Gretchen T. Michaelson
MSN, APRN-BC, AQH, MSCS
Founder & Director
Educating and guiding individuals with headache, either newly diagnosed or with long term conditions, requires patience, skill, and a deep desire to help improve your quality of life. I am a life learner that has found particular satisfaction from helping those with chronic conditions to achieve a quality of life that they may have never imagined. Professionally, I have been doing just that since I specialized in neurological medicine as the second neurology Nurse Practitioner in the State of Connecticut – a journey that began in 2005 as a general neurology provider, with a particular emphasis on Multiple Sclerosis.
Since 2007 I have focused on Headache Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis, practicing at the Hartford Headache Center with Dr. Tanya Bilchik and Denise McGrath, APRN. I have also obtained the Added Qualification in Headache (“AQH”). That AQH designation is granted by the National Headache Foundation only to providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and the like) that are specially recognized for their abilities in Headache Medicine. It is a designation that I am proud of, and shows the commitment that I have to provide you with the best care that I can.
In addition to being the founder and director of the Headache Care Center PLLC, I am also a neurology lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Graduate School of Nursing, and a frequent patient and provider educator. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, Graduate School of Nursing, with highest honors, I joined Dr. Michael Krinsky and Dr. Gary Belt at their general practice, Connecticut Neurology Consultants, P.C. in Vernon and Bloomfield, CT. With a strong desire to be more focused in my practice I joined Dr. Bilchik at the Hartford Headache Center, LLC as a headache specialist and to start The MS Clinic at HHC. As a provider at the Hartford Headache Center, I began specializing in Headache Medicine, and as director of The MS Clinic at HHC I continued my practice on the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. During this time I was selected by the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses to participate in a national fellowship program to improve the quality of care for individuals with MS, and received the Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist designation.
During my early years at the Hartford Headache Center, I remained focused on the treatment of both MS and Headache, and thereafter began to focus my practice primarily on the treatment of Headache Medicine, including such conditions as migraine, tension headache, cluster headache, primary headache, secondary headache, rebound headache, and others. That treatment focus has transitioned my practice to providing Headache Medicine as a certified provider, and as an investigator in double-blind clinical research for drug therapies seeking their FDA approval. During that time I also established HHC’s infusion treatment suite to provide acute and preventative therapies for both M.S. and headache patients.
With the Headache Care Center I am now happy to bring that specialization and infusion suite services to South Windsor and its surrounding towns, and I look forward to doing all that I can to help you in your journey to achieve the quality of life that you deserve.
Annette L. Eppler
MS, APRN-BC
I enjoy my role as a provider largely because of the special relationships formed with patients. I believe there is an art to listening to a patient’s story, identifying key factors, understanding the diagnostic work up, interpreting the results, and then putting a plan in place that is based both on science and also the patient’s ability to follow through.
I have worked as a Nurse Practitioner since 2009. I believe managing chronic disease , especially headache management, is my special calling. Chronic conditions which lead to pain impact my patient’s lives on multiple levels. I have worked within my career managing spine conditions including both degenerative and acute injury, chronic pulmonary conditions as well as overall primary care. The three most common patient complaints include, back pain, shortness of breath, and headache. My journey as a nurse practitioner has enabled me to learn and identify best practice to diagnose and treat each of these conditions.
While working along with Dr. Tanya Bilchik at Prohealth Headache Center since June 2018, I was able to focus on the expanding new treatments now available to better manage headache and migraine conditions that often lead to loss of work, loss of family time, and decreased quality of life.
I have the ability to treat patients with IV infusions to prevent expensive, lengthy emergency room visits, injections to treat acute escalation, as well as Botox for appropriate preventative therapy when layers of previous therapies have proven ineffective. I have a ten year history of treating patients aesthetically with Botox, adding this to the options for my migraine suffering patients was a comfortable and easy transition.
Prohealth Physicians elected to close the headache division due to changes in healthcare. I am excited for both my patients and myself as I transition to the Headache Care Center to work along with my colleague Gretchen Michaelson, APRN. We share a mutual goal to learn from each other, seek new information to consistently provide current and new treatments to best serve our patients. Key relationship with providers in other health care systems are available to allow appropriate referral whenever necessary .
Denise M. McGrath
MS, APRN-BC, AQH
I work with individuals and their families to find the best possible headache care available to them based upon their individual needs. I place an emphasis on helping individuals and families cope with the various difficulties associated with chronic headache through the use of positive methods and healthful lifestyles – with a particular interest in the pediatric headache population, which remains woefully underserved. I have been a Family Nurse Practitioner since 1998 and have a wide range of experiences that I bring to headache care. I have worked in headache medicine exclusively over the last 15 years, caring for people with a wide range of headache disorders. I have special focus and interest in adolescents, cluster headaches, and complementary treatment options.
Tran H. Nguyen
MSN, APRN, FNP-C
I have worked as a Nurse Practitioner and a Headache Specialist since 2019 with Dr. Brian Grosberg at the Hartford Healthcare Medical Group Headache Center. My initial introduction to working with headache and migraine sufferers started during my graduate clinical rotation where I was exposed to the real life implications of chronic headache conditions, an invisible illness that often results in missed days of work and decreased quality of life. This life-changing and eye-opening experience set me on my current career path.
I am passionate about providing individualized and collaborative care to my patients. I believe that healthcare should be an interactive and therapeutic process. I value building relationships with my patients to better understand what their needs may be in order to provide the most impactful and meaningful treatment plans.
Prior to working as a Nurse Practitioner, I worked as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the Surgical/Trauma Intensive Care Unit for many years. I also worked as a RN for the kidney and liver transplant team for many years, as well.
I am thrilled to join the Headache Care Center to provide comprehensive and humanistic care for headache and migraine sufferers.
Andrea D. Murphy
MSN, APRN-BC, AQH, NEA-BC
I am a board-certified adult primary nurse practitioner with extensive experience in headache diagnosis, treatment and management. I have been a practicing nurse since 2009 and spent several years in general surgery as well as cardiology in heart failure and cardiac transplant. In 2015 I helped establish the first headache medicine program at Hartford HealthCare (HHC) under the leadership of my mentor, Dr. Brian Grosberg. What attracted me to the field of headache medicine many years ago was my own personal experience living with migraine.
Leveraging my diverse background in internal medicine, I apply a unique patient centered approach where each person with headache is seen as an individual and offered a tailored treatment plan. I have extensive expertise and training in procedural interventions including nerve blocks, trigger point injections, and Botox administration for the treatment of headache.
I am most passionate about health advocacy and empowering others to improve their own health and well-being. I have a deep commitment to medical education and work to educate clinicians and the public on the approach to headache. I am a frequent invited lecturer throughout the community including statewide and national medical conferences on the evaluation and treatment of headache. I have been an invited reviewer, serving on many medical advisory boards for pharmaceutical companies that treat migraine, to share my own perspective as a headache specialist and spread awareness on best practices and newer treatments. I have experience in research and innovation through participating in clinical trials and have been coauthor on various peer-reviewed journals including the academic journal of Headache.
I am delighted and honored to join the Headache Care Center, PLLC where I look forward to cultivating a practice that embodies a most holistic and integrative care model. I appreciate and thank you for putting your trust in me as your provider and for your willingness to partner together on your health journey.