It’s no secret that many patients struggle to find a primary or specialty care physician. The journey doesn’t end once you have one, as many patients wish that their primary care physician would take the time to get to know them and also connect them with trusted specialists and healthcare services. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In the U.S., there’s an ongoing shortage of primary care physicians, making it increasingly difficult for people to find a doctor. In fact, the Association of American Medical Colleges reports that, as of mid-year 2025, there is a shortfall of over 13,000 primary care physicians.¹ Despite this challenge, Griffin Health is committed to providing more primary care physicians and advanced practice providers to ensure patients feel valued and connected to high-quality, person-centered specialists and treatment services when needed.
The goal for Griffin is for you and your family establish a relationship with a primary care physician for decades to come.
While most healthcare systems struggle to maintain their primary care roster, Griffin is actively expanding—adding new providers across The Valley region it serves. More importantly, Griffin understands that finding the right doctor isn’t just about availability—it’s about finding someone who provides healthcare with genuine approachability, kindness, and compassion, someone who cares about the story of you—all without long wait times for an appointment. With several new Griffin Faculty Physician providers practicing in Ansonia, Derby, Naugatuck, Oxford, Southbury, and Shelton, finding YOUR primary care physician at a medical practice where understanding your needs and what matters to you is the norm, not the exception.
The Importance of Having a Relationship with Your Primary Care Physician
We all have our regular places—our favorite coffee shop, bakery, local corner store or restaurant—places where we know the staff and the staff knows us. Being a “regular” is an important part of belonging to a community. The same principle applies to healthcare. People who have a relationship with their primary care physician get better care and usually enjoy better health outcomes². As your first point of contact seeking medical care, primary care physicians play a vital role in preventive care, early detection and treatment of diseases, management of chronic conditions, and acute care in both inpatient and outpatient settings³ ⁴. At Griffin Faculty Physician locations, patients are actively encouraged to have yearly “well visits” which help establish a baseline for your health, allowing your primary care physician to notice subtle changes based on your health history. Your doctor can then help guide you through the care system, connecting you to Griffin specialists who share your primary care physician’s person-centered care focus and can provide the expert treatment that ensures your continuing good health.
Where Connected Care Makes the Difference
Quality primary care begins with a solid relationship. Griffin Health, recognized with Planetree’s gold designation, places patients at the center of care. This designation reflects an intense focus on understanding each patient’s story, goals, and challenges to provide more effective treatment. All staff receive extensive Planetree person-centered care training to connect with patients and partner with them in improving their health. As a result, patients experience a supportive, personalized environment where patients feel heard, valued, and empowered, which leads to better experiences and improved outcomes.
Griffin Faculty Physician practices are upbeat and welcoming, feeling more like home than cold and impersonal. Plus, appointments aren’t hard to come by—removing the feeling of competition between patients. Instead, patients have time with their PCPs, giving them ample opportunity to form lasting bonds of quality personalized care. The goal for Griffin is for you and your family to enjoy the care of a single primary care physician for decades to come.
Meet the New Primary Care Providers
Jeffrey Katz, MD. Primary Care Physician practicing at Quarry Walk, 300 Oxford Road, Oxford. Accepting new patients as of September 2025.
Alvin Gil Ventura, MD, is a PCP practicing at Griffin Faculty Physicians, 300 Seymour Avenue, Derby. Accepting new patients as of September 2025.
Michael Naso, MD, is a PCP practicing at Griffin Faculty Physicians, 110 Commerce Dr., Shelton. Accepting new patients as of July 2025.
Veronica Balbuena, MD, is a PCP also practicing at Griffin Faculty Physicians, 300 Seymour Avenue, Derby.
Accepting new patients as of August 2025. Kaitlyn Lyver, PA-C, is a PCP practicing at Griffin Faculty Physicians, 110 Commerce Dr., Shelton. Accepting new patients as of June 2025.
Sheetal Sharma, APRN, is a PCP practicing at Griffin Faculty Physicians White Hills, 224 Leavenworth Rd., Shelton. Accepting new patients as of June 2025.
Shannon McEnerney, PA-C, is a PCP practicing at Quarry Walk, 300 Oxford Road, Oxford. Accepting new patients as of April 2025.
Meet the New Specialists
Alexandra Sotiros-Lowry, MD, is an OB-GYN at Quarry Walk Oxford and Derby. Accepting new patients as of August 2025.
Angelina Silva, FNP-BC, specializes in Breast Wellness at the Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness, 350 Seymour Avenue, Suite 2, Derby. Accepting new patients as of May 2025.
Unity Wiles, DNP, FNP-C, is a Gastroenterologist at Griffin Gastroenterology, 22 Westfield Avenue, Ansonia. Accepting new patients as of June 2025.
Alexis Morales, APRN, specializes in Bariatrics and practices at Griffin Bariatrics, 110 Commerce Dr., Shelton. Accepting new patients as of June 2025.
Maria Cutrali, APRN-BC, specializes in Cardiac Electrophysiology at Cardiac EP, Shelton, Guilford, Hamden, and Naugatuck. Accepting new patients as of June 2025.
Jennifer Dodge, PA, specializes in Gastroenterology at Griffin Gastroenterology, 22 Westfield Avenue, Ansonia. Accepting new patients as of August 2025.
Shakira Sebastian, NP, is a PCP practicing at Griffin Gastroenterology, 22 Westfield Avenue, Ansonia. Accepting new patients as of July 2025.