Krystle Graham, DO
Psychiatry Residency Program Director
Chair, Department of Psychiatry
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, PA
Residency: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
Dr. Graham is passionate about educating residents and medical students in community mental health and is proud to be part of the founding team to develop a training program within a Community Service Board. She has dedicated her career to providing mental health care to underserved individuals and those with severe and persistent mental illness and works primarily in the inpatient setting.
Prior to moving to Savannah, Dr. Graham served as the founding Residency Program Director at Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC, Medical Director of Adult and Geriatric services in Augusta, GA, as well as various academic leadership roles. She is currently an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Psychiatry at Mercer University School of Medicine and serves as the Southeast Regional Clerkship Director for Medical College of Georgia.
Dr. Graham is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and co-chairs the Distinguished Fellowship Selection Committee through the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association. Nationally, she is the senior representative for the American Association of Psychiatry Residency Training Directors (AADPRT) to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)’s Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS). As the CFAS representative, she serves as a voice for psychiatrists and trainees within AAMC’s leadership and governance structures.
Dr. Graham is originally from Ohio and loves the coastal weather and friendly community. She lives on the water with her husband, three children, and three dogs. She enjoys biking, boating, exploring local coffee shops and restaurants, dolphin watching from her dock, and the beautiful evening sunsets.
Chrissie Clure, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Associate Program Director
Medical Director, Child and Adolescent Services
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
Psychiatry Residency: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Fellowship: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, MUSC, Charleston, SC
Fellowship: Addiction Psychiatry, MUSC, Charleston, SC
Dr. Clure has been the Assistant Director of the Adolescent Dual Diagnosis Program at the Medical University of South Carolina and is currently the Medical Director for Gateway and the Medical Director of the Lakeside Crisis Stabilization Unit for Children and Adolescents in Savannah, Georgia. She also directs the psychiatry clinical rotation for South University’s PA program.
Dr. Clure specializes in the treatment of adults, children and adolescents across the full continuum of care from outpatient to residential services and has extensive experience in treating high acuity youth and those in crisis.
Her board certifications include the American Board of Obesity Medicine and also serves on the local board for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Kristen Williams, MD
Psychiatrist
Medical School: Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA
Residency: Gateway CSB - Savannah, GA
Dr. Kristen Williams is a psychiatrist at Gateway CSB. She currently provides outpatient care and is involved with the TMS clinic as well as resident supervision and education. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hampton University, where she served as a NIMH Career Opportunities in Research Scholar and conducted published research on barriers to mental health care for African Americans. Following her undergraduate studies, she worked for Mental Health America of Georgia as a case manager and later as a project manager, facilitating collaborative care models in safety-net clinics to improve access to mental health services. She went on to complete a Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling Psychology at Brenau University and her medical degree at Mercer University School of Medicine.
Dr. Williams completed her psychiatry residency at Gateway CSB in Savannah, GA, where she developed a deep connection to the community and chose to continue her work following graduation. Her clinical interests include community psychiatry, interventional psychiatry, and expanding access to innovative, evidence-based interventions for underserved populations.
Outside of work, Dr. Williams enjoys spending time with her husband and their four children, exploring Savannah’s rich culture, and enjoying family activities along the Georgia coast.
Emily Aquadro, MD
Medical Director Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Clinic
Medical Director, Chatham Behavioral Health Crisis Center (BHCC)
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
Residency: Gateway CSB - Savannah, GA
Fellowship: TMS, Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics at BWH, Mass General Brigham, Boston, MA
Dr. Aquadro is passionate about providing high quality care to the community setting. She served as chief resident in the first inaugural class of Gateway residency program and chose to stay with Gateway after graduation. She enjoys teaching and mentoring residents and working on policies and program development. With clinical trial experience, Dr. Aquadro has a particular interest in transcranial magnetic stimulation and behavioral health crisis intervention. Dr. Aquadro strives to continually increase the availability of community psychiatric resources through research and multidisciplinary collaborations.
Carolyn Akin, MD
Director of Glynn Women's Residential
Director of Effingham Women's Residential
Director of Undergraduate Medical Education
Medical School: Mercer School of Medicine-Savannah, GA
Residency: Gateway CSB, Savannah, GA
Fellowship: Gateway Community Service Board, Addiction Medicine
I was born in Summit, New Jersey and raised in Marietta, GA. I graduated from the University of Georgia for undergrad where I double majored in Biology and Psychology. After college, I relocated to Savannah, GA to attend medical school at the Mercer University School of Medicine. Outside of medicine, I try to spend as much time as possible with my husband and our two dogs - Rosie, our Australian Cattle Dog rescue, and Riley, our mini Australian Shepherd. I love puzzles, binge-watching tv, watching sports, and playing video games.
Kevin Winders, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program Director
Azalea Clinic Site Director
Medical School: Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Residency: Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Fellowship: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Dr. Winders was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia and received a B.S. degree from the University of Georgia. He spent 9 years at Emory University completing medical school, a general psychiatry residency and a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship.
Dr. Winders has been in private practice in Savannah since 2000 and on faculty at the Gateway Behavioral Health Psychiatry Residency Program since 2020.
Dr. Winders is board certified in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and past president of the Georgia Psychiatric Physician's Association (GPPA.) He currently serves on the GPPA CME and Ethics committees.
Dr. Winders enjoys spending time with his family, boating and learning to play several musical instruments.
Mary Ashley Mercer, MD
Psychiatrist
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Residency: Gateway CSB - Savannah, GA
Fellowship: Gateway CSB, Addiction Medicine, Savannah, GA
Dr. Mercer is a low country native born & raised in Pawley’s Island, SC. She received her bachelor’s in psychology/neuroscience from the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC & has a research background in functional neuroimaging, Addiction & PTSD from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) - where she has received several publications prior to her attending MUSC for medical school. As fate would have it, she then matched into Gateway’s psychiatry residency program here in Savannah- where her passion for addiction recovery was first kindled. During her residency training, she served as chief resident & received many awards including: Outstanding Psychiatry Teaching Resident of the Year, AAAP Regional Award, Joseph & Hope Skobba Memorial Resident Research Award, GSAM Judge’s Choice & People’s Choice Award & ASAM’s Ruth Fox Scholarship Award. She has also received many travel scholarships to attend leadership conferences at the state & national level (e.g., GA-CSB Leadership Conference, Tarrytown Meeting, APA Collaborative Care Model Residency Conference). But above all, her most prized treasure is her fiercely passionate son, Sully. She has a passion for medical education/teaching and has served as a research mentor for Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM)’s Summer Scholars Program. She is an advocate for equitable mental health/addiction recovery care access at the community/state/national levels. After residency, she went on to complete an Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Gateway CSB. She is now a board-certified psychiatrist and remains in the Savannah area with her family where she will continue to care for the community through Gateway’s Outpatient clinics & AmericanWork’s ACT team.
Lorelys Arroyo Rivera, MD
Psychiatrist
Interim Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program Director
Medical School: University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts
Residency: Gateway CSB, Savannah, GA
Fellowship: Gateway CSB, Addiction Medicine, Savannah, GA
Dr. Lorelys Arroyo Rivera is a board-certified psychiatrist with subspecialty training in Addiction Medicine, specializing in the care of adults and children with mental health and substance use disorders. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Puerto Rico and her medical degree from University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts.
Dr. Arroyo brings her cultural background and clinical expertise to the care and advocacy of patients in Chatham and Effingham counties. She is committed to destigmatizing addiction and providing patient-centered, compassionate care across a wide range of mental health conditions.
Outside of clinical practice, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and two cats. Her interests include popular culture, board games, performative wrestling, and exploring new restaurants around Savannah.
Nisha Beard, DO
Psychiatry Residency Assistant Program Director
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Gateway CSB, Savannah, GA
My family immigrated from India to the United States when I was in high school. Although, we moved around the south a lot I call Atlanta, GA home. I went to the University of North Georgia for my Bachelors and attended PCOM-Georgia for medical school. In my free time I enjoy exploring Savannah, going to the farmers market every week, and spending time with my family and friends.