Dr. Michaela Ene is a Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years pf experience working with teenage girls and women of all ages who struggle with stress management, anxiety, depression and a wide variety of emotional and behavioral dysregulation issues.

Dr. Ene earned her doctoral degree in 1999 from California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego (currently known as Alliant International University) and has practiced in San Diego County ever since.

Dr. Ene’s office is conveniently located within the Physicians Health Institute for Women. Her presence in the office allows the Women’s Center providers and staff to access her expertise on a day to day basis. Her therapeutic approach is client-centered and personalized to support each patient’s needs. She utilizes a foundation of strength-based cognitive behavioral theory (CBT) and embraces a collaborative care aspect of psychotherapy.

Dr. Ene takes great pride in supporting and guiding women to find the motivation and skills to manage life’s challenges and improve overall quality of life. She has been married for over 25 years, is the proud mother of a teenage son and a young adult daughter, and in her spare time she enjoys hiking, walking on the beach and traveling.

Téah Caine, MD is a skilled, full spectrum Family Medicine Physician at Physicians Health Institute for Women in San Diego. She prides herself on delivering comprehensive, culturally sensitive care from cradle to grave focusing on the health of women and children in the community by providing low risk prenatal care, general gynecology, and general medicine for women of all ages. Leaving her roots in rural Southern Utah she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Utah and subsequently attended the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington. She now calls San Diego home after completing her Family Medicine training at the Scripps Mercy Family Medicine Residency in Chula Vista. In residency she focused on maternal and child health, global health and she served as chief resident her third year.

Dr. Caine is a fluent Spanish speaker and has lived and worked within the Latino community for over a decade. She has spent time on the US-México border, in Baja California and in rural Guatemala working with organizations aimed at improving the health of the most vulnerable in their communities through health access, health education and promotion. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine also an inducted member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

Tiffani Phan, MD, is a skilled OB/GYN at Physicians Health Institute for Women in San Diego, California. Dr. Phan delivers comprehensive prenatal care for normal and high-risk pregnancies, providing all women a safe and healthy pregnancy experience. In addition to general women’s health care, she focuses on high-risk obstetrics and gynecologic surgery. Dr. Phan has forged a reputation as someone who is committed to excellence in patient care while demonstrating the utmost compassion and professionalism.

Born and raised in Southern California, Dr. Phan received her Bachelor’s degree from University of California, San Diego in Human Biology and earned her medical degree from St. George’s University, School of Medicine.

Dr. Phan completed her residency at University at Buffalo, Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo, New York where she earned the recognition of Chief Resident.

She has been honored with many awards including “Recognition of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology” from the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists in 2019. She is also an inducted member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society that recognizes physicians who exemplify compassion, integrity, empathy and service in healthcare.
Dr. Phan is also fluent in Vietnamese.

Nurse Practitioner Emily Thurston is Board Certified in Family Practice. She received her Bachelor of Science degree with a major in psychology and nutrition from the University of Georgia. She then completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Oregon Health and Science University. She worked as an RN in various clinical settings and then attended Frontier Nursing University where she received her Master of Science in Nursing to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. She has been an Nurse Practitioner in primary care for 5 years.

Emily is passionate about her patients and keeps them healthy by incorporating nutrition, physical activity, and emotional wellbeing into each visit. Emily welcomes women of all ages. Notably, her patients rave about her diagnostic skills and her kind and empathetic nature.

In her spare time, Emily and her husband Stephen are busy chasing their two small kiddos, Henry and Hazel. She enjoys spending time at the beach, hiking, yoga, and cooking. One day she will travel and camp again!

Dr. Karen Loper is a highly skilled physician specializing in the care of teenage girls and young women and has been providing medical care in the San Diego Community for over 21 years.

She received her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences and Psychiatry from Stanford University and then attended Medical School at UCSD, completing her residency training at Harbor –UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, Ca.

Dr. Loper continued to pursue a 3-year fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and is Board certified in both Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Dr. Loper enjoyed a 21-year academic career while on faculty at UCSD School of Medicine as an educator, medical director and clinician. She is a founding member of the inpatient eating disorder program and has directed multiple programs in adolescent medicine. She retains her academic title of Associate Clinical Professor at UCSD.

She is excited to join our team of physicians and staff at P.H.I. so that she can focus her attention on caring for the medical and psychosocial needs of young women in the areas of adolescent health, eating disorders and sports medicine. Dr. Loper believes the key to empowering patients to make informed decisions about their health is to listen well, educate and communicate with patience and compassion.

Dr. Loper is married and has a son and twin daughters as well as “three rescued dogs.” She is an avid sports enthusiast, golfer and devoted fan of all her kids’ teams.