Our Providers

Dr. Joseph Shanahan

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine with additional certifications in Rheumatology and a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology, Dr. Joseph Shanahan is a highly skilled and experienced specialist providing comprehensive care at his practice in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Dr. Shanahan received his medical degree from the UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and received the Angelo P. Angelides Award for Excellence in Medicine. After graduation, Dr. Shanahan completed his internship and residency training in Internal Medicine, as well as a fellowship in Rheumatology, at Duke University Medical Center, serving as Chief Fellow for his final year.

Before beginning his own practice, Dr. Shanahan was an Associate at Carolina Arthritis Associates in Wilmington. In addition to his practice duties, he also currently serves as an Assistant Consulting Professor in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at Duke University Medical Center.

Throughout his medical training and practice experience, Dr. Shanahan has co-authored several articles and book chapters, and has been a principal- and sub-investigator on clinical research studies on the latest developments in the field of rheumatology. He has also served as a reviewer for leading medical journals, including the American College of Rheumatology Abstracts and the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Dr. Shanahan is currently a member of the Advisory Board of Actelion Pharmaceuticals.

Michelle Dowdall, PA-C

Michelle Dowdall is a certified Physician Assistant who has been in practice since 2000. She completed her PA training and received a Master's Degree in the Science of Medicine from Western Michigan Univerisity in Kalamazoo, MI. Prior to this, she received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana.

Prior to coming onto staff at Shanahan Rheumatology, Michelle has practiced in the areas of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, which has enabled her to develop expertise in management of complex musculoskeletal issues. She has numerous years of experience evaluating and treating patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She has also worked as a co-investigator and study coordinator on numerous research studies.

Staff

Amanda Long, B.A.
Office Manager

Amanda Long was born in New York City and raised in Charlotte. She graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she majored in Education and English. In her free time she enjoys playing tennis, reading, watching movies, and spending time at the beach. She thinks Shanahan Rheumatology is pretty awesome.

Rasheena Brown, RN, BSN
Clinical Research Supervisor

Rasheena was born and raised here in Raleigh. She graduated from East Carolina University where she majored in Nursing. Although her experience has been oncology, Rasheena comes to us with over 8 years of research experience and is very excited to work with Dr. Shanahan. In her free time, Rasheena loves spending time traveling with friends and family.

Mary Hopkins
Front Office Administrator

Mary was raised in La Plata, Maryland, but has lived in North Carolina since 2011. In college, Mary chose to study medical administration because she is passionate about giving the best experience to all patients. Mary loves reading in her free time and playing with her two rescued dogs, Kip and Cosette.

Farrah Gill
Medical Assistant

Farrah first aspired to work in the medical field after a Kindergarten field trip to the local hospital. Although she was born and raised in NC, she spent fourteen years in Jacksonville, Florida. She is a married, proud mother of two. Farrah greatly enjoys the beach, Disney World and spending as much time as she can with her family!

Rita Nguyen
Clinical Research Assistant

Rita is from Hue, Vietnam and has lived in Anaheim, California before she moved here to Raleigh. She is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned her B.A. in Global Health with a minor in Medical Anthropology. Rita loves to travel, study global history, and experience different cultures. When she's not exploring the world, she enjoys going to concerts, trying out new restaurants, and spending time with her love ones.

Charnetta Williams
Medical Assistant

Charnetta was born in North Carolina. She graduated from the Medical Arts School in Raleigh with my Medical Assistant. In her free time she loves to cook and play with her dog Royal. She loves helping people anyway that she can.

Dezie Cox
Medical Assistant

Dezie is from Durham, NC and has lived in Garner for the past 11 years. She has worked as a lab technician for 16 years. She graduated from University of Phoenix in 2013 with Bachelor of Science in health and human services as well as Certified medical assisting. Dezie has worked in the field as a certified medical assistant for 5 years. She is a mother of two and in her spare time she loves writing, books, and playing with her kids.

Susie Hallstrand RN, BSN
Infusion Nurse

Susie was born and raised in Michigan. She attended Grand Valley State University and received a degree in nursing. Her nursing experience includes 8 years in surgical ICU and 2 years of infusion nursing. In her free time, she loves the beach, scrap booking, and spending time with her husband and 3 children.