Melissa Jekonski received the Nurse of Excellence Award in 2001 while a nurse at Sarasota Memorial Hospital . She is the office manager. Melissa was born in Port Charlotte , FL moved to Sarasota at age 3 . Before nursing in 1993 , Melissa pursued a career as a paralegal then changed her direction to nursing where she graduated in 1993 from Sarasota Technical Institute and has been employed with Sarasota Memorial Hospital as an LPN2 up to current time on a surgical acute care floor , specializing in surgical nursing ; vascular, head & neck , major abdominal , bariatric, & thoracic .
Julie Hagens was born in Dayton, Ohio and moved to Bradenton, FL in 2002. Julie has been married for 28 years and has three boys. She graduated from SCTI as a Certified Medical Assistant in 2003, and started working at Associates of Internal Medicine until joining LernerCohen Healthcare in 2006. Julie now holds an LPN degree.
Dondra
Walker, a Sarasota native, joins the practice from First
Physicians Group. She holds a C.N.A. certificate as well as being a
Certified Medical Coder. Dondra's son, Mike Ford, was the
leading
rusher in the state of Florida (2,836)
with thirty seven touchdowns, and was named Class 5A Player of the Year
In 2004 while at at Sarasota High School.
Dan Petrach, a Sarasota native, joins the practice from Sarasota Memorial Healthcare where he was a Phlebotomy Technician II and received national certification from the International Academy of Phlebotmy Sciences (IAPS)
Kairawan Joseph,CMA
Kairawan is a native Floridian who is a former employee of Sarasota Memorial’s First Physicians Group. She has a daughter who aspires to be a physician. Kairawan graduated from Sarasota County Technical Institute (SCTI) as a Certified Medical Assistant in 1991. She was a member of the SCTI Honor Society as well as a part of the SCTI Advisory Board.
Jennifer Regar, MPT
Jennifer Regar is a licensed physical therapist, providing complimentary in-office physical therapy evaluations and exercise consultation. Originally from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Jennifer has been practicing in Sarasota for the past ten years. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Florida and a Master’s degree in physical therapy from Nova Southeastern University, where she met her husband, Bryan. They are the proud parents of a 1 year old daughter, Julia.
Jennifer is also the owner of Custom Therapy Connection, which provides physical therapy and personal training services in the comfort and convenience of your own home. When she is not working, Jennifer enjoys yoga, jogging, visiting beaches and parks, and most of all watching her daughter explore the world around her.
Natalie von Suskil, MSRD
Natalie has been a Registered Dietitian (RD) since 2000. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine and Athletic Training in 1996. From there, she moved to Tallahassee Florida and graduated with a Master of Science in Sports Nutrition from Florida State University. She started her career in the hospital setting. After three and a half years, she moved into public health. Natalie has a passion for educating, and advocating for healthy nutrition. Natalie lives with her husband, and two sons. In her spare time she enjoys gardening and movies.
Tara Stolpe, RN
Tara Stolpe moved to Sarasota in 1984 from Pennsylvania with her husband Norm with the intention that if they didn’t like it, they could move either north or south: they never left. She has a beautiful 11 year old daughter who is interested in the arts. Tara is an RN with a medical/surgical certification. She is a former employee of Sarasota Memorial Hospital where she worked for 13 years starting as a CNA. She was involved in several committees and councils at SMH always looking to improve nursing practice at the bedside, teaching/mentoring new graduates and employees, and advocating for patients as well as the staff When not working, Tara enjoys spending time her family, the beach, reading, yoga and meeting new people.
