Program Leadership
Erin Philpott, DO, Program Director
Dr. Philpott, a dedicated Internal Medicine Residency Program Director, brings a diverse and rich background to her role. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Spanish from Colorado College in Colorado Springs, where her academic experience was enhanced by semesters abroad in Cuba and Ecuador. She then completed an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Loyola University Chicago and worked as an Emergency Department nurse for five years.
Dr. Philpott obtained her Doctor of Osteopathy from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Parker, Colorado where she received the Dean’s Award graduating first in her class. She went on to complete her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Washington, becoming board certified in the field.
Since joining San Juan Regional Medical Center in 2017, she has excelled as a hospitalist, undertaking various administrative and leadership roles. She had the opportunity to spend a year in Whakatane, New Zealand, where she worked caring for a diverse, but largely rural Native Māori demographic. She had the opportunity to supervise and teach junior doctors which she found deeply rewarding. Dr. Philpott has a keen interest in medical education, quality improvement, and infectious disease, prioritizing health equity and meaningful connections with patients and colleagues
Dr. Philpott is a native of the Four Corners region. She speaks Spanish and enjoys spending her free time with family, gardening, Alpine and Nordic skiing, mountain biking, running, backpacking, and rafting.
Desiree Bell, ASBA, Residency and Educational Coordinator
Desiree brings a strong background in both business and healthcare administration. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Technical Management and an Associate of Science in Business Administration, along with a Certificate in Business Essentials and Human Resources from DeVry University in Chicago, Illinois.
She joined San Juan Regional Medical Center in 2021 as a Patient Experience Representative and has since supported a wide range of administrative and leadership functions. Desiree has contributed to key initiatives such as the What Matters to You? patient experience program, No Pass Zone, Patient Discharge Follow-up improvement and others.
Outside of her professional role, Desiree enjoys spending quality time with her husband, their three children, and two doodles. She is actively involved in youth sports, coaching her children’s soccer and T-ball teams, and enjoys cheering them on at their many athletic events.
Michelle Martin-Thompson, MD, Associate Program Director
Dr. Martin-Thompson holds an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Kentucky in Lexington. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Louisville School of Medicine, followed by a residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the same university. Her areas of expertise include outpatient internal medicine, preventative care and chronic disease management services.
Dr. Martin-Thompson enjoys backpacking, hiking and camping with her husband, daughter and two dogs. Dr. Thompson has enjoyed teaching medical students over the years in the outpatient internal medicine clinic from Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine as they rotate through their third and fourth years in the Four Corners and from the University of Washington School of Medicine while practicing in Idaho.
Core Faculty
Chaojie Chen, MD
Dr. Chen received her undergraduate degree at Kent State University and went on to receive her Medical Doctorate at Northeastern Ohio Medical University in Rootstown, Ohio. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Akron General Medical Center where she continued practicing primary care for several years prior to moving to New Mexico. Dr. Chen specializes in preventative care and management of chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. She has performed lots of procedures like shave biopsies, cryotherapy, and joint injections.
Michael Ting, MD
Dr. Ting attended the University of California at Berkeley where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He worked as a mechanical engineer before going to medical school at Texas Tech University Health Science Center’s Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso. Dr. Ting went on to complete his Internal Medicine internship and residency at the University of Nevada at Reno. He is a member of the American College of Physicians.
Dr. Ting enjoys mountain biking and hiking in his free time.
Tanuja Yalamarti, MD
Dr. Yalamarti holds a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery from Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences in India. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital of UPenn in Philadelphia, followed by a fellowship in Nephrology at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Yalamarti also completed a Critical Care fellowship at Stanford. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Critical Care Medicine.
Dr. Yalamarti is from the United Kingdom. She’s a self-professed coffee enthusiast and her hobbies outside of work include travel, hiking and yoga.
