The George Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. O’Conor is proud to be a part of Beebe Healthcare and advocates for its mission to serve the people of Sussex County. When she is not working, she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, listening to live music, traveling, and enjoying the company of her family and friends. Dr. O’Conor and her husband, Joe, have three adult children.