Our Fellows

Everett Bacon, MD, MEng

Education
Medical education: Temple University
Post-graduate training: Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Current position: EM attending - Cheshire Medical Center (Keene, New Hampshire), Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (Brattleboro, Vermont)

Bio 
I was born and raised near Erie, Pennsylvania. Before medicine, I studied mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell University and worked in the wind energy industry while living in Portland, Oregon. I returned to Pennsylvania for a post-bacc program at Penn State before spending 8 years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for medical school and residency. My wife Saira and I moved to Keene, New Hampshire for the opportunity to explore all the great outdoors activities that New England has to offer while being close to family.

Until about 8 months ago, I would have said my favorite things to do for fun were to get outside into nature any way I can - biking, climbing, hiking, snowboarding - along with taking in or playing music.

Things have changed a bit though since my wife and I welcomed our son Quintin into the world. Now, spending time with him is the most fun and rejuvenating thing that I do, but if we can go on an outdoor adventure as a family, it doesn’t get any better than that! Looking forward to enjoying the beautiful New England outdoors from a new home base in the Upper Valley!

Palliative motivation
My hospice and palliative medicine motivation comes from personal encounters with the field - first with with a close friend before I was in medicine and then with my father while in medical school - combined with the professional experiences that I have had providing care in small community emergency departments during the past four and a half years.

I look forward to the coming year, and the personal and professional growth it will bring. I am eager to build the skillset and knowledge that will allow me to help patients with serious illness and their loved ones through difficult times. I welcome a return to the academic environment after several years in community emergency medicine. My goal is to continue working in academics upon graduation from fellowship.

Kristin Coleman, DO

Education 
Medical education: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)
Post-graduate training: Forbes Family Medicine Program (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Bio
Hi everyone! I’m Kristin and I am so excited to be coming to Dartmouth for fellowship! I was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania and grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere. I am the first person to go to a traditional 4 year college and the only doctor in the family. I am very close to both of my parents and younger sister who have been so supportive through my whole education. I recently got married to my husband Alex who is a software engineer; he is excited to move to Hanover as well. We live just north of Pittsburgh and we have a golden doodle named Oscar and 2 cats named Cheese and Crackers. My family and Alex’s family have become very close over the years and now we do large family vacations and trips together which is a huge source of joy that we can do that.

One of our biggest passions is travel. We are a quarter of the way through the US National Parks and have done some international travel as well (most recently getting to go to Amsterdam during tulip season which was a bucket list item for me). We consider the trip a success if we come back more tired than when we left. We love to hike and be outdoors. We are coffee fans as well so would love recommendations on good coffee shops and anywhere we can get local beans. I am also a huge reader. I will read anything but usually trend towards historical fiction or mystery. I listen to a lot of indie folk music and Noah Kahan is one of my all time favorite artists! We are baseball fans so will be excited to travel to Fenway Park to catch a game or 2!

Palliative motivation 
I knew early on in my medical career I wanted to pursue palliative medicine because I gravitated towards serious illness conversations and always felt strongly in the importance of compassion and transparency when discussing tough and often nuanced topics. My passion for palliative care has further been strengthened through my family medicine training being able to discuss the importance of advanced care planning with my patients. One of my favorite parts about palliative medicine (and medicine in general) is the social dynamics that we get to see and interact with. Human interaction and social psychology is fascinating.

I am hoping in the next year I can further my palliative skills. I am excited to work on communications skills which is one of the things that blew me away about this program. I also want to work on symptom management which I do not feel is a strength of mine. One of my passions in medicine is medical education. I am hoping my future palliative career has an educational component and ultimately I would like to end up working at an academic institution. I am not sure if I will gravitate towards inpatient or outpatient palliative medicine but think I would like a combination of both.

Alison (Ali) Golden, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, C-EFM

Education
Salem State University - Bachelors of Science in Nursing
Frontier Nursing University - Masters of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner
Frontier Nursing University - Doctorate of Nursing Practice (candidate)

Bio 
Ali grew up in southern New Hampshire and joined the Army Reserves after high school where she was trained as a combat nurse. After 2 deployments as an ICU nurse, Ali returned to New England and completed her Bachelor’s degree at Salem State University. She has worked in high-risk Obstetrics for the past 10 years with a focus on Perinatal Bereavement and Palliative Care. Ali finished her Masters in 2024 and will be completing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in June 2025. When not working or studying, she enjoys hiking with her dog, camping, and is learning to play the ukulele.

Palliative motivation 
Ali’s journey through loss, both personally and professionally, led to her passion for Hospice and Palliative medicine. She believes every life has a story that deserves to be heard and honored, and she hopes to continue to use narrative medicine to guide her practice as well as mold the education of future generations of practitioners. Ali is excited to be a part of a team that focuses on whole-person care of both the patient and their loved ones.

Colton Phippen, DO

Education
Medical education: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Post-graduate training: Idaho State University Department of Family Medicine

Bio
Colton started life in California, and spent most of his time in Salt Lake City, Utah. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies while working at the University of Utah’s neuropsychiatric institute. He was introduced to end of life care in undergrad and volunteered at a hospice organization that provided care for the unhoused. This experience sparked an early passion for palliative medicine. In medical school he enjoyed engaging in neurodevelopment research and participating in the street medicine program. Afterwards, he moved to Idaho to complete a family medicine residency and loved continuing to explore hospice in a rural setting as well as working with Indian Health Services and the migrant worker communities.

Growing up in the west, he developed a passion for the outdoors and enjoys rock climbing, skiing, fly fishing, and trail running among other activities. When not outside, he enjoys reading, music, watching films, and learning more about cultures, languages, food and traveling. He is looking forward to moving with his girlfriend to the New Hampshire area and exploring the beautiful landscape.

Palliative motivation
Colton was drawn to palliative and hospice medicine’s unique approach to patient-centered care and the opportunities to connect with people in profound ways by understanding an individual's values and helping them spend their remaining days in as much comfort and peace as possible. He intends on maximizing opportunities during training so he can be well prepared to meet the needs of his future patients and the community in which he finds himself.

He is also interested in medical ethics, and addressing substance use disorders. He plans to continue his work with underserved and vulnerable populations and contribute to expanding access to palliative care.

Jennifer (Jen) Popies, MS, RN, APRN, CCRN, ACNS-BC, AGACNP-BC

Education
Hope College (Holland, MI), BSN
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, MSN (focus Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist)
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, post-Master’s certificate Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP)

Bio
Jen was born and raised in Michigan, but the majority of her 25 year nursing career has been in Wisconsin. She practiced for 8 years in bedside ICU nursing prior to graduate school, and since that time has held a variety of practice roles including Clinical Nurse Educator, undergraduate clinical nursing instructor for Marquette University, and Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). Jen is board certified in both APRN roles of CNS and Nurse Practitioner, and is looking forward to practicing in a NP role which will be new for her. Outside of healthcare Jen enjoys reading, taking walks, day trips to experience new places, playing cards and board games and spending time when able with her adult children and their spouses.

Palliative motivation 
Jen has always had an interest in Palliative and Hospice care, which was honed through her experiences in various ICU roles, serving as an Ethics consultant for Froedtert Hospital and being an End of Life Nursing Education (ELNEC) trainer since 2010. She is excited to be part of the Fellowship in order to learn both the art and science of clinical Palliative and Hospice care in a collaborative, team-based environment focused on keeping patients and their loved ones at the center of the exceptional care provided!