Newsletter, 38CFR, Diagnosis for Veterans, News & Updates, Telehealth Services for Veterans, Well-Being
October Issue – 2021 Newsletter What's Inside In this issue of the Telemedica newsletter, we review the new 38CFR and what it means for our Nexus Team, announce new diagnoses for our Veteran Clients, highlight our new provider Dr. Venda (PsyD), and more! Keep...
A 1990 graduate of LSU Medical School New Orleans; Dr. Freeman’s fields of expertise include internal medicine, preventive and occupational medicine and instrument technology development. He has served as a medical and technical consultant for the development of diagnostic and treatment instrumentation, consultant and practitioner of preventive, occupational and environmental medicine, hospital and nursing home director, coroner of Iberville Parish, and adjunct professor of Kinesiology at LSU in Baton Rouge. Dr. Freeman has also owned and operated four clinics in Louisiana, and was involved in the development, operation, and marketing of an innovative non-invasive scanning device for cardiac topography.
Prior to his university training, he served in the U. S. Navy, where he completed Hospital Corps School, Field Medical Service School, Fleet Marine Force Medic Training and Advanced Hospital Corps School.
Dr. Freeman resides in Broussard, La with his wife, Marie. He has 5 children and 7 grandchildren.
Tara Thompson (PA-C; MPAS), is a board-certified Physician Assistant. She completed her training through Chatham University, graduating with a Master’s of Physician Assistant Studies Degree in 2007.
Tara’s previous work experience has been diverse and includes first assisting in all surgical specialties, Plastic Surgery and ENT clinical work, and Emergency Medicine. She served as a Physician Assistant in the U.S. Army from 2009 to 2021 with a retired rank of Major. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, learning new skills, going to the movies, and spending time with her husband, son, and 2 dogs.
Dr. Kelly is a Licensed Psychologist providing individual therapy for adults. She has over 25 years experience as a therapist and Compensation & Pension examiner for Veteran Affairs. She has extensive training treating PTSD, depression, anxiety, and a variety of other emotional disorders through the use of evidence-based therapies such as CBT, CPT, Prolonged Exposure, Dialectical Behavior, and Acceptance and Commitment therapies. She recognizes there is “no one size fits all” treatment; everyone’s journey is unique. Dr. Kelly is committed to following the highest clinical standards and helping others achieve their best possible outcomes while being provided a safe and healing environment. You will be treated like a person, not a patient.
Dr. Laura Schwerin is a licensed psychologist with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary School of Psychology in Pasadena, CA, as well as a Master of Sacred Theology in Pastoral Care and a Master of Divinity from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, IA. She has been a psychologist since 1997, an ordained Lutheran pastor since 1983 and has conducted Mental Health C&P exams at the Palo Alto VA, the Portland VA, and for VES.
In addition to owning her private practice since 1997, Dr. Laura: worked as a psychologist and chaplain at the Palo Alto VA with individuals experiencing PTSD and other psychiatric illnesses, served as Manager of Mental Health at Hazelden Springbrook in Newberg, Oregon, where she developed and launched their Integrated Trauma and Addiction program, and trained at the National Center of PTSD in Menlo Park, CA.
As a spouse and mother of veterans, Dr. Schwerin is committed to serving those who have served our country. She is licensed in CA, O, HI, IA, OR, SC, and VT and is PSYPACT credentialed provider.
Dr. Sehrish Tariq is a clinical psychologist. She specializes in working with children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric psychotherapy. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Midwestern University in 2016. During her doctorate, Dr. Tariq developed a cyberbullying program for the LGBTQ population. She is ICDVP (Domestic Violence Professional) certified. She has been conducting disability assessments for veterans since 2018.
Dr. Tariq’s specialties include psychological and neuropsychological testing, individual, family, and group psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and adults, addressing family and peer conflict, oppositional or risk-taking behavior, attention disorders, parenting/discipline problems, domestic violence, eating disorders, academic motivation and school failure, ADHD, alcohol and other drug issues, depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Lindsay King graduated with her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Eastern Michigan University in 2008. She has extensive training in the assessment and treatment of anxiety and trauma disorders, particularly Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Dr. King has worked with veterans since her early days in graduate school. She completed her internship at a Level 1 trauma center in Minneapolis, MN, followed by a one-year polytrauma psychology fellowship at the Minneapolis VAHCS. Dr. King has conducted Compensation & Pension (C&P) evaluations for over 15 years, both directly for VA medical centers and through contracting mental health practices.
Erik Levy, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist who obtained his BS degree from Washington University in St. Louis and his PsyD from Nova Southeastern University. He completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Psychology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, focusing on the treatment of children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and has advanced training in family therapy.
Dr. Levy has been a practicing psychologist for over 20 years and has worked with children, adolescents, families, adults, and older adults in a variety of inpatient, residential, and outpatient settings. Currently, he specializes in providing independent medical opinion evaluations for Veterans. Prior to his current position, he was Director of Adult Services and Teaching at an APA accredited internship.
Angela Venda
PhD & Quality Assurance
Dr. Venda graduated with her Psy.D. from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is an Army Veteran and has extensive experience treating a culturally diverse population who experience symptoms from combat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Military Sexual Assault, and childhood trauma. Dr. Venda specializes in trauma recovery and has been trained in a wide range of therapeutic orientations to include Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She uses a client-centered approach to create a safe space for our Veteran population.
As the Operations Manager at Telemedica, Sarah works collaboratively with the CEO to assess companies’ resources and develop standards for process flow and functionality to ensure the company’s individual departmental contributions to meet the needs of the client.
Sarah oversees training, quality control, and aims to set higher service standards for the company.
Carla is the Quality Assurance Developer and Training Specialist at Telemedica. She works within, customer service, provider support and quality to ensure that any gaps may be identified and then closed. She works with the Operations Manager to create policies and procedures, that provide an excellent experience for our clients.
Carla brings a wealth of experience in Quality and Training, and an extreme passion for helping our Veterans.
Jessica Martinez – Customer/Provider Support Specialist
Jessica is a Customer/Provider Support Specialist at Telemedica. She serves as a liaison between clients and providers streamline processes and communications. She has an extensive background in management and customer support.
Jessica obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from San Diego State University. Most of her free time is spent with her son and her fiancé. She also enjoys hiking, biking, karaoke, and true crime documentaries.
As the Marketing Coordinator at Telemedica, Zee is responsible for creating a cohesive marketing strategy to help boost brand awareness while keeping in line with the Telemedica brand. Zee oversees the social media marketing strategies, email marketing campaigns, ads, and videos and implements new marketing platforms for the company’s growth.
Zee has her certificate for Business Specialization from Front Range Community College in Colorado and is working on a Marketing & Business Degree.
In her spare time, Zee enjoys playing music with her rock band in the local Colorado scene, taking weekend trips to explore the state of Colorado, and reading at home or at a local coffee shop.
Sundé Nesbit
PhD & Quality Assurance
I am a licensed psychologist who has specialized in comprehensive evaluations for clarification of diagnostic concerns. I have experience clarifying concerns relating to emotional distress, behavioral challenges, memory and attention concerns, learning concerns, and relational difficulties. I have worked as an evaluator in the VA in the past, and have conducted assessments and provided treatment to veterans suffering from PTSD. Having been a university professor in the past, I am detail-focused and thorough in evaluations; I value the work that I do with the QA team, because I try to balance advocacy and support for both veterans and providers.
In my personal time, I stay busy with my partner and my daughter; they keep me on my toes, along with our two crazy cats (named Calvin and Hobbes). We love to travel and take in live shows (music, plays, etc). I frequently travel to California with my family, and we are frequently found playing at the beach or hiking in the foothills while there.
Laura has an extensive background in customer service management, training, and worked as a contractor for veteran military benefits, she has a deep respect for our veterans and is honored to be able to work for a group of people she deeply admires.
Dr. Mike Salvatore is a licensed clinical psychologist based in the Salt Lake City, UT area. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College in New York and earned his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University in California.
Before licensure, he worked at a children’s advocacy center, a college counseling department, and completed his internship at a community mental health organization in Provo, UT. His specialties include trauma treatment, neuropsychological assessments, and couples therapy, and he has been conducting veteran evaluations for the last two years.
Currently, Dr. Salvatore is licensed in Utah, has temporary licensure in Ohio, and also holds his PSYpact mobility passport, allowing him to see veterans in over a dozen other states. He is currently pursuing board certification in clinical psychology on the national level. At Telemedica he sees veterans directly, assists in the training of other providers, and also works with the Quality Assurance department.
Most of his free time is spent with his lovely wife (also a licensed clinical psychologist and Telemedica’s clinical director), his five glorious children, and their many wonderful pets (including Waffles the giant service dog). When not working he enjoys exercising, hiking, hockey, martial arts, reading, guitar, and “DMing” or playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Jeremy has been married for 13 years and has 2 boys, ages 11 and 10. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends; fishing, shooting guns, video editing and reading. A little known fact: Jeremy is an ordained pastor and loves to serve all people with love and kindness.
After graduating from PA school in 2010, Mrs. Vizzini served another four years as an active duty Physician Assistant as well as serving as a medical platoon leader and medical expert advisor to the Battalion Commander. Mrs. Vizzini transitioned to the Texas Army National Guard in 2014 where she continues to serve and has held the roles of Office in Charge and Brigade PA.
Mrs. Vizzini also serves as the senior PA for a UT Southwestern Community Health Clinic, and as the lead Physician Assistant for Telemedica. Mrs. Vizzini’s publication, The Barriers to Continuity of Care at a Community-Based Free Clinic, was the Poster Presentation at the North American Primary Care Research Group’s 45th Annual Meeting in Montreal, Canada. Mrs. Vizzini is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and Physician Assistants in Virtual Medicine and Telemedicine
Her specialties include trauma, suicidal ideation, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Autism Spectrum Disorder, attachment issues, religious issues, women’s issues, and parenting skills.
Dr. Medina-Salvatore graduated from Azusa Pacific University (’08) with Honors with a major in Psychology and a minor in Biblical Studies. She earned her Master’s degree (’13) and her PsyD (’15) from Antioch University New England. Her research during graduate school centered on Asian Americans, family therapy, and women’s issues. She completed her APA predoctoral internship (’14) at Western Youth Services in Orange County, CA, where she was also trained on the ADOS-2. Her APA postdoctoral residency was at Kaiser Antioch in Antioch, CA, which emphasized treating adolescents and young adults at risk for hospitalization or who had just been released from the hospital for suicide attempts. She has been a licensed clinical psychologist in Utah since December 2016
Since moving to Utah in 2016, she has been working with suicidal and personality-disordered adults and teens in residential and community mental health settings, as well as providing psychological testing. In her free time she enjoys playing with her daughters and 3 step-children, spending time with friends, and smothering her three cats, Marshmallow, Mabon, and Chococat, with love and affection.