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13 Questions with Ashley Lachapelle-Messier, APRN, FNP-BC
13 Questions with Ashley Lachapelle-Messier, APRN, FNP-BC
October 7, 2016
Authored by Marci Seney
When you grow up in Woodstock, CT and decide to pursue a career practicing medicine with Day Kimball Healthcare’s Medical Group, chances are you’ll end up seeing plenty of people you know around town or at the market. But how about having former classmates, teachers and even family members as patients? Coincidence? Not for Ashley Lachapelle-Messier, the newest Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with DKH’s Internal Medicine office in Woodstock, CT.
So much about Ashley is local. She grew up on Pond Factory Road in Woodstock, which isn’t too far from where her extended family resides, on the Lachapelle Farm, also in Woodstock. She attended high school at Woodstock Academy, where she played tennis and enjoyed science classes. There, Ashley met her high school sweetheart (Jeremie), also from Woodstock, and the couple has been married for two years. They are the happy parents of a shih tzu puppy named Oliver, the newest addition to their family, who enjoys walks at Roseland Park.
Even the courses Ashley is studying as part of the Clinical Doctorate program at Simmons College, in Boston, MA include topics that stem from the region. She recently completed a paper on Lyme disease, a tick borne illness which originated in Lyme, Connecticut, and just wrapped up a big project focused on babesiosis (another tick borne illness) that is becoming more prevalent here in northeast Connecticut.
As it turns out, Ashley has a lot in common with her new boss too. When she brought Dr. Ronald Klare her resume, he was excited to learn that Ashley attended Woodstock Academy, where his father, the late Dr. Rudolph “Rudy” Klare is remembered through a scholarship fund. The two discovered that they also share a background in family medicine.
That commonality coupled with her local roots and family history in Woodstock was enough to seal the deal for Dr. Klare, who offered Ashley the job on the spot! At the time Ashley was holding an internship at Day Kimball Hospital, and was thrilled with the offer to practice medicine permanently. “As long as you can get it ok’d by Day Kimball, you’re hired,” Ashley recalled Dr. Klare saying at her interview. “I want to work for him forever,” she said.
Ashley expects to graduate with her PhD in May 2018, and hopes to return to Simmons College to teach doctorate courses there one day a week, while also practicing medicine full time here at DKH. Every time she makes the trip into Boston for school, she is always excited to return home to the Woodstock, the place she loves so much. For Ashley, she’s here for life, and wouldn’t want it any other way! Read on to learn more about Ashley...
1. I grew up in: Woodstock Connecticut, attended high school at Woodstock Academy.
2. Who’s on your playlist? Country music mostly.
3. What’s your favorite movie? I don’t have one particular favorite but I like love stories. I last watched The Longest Ride, a love story by Nicholas Sparks.
4. What’s your favorite color? Pink and green.
5. What was the last thing you read? Primary Care a Collaborative Approach 4th edition by Terry Buttaro PhD, ANP-BC. This was a really cool read because many of my DKH mentors wrote sections of this book! I do a lot of reading for my doctorate courses.
6. Who is your hero? My grandmother is particularly inspiring to me because she had a really strong work ethic, working 16 hour days and eventually went on to open her own business.
7. Pets or no pets? (name them, if so.) Oliver, a shih tzu puppy. Peanut was my dog before college who grew attached to my Dad during school, so he now lives with my Dad.
8. Name something on your bucket list. To visit Paris, France, where my family has roots, or Hawaii!
9. What’s your “go-to” comfort food? I like seafood – scallops are my favorite.
10. Smartphone, tablet or desktop? Smartphone! It’s so convenient! I have the iPhone 6 plus and use it at the office. It’s great to have my emails and everything I need right at my fingertips.
11. People would be surprised to know that I: Am currently getting my Clinical Doctorate at Simmons College, in Boston, MA, expecting to complete in May 2018.
12. What’s your current health focus (for yourself, personally)? To exercise more! Working full time work, attending school and lots of homework doesn’t leave a lot of time for much else.
13. What’s your favorite place in Northeast Connecticut? There are so many, it’s hard to choose just one place! We often go for walks with Oliver at Roseland Park.
Related Resources
Provider Profile: Ashley Lachapelle-Messier, APRN, FNP-BC >
Primary Care
Primary Care: Internal Medicine
