OUR PROVIDERS

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CHRISTOPHER OGUNRO, M.D.

Board Certified, American Board of Internal Medicine Certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support Certified Medical Review Officer, Member of American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine, Member of Urgent Care Association of America.

Dr. Ogunro attended medical school in his native Nigeria and subsequently completed a residency in Internal medicine at the Columbia College of Providers and Surgeons at Harlem Hospital in New York in 1997. Dr. Ogunro always had a passion for Emergency medicine and after a year of private practice, in 1998 began working as an Emergency room provider. He has been practicing Emergency Medicine ever since working at several area hospitals including Methodist Willowbrook and Tomball Regional. He is a member of the Harris County Medical Society and Texas Medical Association Dr. Ogunro lives in Houston with his wife Elama and their two children, Joseph and Faith, and is active in Northwest Community events.

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CATHERINE OKONJI, M.D., FACP

Board Certified, American Board of Internal Medicine, Certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Member American College of Providers

Dr. Okonji earned her medical degree from the Baylor College of Medicine in 2001 and subsequently stayed there completing her residency in 2004. She has since practiced medicine as a hospitalist at St Lukes Episcopal Hospital, and worked in private practice at CEB Medical Assoc for 5 years in addition to working in the Emergency room prior to joining Excel Urgent Care. Dr. Okonji is a member of the Texas Medical Association and Harris County Medical Society.

 

DR. KEMKA HEKEREM MD, MPH

Board certified American Board of Family Medicine, Board certified American Board of Preventive Medicine- Occupational Medicine, Member American Academy of Family Physicians, Member American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Dr. Hekerem earned his medical degree from the University of Port Harcourt Nigeria in 2003. He completed his family medicine residency in 2012 at the Southwest Oklahoma Family Practice Residency in Lawton Oklahoma. He completed a fellowship in occupational medicine in 2014 at the University of Texas School of Public Health where he also obtained a Master of Public Health degree.

Dr. Hekerem since graduation from residency has practiced medicine in the emergency room, several outpatient clinics and occupational medicine clinics. Outside of work, Dr. Hekerem enjoys watching soccer, listening to music and spending time with his children.

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DR JORGE VALENCIA, MD

Dr. Jorge R. Valencia, MD earned his medical degree from the Military University in Bogota, Colombia and finish his family practice residency in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1999. He has been board certified in Family Medicine for 19 years. He has experience in teaching, hospital medicine, private practice and for the last 10 years he has worked in urgent care and emergency medicine. He was working for 8 years at the Cypress Fairbanks Urgent Care Center prior to joint Excel Urgent Care. He has been a hospitalist for Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center since 2015. He is member of the American Medical Association, Texas Medical Association, Harris County Medical Society and the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is fluent in English and Spanish.​

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LAURA SHEPHERD, NURSE PRACTITIONER

Laura Shepherd is a proud graduate of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston. She is deeply committed to raising health awareness within the community, focusing on a variety of health-related issues. Residing in Richmond, TX with her spouse, Laura cherishes her leisure time, often spent in the embrace of nature with her family or exploring new destinations through travel. ​

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MARISSA PANGAN, NURSE PRACTITIONER

Marissa Pangan is a dedicated Nurse Practitioner whose academic journey led her from a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to a Master of Science in Nursing, achieving her degrees from St. Paul University in 1994 and 1996. She further honed her skills, graduating from the Nurse Practitioner program at Houston Christian University in 2020.

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Her extensive nursing experience spans a variety of clinical settings, with a significant 13-year tenure in the Emergency Department before she transitioned to the Nurse Practitioner role. Beyond her professional achievements, Marissa enjoys the tranquility of gardening and the vitality of running, pursuits that reflect her commitment to a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

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AMELIA SHELBY-NWOKEJI, MD

Amelia Shelby-Nwokeji, MD, is a Board-certified Family Physician with more than 15 years of experience in emergency medicine and urgent care. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she completed her undergraduate degree at Columbia University in New York, NY, before attending medical school at Howard University College of Medicine.  Her family medicine training was completed at Georgetown University in Washington DC.  She settled in the Houston area in 2005 with her husband, urologist Cordell Nwokeji, MD, and their 3 children. When not caring for patients, Dr. Nwokeji loves traveling, cooking and spending time with her church, family and friends.