Evolve Direct Primary Care is proud to present more information about our primary care and urgent care providers. In this post, you can learn about 2 of our providers, Kastle Donovan and Hope Pennestri.
Kastle Donovan grew up in Danville, California and attended college at The George Washington University in Washington, DC, where she obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology in 2003. She attended Marymount University in Arlington, VA for her Associate’s degree in nursing in 2005, and then worked for six years as a critical care nurse at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, VA in the trauma intensive care and step-down units. The care of such critically ill patients led to her desire to be more involved in the comprehensive care of patients, especially during their time of greatest need. It was then that Kastle returned to Marymount University and obtained her Master’s degree in nursing in 2011.
Prior to joining Evolve Direct Primary Care, Kastle worked for three years at a local internal medicine practice, addressing both the primary and intermediate care needs of a diverse patient population. She has been a board-certified family nurse practitioner since June 2011.
She is currently an active member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland. Kastle has a special interest in women’s health as well as addressing patients’ intermediate care needs.
Kastle currently resides in Highland Beach, MD with her husband and son. She and her husband enjoy kayaking, running, snowboarding, cheering for the Washington Caps, and sampling all the fine cuisine Annapolis has to offer.
Hope Pennestri was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in the D.C. metropolitan area. While attending nursing school at NVCC, she worked as a nursing tech in the Emergency Department at Virginia Hospital Center, and upon graduation she accepted a position there as a staff nurse, dividing her time between the ED and the ICU. While employed at VHC, she pursued first a Bachelor’s degree in nursing and ultimately a Master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner from George Mason University. She became board certified in 1999 and accepted a part-time position with Arlington Primary Care. In 2003, she went back to school, attending Georgetown University, to receive a post master’s certificate as an acute care nurse practitioner. In 2006, she moved to Annapolis to work at Anne Arundel Medical Center Emergency Department and since has practiced in both urgent care and primary care settings.
She has completed several medical missions with Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade, providing care to the underserved families of Honduras.
Hope lives with her yellow lab, Dempsey and enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with Dempsey and her friends, and learning about new things. She joins Evolve with a wealth of medical and life experiences, and has 15 years of experience as a nurse practitioner.