Core Faculty

Patty Hennigan, PhD (she/her)

Core Faculty: Behavioral Medicine & Wellness
Clinical Focus: Pain and Wellness Groups
Psychology Internship: Contra Costa Regional Medical Center
Graduate School: California School of Professional Psychology

Born and raised in Virginia, I came to Contra Costa as a psychology intern in 1993 and ended my internship year thinking it would be my dream job to work here someday. After working with Berkeley Primary Care and the Berkeley Mobile Crisis and Homeless Outreach Teams, I was thrilled to return to Contra Costa in 2001. I love working with the underserved and with such talented and dedicated Family Medicine faculty and residents. My clinical interests are in community and health psychology, integrative medicine, and motivational interviewing. I specialize in working with chronic pain patients. I love teaching residents Behavioral Medicine and supporting their well-being and growth throughout residency. Outside of work, I enjoy time with my husband and son, friends, reading, travel, and cheering on the Warriors and Giants.

Scott Karpowicz, MD (he/him)

Core Faculty: Didactics
Clinical Focus: Primary Care
Residency:Sutter Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine

After growing up in the Richmond district of San Francisco, I headed east for college at Brown and medical school at Georgetown. Itching to get back to the Golden State, I trained at the Sutter Santa Rosa residency program and joined CCRMC in 2015, based at the Martinez Health Center. I love the environment of teaching, learning and idealism here—it constantly inspires me to continue to evolve into a better physician and healer. I am passionate about primary care, the importance of the therapeutic relationship, and the transformative power of family medicine for our health care system and society. When not in clinic, I enjoy cooking from the garden for friends and family, mindfulness meditation and exploring the world.

Rebecca Lee, MD (she/her)

Core Faculty: Community and Population Health, Longitudinal and Specialty Ambulatory Education
Clinical Focus: Primary care, HIV
Residency: Hunterdon Family Medicine Residency
Medical School: American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

I am excited to continue my journey as core faculty at CCRMC, with a commitment to community-based, integrated primary care. After residency, I worked as a PCP, Medical Director, and core faculty at community health centers in NYC, where I also served on health advisory boards and helped develop community partnerships. In 2024, I moved to the Bay Area for the Contra Costa Global Health Fellowship, where I discovered a passion for teaching while serving as visiting faculty supporting the development of Family Medicine programs in Malawi and Liberia. Throughout my education and career, I have had the opportunity to work in diverse primary care settings across North and South America, East and West Africa, and the UK. These experiences have enriched my understanding of global health challenges and strengthened my dedication to serving underserved communities, particularly in improving the management of chronic non-communicable diseases. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, music, linocut art, and roller skating with friends and family.

Goutami Sanyal, MD, MSc (she/her)

Core Faculty: Global Health
Clinical Focus: Ambulatory care, Obstetrics
Residency: University of Tennessee Health Center - Jackson Family Medicine Residency
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine

I came to Contra Costa as a Global Health Fellow after completing residency in a busy, unopposed, full spectrum training program in West Tennessee. My fellowship experiences during the last two years have been in Malawi, Peru, and Mexico, and consistently demonstrated how inequity in healthcare functions across the world. I strongly align with Contra Costa’s mission to train versatile, clinically competent, and compassionate physicians who take care of a diverse and often marginalized patient population. My clinical role includes women's healthcare, especially postpartum care, as well as ambulatory clinics. I’m also committed to immigrant and refugee healthcare/advocacy and volunteer at a border health clinic in Tijuana, Mexico as part of my larger global health interests. In my leisure time, I enjoy taking care of too many houseplants, yoga, cooking, and hiking the many beautiful trails in the Bay.

Priyanka Tulshian, MD (she/her)

Core Faculty: Clinical Competency Committee, Education/CurriculumDevelopment, Scholarship
Clinical Focus: Inpatient Medicine
Residency: Boston Medical Center Family Medicine
Medical School: Albany Medical College

Born and raised on the East Coast, I found myself here at Contra Costa for the Global Health Fellowship. I was lucky to find a community committed to working and serving traditionally marginalized populations, similar to those I met in residency. Here, I have been focused on inpatient medicine and to work on advancing education and curriculum within our residency to match national trends in graduate medical education. I enjoy working with residents on their passion projects in the context of scholarship as well. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my community and living the minivan carpool life with my husband and three boys.