Marguerite Sanchez, Executive Director
Marguerite (Maggie) Sanchez is the new Executive Director for DWW-SBSM. She is a founding member and was the Secretary/Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the past 14 years. She has been the interim Executive Director, but felt her skills were best served by becoming the Executive Director and managing the day-to-day operations for the organization. Marguerite is currently semi-retired and is the financial analyst for the Natalie Orfalea Foundation. Marguerite was a Financial Analyst IV for the Santa Barbara County Court. Ms. Sanchez began her career as a staff accountant with Bartlett, Pringle, and Wolf. She enjoys traveling, cooking, and experimenting with homeopathic essential oils.
Dr. Priti Gagneja, Medical Director
Dr. Gagneja has lived in Santa Barbara for 21 years practicing internal medicine which has always been her passion.
She recalls a deep calling for medicine since her youth and always wanted to be the kind of doctor that anyone could talk to about any health concern.
She studied medicine in India where she earned her Bachelors in Medicine and Bachelors in Surgery degrees in 2003. During her time there, she was very involved in community medicine outreach and infectious disease programs targeting underserved communities.
She earned her MD degree in 2003 and came to Santa Barbara to pursue residency at Cottage Hospital where she was Chief Resident during her final year of training. Since that time, she has devoted 21 years of care to a wide array of patients in the outpatient setting, convalescent and hospital setting, and even in their homes. She enjoys the ability to connect and help patients with a wide range of needs from ages 17-100+.
She is active within her community.
Dr. Gagneja serves as the past president and as a director of the Central Coast Medical Society. She is a Delegate to the California Medical Association where policy and legislation is made to better serve physicians and patients. She is a volunteer physician board member for The Breast Care Resource Center. She has been volunteering with DWW since 2022 and has recently stepped into the role of the Medical Director.
She loves practicing internal medicine in all of the dimensions she has had the opportunity to, and enjoys giving back to her community.
Dr. Gagneja practices traditional internal medicine with a holistic approach. She builds mutual trust with her patients, so they can attend to their health care needs and wellness goals together.
She looks forward to being part of the intricate fabric that makes up DWW that serves patients in Santa Barbara who are unhoused and underserved so that, they too, may have an opportunity to receive attention and health care.
She lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, Dr. Haq, and their three kids.
Ruth Guevara, Operations Manager
Ruth Guevara is the Operations Manager at Doctors Without Walls–Santa Barbara Street Medicine, where she oversees organizational workflows and helps strengthen the systems that make compassionate, community-centered health care possible. With years of experience in nonprofit operations and administration, she is committed to building structures that empower teams and expand access to essential services for people experiencing homelessness.
Throughout her nonprofit career, Ruth has focused on improving internal processes, coordinating cross-functional efforts, and supporting mission-driven programs so staff and volunteers can do their best work. She brings a calm, solutions-oriented approach to organizing people, resources, and information in service of meaningful community impact.
On a personal note, Ruth is deeply connected to the Santa Barbara community. Her husband is a local chef, and together they own a café and catering company in town. She is also a very proud mother of three daughters who love to sing and act, and she enjoys supporting their creative passions. In her free time, Ruth loves taking family walks along the coast, exploring great food, and volunteering together as a family whenever possible.
Jorie Nilson, Medical Director, Women’s Free Homeless Clinic
Jorie has been a Nurse Practitioner for the past 40 years. She obtained her BSRN from California State University, Fresno. Immediately after graduation in 1976, she entered an elite comprehensive Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certificate program. From 1978 to 1980, she practiced with the United States Peace Corps and with the United States Embassy in Bamako, Mali, and West Africa. Upon return to the U.S. in 1980, she earned her MSN with a Family Practice Nurse Practitioner Option in 1982. After that, she worked with the Teen Pregnancy Resource Center in Fresno serving high-risk teens ages 16 and under; the Birthing Center in Fresno, an out-of-hospital birthing facility; Central California Indian Health in Clovis, where she made health trips to the various Native American rural clinics; a weekly clinic in various locations in the San Joaquin Valley performing physical exams on the children of migrant farm workers; and briefly at Fresno Juvenile Hall.
In 1988, she moved from Fresno to Santa Barbara and worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner at UCSB Student Health until 2010. During summers, she also worked for Santa Barbara County in various clinics (Franklin, Carpinteria, Calle del Remedio), the Westside Neighborhood Clinic, and Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic (now renamed Sansum Clinic).
After retiring in 2010, she took a year “off,” then began volunteering with Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine, primarily with the Women’s Free Homeless Clinic, but occasionally in both Pershing and Alameda Parks and on Street Rounds. A few years ago, she became the Medical Director of the Women’s Free Homeless Clinic. During retirement, she has also gone on medical missions to Malawi, Guatemala, and Honduras as well as travelled to Vietnam, Cambodia, and China with a group of medical people to study the various health care systems.
Lynn Matis, First Line Supervisor, LMFT
Lynn has volunteered with Doctors Without Walls since its founding in 2005 and is one of the longest volunteers. She is currently the First Line Supervisor and Facilitator, overseeing the Parks Clinics. She is also a member of the Vaccination Team and the Advisory Committee for the Board of Directors. Her additional work with the Street Outreach teams allows her the ability to use her career’s profession as a Licensed Counselor with a LMFT degree.
Lynn got her degree at Antioch University in Santa Barbara in 1990. A Sansum internship turned into a job. She learned of DWW and was inspired at a speaking event with one of the founders, Dr. Mimi Doohan and Jennifer Ferraez, a volunteer social worker with DWW.
Lynn is passionate about the DWW mission, but it’s her personal mission which drives her the most, which is to assist and encourage up and coming medical and public health professionals (UCSB students mostly) in deciding a humanitarian path in medical school. This passion also fulfills her love of working with other medical professionals, doctors, and nurses, in the field, helping those in our community who cannot help themselves. Lynn likes to travel (coming from a military upbringing) and enjoys visiting friends in Colorado. We are fortunate to have her with us.
Nancy Sears, Co-Lead RN
Nancy Sears has been an RN for over 40 years. She earned her nursing degree from Mount St. Mary’s College in West Los Angeles. After graduating, Nancy began her career working in several hospitals in the Santa Monica area, primarily in the Intensive Care and Coronary Care units, serving as both a charge nurse and head nurse.
Nancy has always had a passion for helping the homeless and underserved population in her community of Westlake Village, CA. For over 35 years, she has been dedicated to this cause. She volunteered with the Westminster Free Clinic for six years, teaching high school students communication skills for interacting with patients. She also spent many years assisting with homeless clinics at various churches in her community.
In 2022, she and her husband moved from Westlake Village to Santa Barbara to be closer to their grandchildren. Shortly after, she learned about Doctors Without Walls through a meeting she attended with the Newcomers Club. She immediately knew she had found the perfect organization to continue her passion for serving the homeless population in Santa Barbara.
Nancy and her husband have two children and four grandchildren. When she’s not spending time with them, she enjoys reading, baking, spending time with her church family, and practicing Pilates.
Laurie Ells, Co-Lead RN
Laurie Ells has been an RN for almost 44 years. She graduated from California Hospital School of Nursing, a three-year program, in 1981 with a diploma in nursing. Her desire to continue her education led her to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1989.
Laurie has had many opportunities in her nursing career. Early on, she worked as an emergency room mobile intensive care nurse. As her family grew, she transitioned to outpatient surgery to be more available for them. Later, she opened and managed an outpatient ophthalmic surgery center but realized her heart was in bedside nursing. She was then asked to become an infusion nurse, sparking her love of oncology. Since then, she has worked in infusion, radiation, and integrative nurse navigation. She currently works at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center in radiation oncology.
Laurie always dreamed of helping the underserved. After moving to Santa Barbara in 2018, that dream came true when she found Doctors Without Walls.
Laurie and her husband, Steve, moved to Santa Barbara to be closer to their three children and two grandchildren. When she’s not spending time with her family or working on a project, you’ll find her in the gym, on her bicycle, or sewing.
Volunteer Coordinators
Blake Sanchez
Communications Coordinator
Blake Sanchez is the Communications Coordinator for the 2024-2025 cycle at DWW-SBSM. Originally from Mendocino County, Blake grew up in Santa Barbara and later pursued a Biology degree at UC Santa Cruz. After returning to Santa Barbara in 2023, Blake discovered DWW through word of mouth and quickly became involved. Just six months later, he stepped into a leadership role, utilizing his expertise in public relations, online marketing, and photography to expand DWW’s reach and impact.
Blake’s commitment to serving underserved communities stems from his experiences on volunteer missions in Latin America, where he witnessed firsthand the needs of those overlooked by society. His journey toward becoming a dentist further fueled his desire to contribute to the local community, especially the unsheltered population in Santa Barbara. In his role at DWW, Blake is dedicated to ensuring that these vulnerable individuals receive the highest quality care they deserve. During clinics, Blake likes to remind himself that our patients are somebody’s loved family member, he aims to provide them the most supportive care just like he would want others to help members of his family in the same circumstances.
Outside of DWW, Blake works full-time as a dental assistant and coaches tennis to youth on the weekends. He has recently applied to 18 dental schools across the U.S. and is excited about the new chapter ahead. In his free time, Blake enjoys playing guitar, cooking for friends and family, playing ultimate frisbee, traveling, and riding his motorcycles through the scenic canyon roads of Santa Barbara.
Annie Scharstein
Volunteer Coordinator
Majd Bakdounes
Data Coordinator
Kieren McGuinness
Parks Coordinator
Kieren McGuinness grew up in San Diego, CA and moved to Santa Barbara to attend UC Santa Barbara, where he graduated in 2025 with a B.S. in Biopsychology. He joined DWW-SBSM two years ago after working as an EMT with Santa Barbara County Fire Department. Through responding to 911 calls across Isla Vista and Goleta, he saw how structural barriers to care often leave the most vulnerable members of the community without support until their health needs become urgent.
Since joining DWW, Kieren has served as a scribe, vital signs technician, and packs volunteer before stepping into the role of Parks Coordinator. His time with the organization has reinforced how much consistency, trust, and rapport matter in caring for unhoused and underserved patients. Whether helping during clinics, restocking supplies, or getting to know patients over time, he has been inspired by DWW’s commitment to bringing dignified and compassionate care directly to people when and where they need it.
Kieren’s interest in addressing barriers to healthcare was also shaped by his time as a pharmacy technician, where he saw how medication costs and insurance challenges kept patients from accessing treatments they needed. These experiences strengthened his commitment to health equity and to building long-term relationships with the people he serves.
Outside of DWW, Kieren works as a medical assistant in a family medicine department, an EMT instructor at UCSB’s EMT program, and an event EMT. He hopes to attend medical school and become a primary care physician who prioritizes continuity, advocacy, and care for underserved communities. In his free time, he enjoys surfing, weightlifting, and Muay Thai.
Sophia Morton
Parks Coordinator
Sophia is originally from San Diego, California, and is a recent graduate of Westmont College, where she earned degrees in Behavioral Neuroscience and General Biology, with a minor in Chemistry. During her time at Westmont, she served as a Resident Assistant, President of the First-Generation College Student Organization, an Undergraduate Research Assistant studying stress physiology and emotional regulation, and competed as an NCAA Division II Track & Field student-athlete. These experiences strengthened her passion for leadership, mentorship, teamwork, and serving others.
Sophia has volunteered with Doctors Without Walls Santa Barbara Street Medicine since 2022, beginning as a Companion Care volunteer and Scribe before stepping into leadership roles. She now serves as the Parks Coordinator for the 2026–2027 cycle, leading the Pershing and Alameda Parks Clinics while supporting volunteers and helping create a welcoming environment where patients are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.
Through Doctors Without Walls, Sophia has discovered a passion for community-based healthcare and believes everyone deserves access to high-quality, patient-centered care regardless of their circumstances. As she prepares to pursue an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN), Sophia hopes to work as a pediatric nurse before becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, with the goal of increasing access to primary care and preventive healthcare for underserved and marginalized communities.
Outside of the clinic, Sophia enjoys running, hiking, and spending time at the beach with family and friends. Her Christian faith is a central part of her life, and she enjoys serving as a Sunday school teacher, where she has the opportunity to mentor and encourage the next generation.
Safia Allibhoy
Specialty Clinics Coordinator
Safia has lived in Santa Barbara intermittently since 2013 when she moved from Los Angeles.
Her early experiences with social injustice, inequity, and advocacy instilled a commitment to providing compassionate care for her community while organizing for systemic change. She seeks to bridge gaps in healthcare accessibility and literacy through direct, patient centered care and building relationships between patients and healthcare workers rooted in trust.
Safia has worked as a care provider for dementia patients, a behavior therapist, and as a medical assistant in orthopedic surgery and dermatological surgery, advocating for patients as they navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system. She began volunteering with Doctors Without Walls in 2024 as a scribe where she has built relationships with patients and fellow volunteers that have grounded her as a member of the Santa Barbara community. As the Specialty Clinics Coordinator for the 2026-2027 cycle, Safia hopes to expand access to specialized care in addition to the core services the organization already provides for the community’s most vulnerable members.
Safia is currently pursuing her EMT license and working as a primary care medical assistant as she prepares to apply for Physician Assistant and Public Health programs. She aspires to continue her mission to provide holistic care while advocating for a more equitable healthcare system.
In her free time, Safia enjoys going to concerts, playing Dungeons & Dragons, exploring local coffee shops, reading at the beach, and cheering for (and occasionally yelling at) her favorite sports teams.
Kelly Wang
Companion Care Coordinator
Kelly was born and raised in Palo Alto in the Bay Area. While her parents immigrated to the U.S., she loves going back to Taiwan, where most of her extended family resides. She moved down the coast to attend UC Santa Barbara and graduated in 2025 with a B.S. in Pharmacology with a minor in Feminist Studies. The feminist authors she read introduced her to the concept of intersectionality in marginalized voices and the need for creative solutions when working toward social change. Her newfound knowledge and perspectives inspired her to volunteer with the DWW Companion Care team, a team that bridges the gap and addresses barriers between acute and long term medical care. She is honored to further her meaningful time with the unhoused community and with DWW as a CC Coordinator for the 2025-2026 term.
The people of the community inspire her to show up strong and with a smile every day. She is passionate about connecting unhoused folks with county and community resources, medical or beyond, to see them flourish. She aspires to become a physician associate and is dedicated to combining social advocacy in any of her future work. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing and tidepooling.
Sanil Chaudhari
Companion Care Coordinator
Sanil Chaudhari grew up in Torrance, CA and graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2025 with a double major in Pharmacology and Biopsychology. He joined Doctors Without Walls as a volunteer in Fall 2022 and has remained deeply involved ever since. Over the years, he has served as the Packs Coordinator (2023–2025) and the Parks Coordinator (2025–2026). He now returns in a new role as the Companion Care Coordinator for 2026–2027, leading morning outreach clinics and helping connect patients with the local resources they need.
Sanil’s passion for public health grew through witnessing the structural barriers preventing many individuals from accessing care. These experiences strengthened his commitment to advancing health equity and improving access to care for underserved populations. He is particularly passionate about building long-term, trust-based relationships within Santa Barbara’s underserved community to help bridge gaps in healthcare accessibility and health literacy.
Beyond DWW, Sanil has pursued a variety of clinical and service experiences focused on public health and healthcare delivery. His experience includes working as a medical scribe in the Emergency Department, interning with the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, contributing to addiction research, and volunteering as an EMT with the Santa Barbara Medical Reserve Corps. Sanil currently works as an Emergency Department Technician, where he occasionally has the opportunity to care for DWW patients during some of their most difficult moments.
Through his work with DWW and beyond, Sanil remains dedicated to serving vulnerable populations and addressing the public health challenges that impact their well-being. He aspires to become a physician who provides compassionate, patient-centered care while advocating for equitable healthcare access for all.
In his free time, Sanil enjoys playing volleyball, running, exploring nature, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
Sam Torres
Companion Care Coordinator
Sam was born in Santa Barbara, and raised between both Oxnard and Santa Barbara. He attended Santa Barbara City College before transferring to UC Los Angeles, where he received a B.S. in Biochemistry with a minor in Biomedical Research in 2025.
Growing up in Santa Barbara, Sam became aware of the disparities in access to healthcare across the community. These experiences were reinforced while living in Los Angeles, where he saw underserved patients face barriers to care despite living only minutes away from some of the nation’s leading medical centers.
After graduating, Sam returned to Santa Barbara with a growing interest in public health and desire to serve underserved members of the community at home. He now serves as one of three companion care coordinators, aiming to connect patients to medical care, community resources, and be a dependable presence for those navigating difficult circumstances.
Sam currently works as an orthopedic technician and float medical assistant across multiple specialties. One day, he aspires to practice medicine in Santa Barbara and continue to serve the community that has shaped him. In his free time he enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, playing basketball with his friends, cooking, and has recently picked up rock climbing.
Kate Melman
Packs Coordinator
Kate is originally from a rural town in Colorado and moved to Santa Barbara to attend Westmont College, where she earned a degree in Kinesiology. During college, she participated in a semester-long global health program in Uganda, where she deepened her understanding of how trust, local resources, and cultural context impact the effectiveness of public health initiatives.
This experience affirmed Kate’s desire to pursue a career in healthcare and strengthened her commitment to prioritizing presence, compassion, and meaningful connection in patient interactions. She began volunteering with DWW in 2019 and continues to feel deeply connected to its mission of meeting patients where they are and providing thoughtful, compassionate care. Kate is looking forward to serving as Packs Co-Coordinator for the 2025–2026 cycle at Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine.
Kate is a certified Medical Assistant, EMT, and phlebotomist. In her free time, she enjoys going for walks, reading, listening to music, traveling, and spending time with friends.
Vanessa Tieng
Packs Coordinator
Vanessa grew up in Orange, California and moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB, where she earned a B.S. in Microbiology. During her time at UCSB, Vanessa served as Treasurer and President for UCSB Women’s Club Water Polo and interned at the California Department of Public Health in their Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program.
Maris Susas
ECM Coordinator
Maris grew up in Philadelphia and moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB, where she earned a B.S. in Biopsychology and a Minor in Professional Writing for Science Communication. During her time at UCSB, she served as president of MEDLIFE, a pre-health organization dedicated to improving access to healthcare in underserved communities. Through this role, she traveled to Tamarindo, Costa Rica, to volunteer for the organization’s mobile medical clinics, which provides longitudinal primary care, OB-GYN, and dental services to low-income families with limited access to healthcare. This experience deepened her understanding of the social determinants of health, particularly the ways housing stability and health literacy influence healthcare access.
Maris began volunteering with Doctors Without Walls in 2024 to address these challenges within her local community. She has served as a Women’s Clinic Companion Care, Enhanced Care Management (ECM), and Communications volunteer. She is excited to serve as Doctors Without Walls’ Enhanced Care Management (ECM) Coordinator for the 2026–2027 cycle.
Maris is currently working as a medical assistant and scribe in a dermatology office. She hopes to pursue a medical education to work with underserved patient populations. In her free time she enjoys running, surfing, playing guitar, and spending time with family and friends.
Caitlin Maher
ECM Coordinator
Caitlin grew up in Pleasant Hill, California and moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB, where she is completing a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology (expected March 2027). Alongside her studies, she has pursued hands-on clinical experience as an emergency department scribe at Cottage Hospitals and currently conducts undergraduate research in UCSB’s Spatial Cognition Lab investigating how reproductive hormones influence cognition across the menstrual cycle.
Caitlin began volunteering with Doctors Without Walls in 2024, drawn by the opportunity to address healthcare gaps within her own community. This work has only felt more urgent given today’s political climate and the growing barriers many individuals face in accessing care. She has served as a Vitals, Enhanced Care Management, and Companion Care volunteer and is excited to step into the role of ECM Coordinator for the 2026–2027 cycle, where she looks forward to connecting unhoused individuals with the medical, mental health, and social services they need.
Caitlin currently works as a medical assistant in a Pediatric and Family Medicine Clinic and hopes to pursue a career in medicine with a focus on underserved patient populations. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, weightlifting, and watching movies with friends.
Kailey Reed
WFHC Coordinator
Kailey grew up in Newport Beach, California and moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB, where she earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Feminist Studies. She is passionate about women’s health and public health. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research alongside a research partner examining the institutional support gaps students face when navigating chronic menstrual pain, work that pushed her to think critically about how academic systems often fail to accommodate women’s health needs.
Kailey has dedicated her time to serving her community through her roles as Vice President of School on Wheels at UCSB and as a volunteer at the UCSB Women’s Center. She was especially drawn to the volunteer opportunity at Doctors Without Walls Women’s Free Health Clinic for its mission of providing compassionate, accessible care to underserved communities, and is honored to continue supporting its work as one of the 2026–27 WFHC coordinators.
These experiences have strengthened her commitment to giving back by supporting underserved communities and advocating for equitable, compassionate healthcare. She is passionate about improving health equity, reducing barriers to care, and addressing stigmas that prevent individuals from seeking the support they need.
Kailey currently works as a medical assistant and scribe at an orthopedic clinic in town. In her free time, she enjoys reading, puzzles, going to the beach, and spending time with friends and family.
Sofia Lloret
WFHC Coordinator
Sofia grew up in San Diego, California and moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB, where she is currently pursuing a B.S in Biological Sciences. She is passionate about public health and currently works in a lab studying mosquito-vector diseases in an attempt to decrease transmission of these diseases in impoverished countries.
Growing up in San Diego, Sofia often volunteered with local shelters and nonprofits in an attempt to combat the growing homelessness crisis. After moving to Santa Barbara, she began volunteering with Doctors Without Walls in 2024, drawn to their mission of serving underserved populations. She felt drawn to the safety and trust created by the Women’s Free Health Clinic, and is excited and honored to serve as one of the 2026-27 WFHC coordinators.
As a child of two immigrants, she has seen the importance of the intersection of medicine and politics and is passionate about social justice. Through UCSB, she currently serves as a bilingual liaison for Kids in Nutrition, a local organization that aims to improve nutrition education and access for local Santa Barbara families. She has also seen the importance of these programs working in a local family medicine clinic.
In her free time, Sofia loves going to the beach, reading, trying new recipes, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.