Meet the Team

While our practice might seem large, we keep your care personal.

Meet the Doctors

Tom Searle, MD

Dr. Tom Searle brings international experience to St. Augustine. He was born in Belize to a Welsh colonial father and a Spanish colonial mother. At the age of 12 he went to the United Kingdom to complete his education. After graduating from Aberdeen University in Scotland and practicing in the United Kingdom, Dr. Searle relocated to the United States. This necessitated a second residency which was completed Denver. He joined OB GYN Associates in 2007. Dr. Searle enjoys all areas of Obstetrics and Gynecology but is particularly interested in laparoscopic procedures, robotic surgery and procedures to correct urinary incontinence. When not at work he enjoys a rousing game of table tennis and traveling.

Laila Needham, MD

Dr. Needham knew at an early age she wanted to become an OBGYN. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Reims in France and graduated from University Medical School of King Hassan II in Casablanca. She completed a residency at Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, started her private practice in Palatka and St. Augustine in 2009, and joined OBGYN Associates in 2014. In her spare time, she enjoys boating, fishing, and watching basketball games.

Dr. Majdouline Asher, MD

Dr. Asher graduated college from Tulane University in New Orleans with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. She worked two years in the biomedical field before pursuing her medical education at the University of Mississippi. Following her time at the University of Mississippi, she completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her goal is to provide evidence-based medicine with patient-centered care, and to help patients make educated decisions about their gynecologic health. Her area of interest includes the full spectrum of OBGYN care; from adolescence to adulthood, Dr. Asher helps women navigate puberty, family planning, pregnancy, and menopause. She also has a special interest in minimally invasive surgery, including robotic surgery. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their two teenage daughters. She loves animals, especially dogs. She enjoys traveling, watching old movies with her family, and exploring Florida’s beaches.

Dr. Rachel Kaplan, DO

Dr. Kaplan did her undergraduate and medical school training in Kentucky. She obtained her degree from the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine and then completed her residency at Beaumont Health System in Detroit. She started her career in her hometown of Wilmington, Ohio. After 5 years she and her family decided to move south. She joined OB GYN Associates in 2019. Her warm demeanor quickly endeared her to both our patients and our community. Outside of work she loves cultivating her green thumb, exercising and going with her family to the beach.

Dr. Lindsey Thorner, MD

Dr. Thorner attended Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned degrees in biochemistry and Spanish. She went to medical school at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and completed her OB-GYN residency at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. She served in the United States Navy for 8 years prior to joining our team. She is originally from upstate New York and enjoys snowboarding, travel, spending time with her family/pets and enjoying her morning coffee outside with her chickens.

Dr. Natasha Payton, MD

Dr. Payton brings her considerable expertise to OBGYN Associates after completing her medical education then participating in a successful private practice for over two decades in Canada. She has always been passionate about women’s reproductive health and is committed to providing comprehensive patient centered care, offering support with understanding and positivity. She enjoys spending time with family, travelling, reading, swimming and being outdoors. After many years of living in the cold, she is looking forward to avoiding Canadian winter.

Dr. Maria Novoa, MD

Dr. Novoa earned her medical degree from Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador and completed her OB/GYN residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, graduating in 2022. Following residency, she practiced for three years in Daytona Beach as a full-scope OB/GYN, gaining experience caring for women across all stages of life.She is fluent in both English and Spanish. Her approach to care is grounded in evidence-based medicine, with a focus on individualized treatment and patient education.Outside of work, Dr. Novoa enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, exercising, and traveling.

Meet the Practitioners

Kimburlie Adkins, APRN

Kim Adkins is a lifelong Floridian. She earned her BSN at the University of North Florida and her MSN at Chamberlain University. She began her career as a labor and delivery nurse, caring for mothers and babies for many years before becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner. Kim has dedicated her career to women’s health, with experience in infertility, hormonal balance, menopause management, and overall women’s wellness. She has worked in busy OB/GYN and fertility practice and is passionate about educating women, building lasting relationships, and empowering them through every stage of life. Outside of work, Kim enjoys traveling with her husband and children, and enjoying life with family and friends.

Elizabeth Arnett, APRN, CNM

Elizabeth grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. She obtained her nursing degree from Saginaw Valley State University and then went on a search for warmer weather. She moved to Raleigh, NC where she worked in the ICU and Labor and Delivery at Duke University Medical Center. Elizabeth always knew her passion was caring for women during pregnancy. She went to Frontier Nursing University for her MSN degree and became a Certified Nurse-Midwife. Elizabeth moved to St. Augustine before she started her clinical training with OBGYN Associates. She joined the practice in 2016. She loves calling St Augustine home and caring for the women here. When not busy managing our midwifery practice, she loves to have boat or beach days with her husband and two children.

Susan Chappuis, APRN

Sue grew up in Ormond Beach and is a graduate of Florida State University. She received her Master’s from Drexel University with an APRN certification. With a wealth of experience in gynecology and obstetrics, including fifteen years as a labor and delivery nurse and ten years working in a very busy OBGYN office, she provides thorough, comprehensive care to our patients in the Palm Coast area. Sue has been married for over 30 years and she has three grown sons. Her hobbies include kayaking, cooking, repurposing furniture, and pottery. And she recently accomplished climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Stacia Godboldt, APRN, CNM

A native Floridian, Stacia was born and raised in Jacksonville. After working a summer job in the operating room she realized she wanted to make a difference in healthcare. In 2007 she graduated from the University of North Florida with her nursing degree. Various nursing specialites provided her a well-rounded training, but the spark for women’s healthcare was ignited after the birth of her first goddaughter. “I held her and then I knew.” Trained in Midwifery at Frontier Nursing University, Stacia has answered the call to serve the women and families of St Augustine and the surrounding areas. Her desire is to show women how to advocate for themselves through open conversations, thus empowering them to take charge of their care. She loves movies, shopping and any activities involving water .She spends her free time with her family and friend and attending live music performances.

Stephanie Horton, APRN, CNM

Stephanie Horton, APRN, CNM, WHNP-BC, is board certified nurse midwife, proudly serving patients within our Saint Augustine and Palm Coast offices.

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Stephanie went on to obtain an accelerated second Bachelor’s degree in nursing from Wayne State University located in the heart of downtown Detroit, MI. After several years of working as a registered nurse in the Labor and Delivery unit, she decided to advance her career with obtaining a master’s degree. Stephanie attended Georgetown University for a Master in Science degree dual specialty program in midwifery and women’s health.

During her free-time Stephanie enjoys bowling, beach days, and spending quality time with her husband and son.

Alicia Jowers, APRN, CNM

Alicia Jowers was born in North Carolina, but considers herself a Florida local, as she has lived here since the age of four. As a graduate of Nease High School, Alicia has always called St. Augustine home. After graduating from nursing school in Jacksonville, Alicia worked in multiple fields of nursing including ICU, cardiac care, and labor and delivery. Even as she gained experience in other aspects of care, Alicia knew women’s health care was where her heart belonged. Since the birth of her first child, Alicia has had a passion for caring for women and supporting patients in shared decision making. In 2017, Alicia completed her midwifery training with OBGYN Associates and graduated from Frontier Nursing University. Alicia is thrilled to be able to provide care to the women and families in her hometown. Alicia is a wife and a mother of two young adults. When not working, Alicia likes to travel and is an avid football fan.

Nicole Long, APRN

Nicole joins us from Idaho. She earned her nursing degree from Idaho State University and spent many years as a labor and delivery nurse, childbirth educator and fetal monitoring instructor. She returned to ISU for her Master’s degree and became a Nurse Practitioner. She continued her care for the women of her community by joining a busy OB GYN practice. In 2022 she and her family decided to trade in ski slopes for beaches and they moved to Florida. Nicole joined our practice in 2024. She has a wealth of knowledge in infertility and hormonal balance as well as general women’s wellness. Outside of work she is kept busy being a mom, but makes times for the wonderful group of friends she has made in her community.

Elizabeth Meadows, APRN, CNM

Elizabeth grew up near Atlanta. She attended the University of Georgia for undergrad and started her career as a nurse in labor and delivery. In 2003 she graduated from Frontier Nursing University with a Masters in Nursing and became a Certified Nurse Midwife. She knew she was going to love obstetrics and “catching” babies, but she was pleasantly surprised at how much she also enjoyed the office and gynecological care aspect of midwifery. Both offer great opportunities for education. Teaching women how to obtain their best possible health is very rewarding. Elizabeth and her family moved to St. Augustine in 2010 when she joined OB GYN Associates. She enjoys spending time taking advantage of all our beautiful town has to offer with her husband, kids, grandkids and the amazing friends she has made here.

Samantha Reynolds, APRN

Sam is a Florida native. She obtained her nursing degree from the University of Florida. After starting her career as a nurse in Labor and Delivery she returned to school at Frontier Nursing University and became a Family Nurse Practitioner. As an NP, Sam has worked in primary care, women’s health care and uro-gynecology. She is also experienced in trauma informed health care for women. She joined OB GYN Associates in 2024. As the daughter of a midwife she has always had a heart for women’s health and she is happy to be in a place where she can make a difference for the women of her community. Outside of work she enjoys reading and yoga.

Lorraine Searle, APRN, CNM

Born and raised in England, Lorraine began her midwifery career at the Countess of Chester Hospital in the UK. After moving to the US she obtained a Masters in Midwifery from the University of Philadelphia so that she could continue her career here. Lorraine believes strongly in dedicating the time to each woman to listen to her concerns and educate her to have the healthiest possible pregnancy and delivery. Lorraine joined OB GYN Associates in 2023 and has brought her cheeky sense of humor to the compassionate care she gives. Outside of work Lorraine loves to play tennis, care for her 3 grown sons and travel.

Nicole Smith, APRN, CNM

Nikki has been traveling from Central Florida over to St Augustine for fun get-aways and was happy that she could join us in 2024 and make this town her home. Nikki graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College in New York and began a 15 year career as a labor and delivery nurse. She attended the University of Cincinnati for her midwifery degree. Nikki enjoys all aspects of women’s health care but is particularly passionate about empowering women through education and choice. Outside of work Nikki enjoys riding her motorcycle and exploring all that Florida has to offer.

Lindsay Stubbs, APRN, CNM

Lindsay was born and raised in the Northeast but her love of going to the beach year-round called her here. She and her family moved here in 2020 when she joined our practice. Lindsay obtained her nursing degree from Wilmington University and her Master’s degree and Midwifery certification from Frontier Nursing University. She has spent her entire career caring for pregnant women and she has now changed gears and is expanding her GYN focus. She is passionate about providing informed compassionate gynecological care to her patients. When not at work Lindsay loves loading up her 5 kids to go the beach, on adventures or cross-country road trips.

Naomi Sullivan, APRN, CNM

Naomi was born and raised in the Gainesville area. After spending her whole life day tripping over to St. Augustine she finally decided it was time to make it home. She joined our practice in 2021. Naomi earned her nursing degree from Sante Fe College in Gainesville and her Master’s Degree from Vanderbilt University. Naomi’s depth of knowledge is obvious in the education she gives her patients to enable them to make the best informed choices about their health care. Naomi enjoys going to concerts, with classic country being a favorite genre, and spending beach days with her family.

Meet the Team

Meet the Doctors

Tom Searle, MD

Laila Needham, MD

Dr. Majdouline Asher, MD

Dr. Rachel Kaplan, DO

Dr. Lindsey Thorner, MD

Dr. Natasha Payton, MD

Dr. Maria Novoa, MD

Meet the Practitioners

Kimburlie Adkins, APRN

Elizabeth Arnett, APRN, CNM

Susan Chappuis, APRN

Stacia Godboldt, APRN, CNM

Stephanie Horton, APRN, CNM

Alicia Jowers, APRN, CNM

Nicole Long, APRN

Elizabeth Meadows, APRN, CNM

Samantha Reynolds, APRN

Lorraine Searle, APRN, CNM

Nicole Smith, APRN, CNM

Lindsay Stubbs, APRN, CNM

Naomi Sullivan, APRN, CNM

Meet the Leadership Team

Elizabeth Meadows

Tracy McClain

Tammy Santos

Charlotte Sweat

Sabrena Lonergan

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(904) 819-1500

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