Our Staff

Vimla Bhagwandin, MD

Vimla Bhagwandin, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician providing compassionate, individualized care for infants, children, and teens. She received her medical degree from the University of Guyana in Turkeyen, Guyana, and completed her residency at St. Barnabus Hospital in The Bronx, New York.

Dr. Bhagwandin works to create a personalized care plan that addresses the physical, mental, and emotional health needs of your child. She has a special interest in preventive care, finding health concerns early and managing chronic conditions.

She is bi-lingual and speaks both English and Spanish.

 

Rebecca Eberle, PA

Rebecca Eberle, PA, is a board-certified Physician Assistant. She earned her bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. After graduation, Eberle did health care research and worked as a Medical Assistant. She received a master’s in physician assistant studies from the University of South Alabama. She works with patients on all ages from children to geriatric.

 

 

 

Brian Gavan, MD

Brian Gavan, MD, is originally from Phoenix, AZ.  He attended Arizona State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in nutrition. Dr. Gavan obtained his medical degree at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences on St. Kitts and Nevis.  He moved to Mobile for his Pediatric residency at the University of South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital.  During residency, he fell in love with Mobile and spent an extra year at the University of South Alabama as Chief Medical Resident.  Following his Chief year, he signed on as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at University Hospital.

Rajesh Gujjula, MD

Rajesh Gujjula, M.D. has joined AltaPointe’s primary care division, Accordia Health in Bayou La Batre. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Vikas Junior College in Guntur, India, and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal, India. Dr. Gujjula completed his residency in Family Medicine at Louisiana State University Health Science Center – Shreveport in Monroe, Louisiana.  He has more than six years of experience in primary care and wound care. He has also worked in both the urgent care and inpatient settings.  He is board-certified in Family Medicine.

 

 

Richelle Jefferson, MD

Dr. Richelle A. Jefferson earned a Bachelor of Science from Louisiana State University and a Master of Science in Biology, Medical Sciences from Mississippi College.

She graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical Center with a Doctor of Medicine. She then completed Family Medicine training at the University of South Alabama Family Medicine Residency, where she served as chief resident during her third year.

Dr. Jefferson has a lifelong passion for teaching and a commitment to providing quality care to medically underserved populations. She enjoys seeing patients of all ages, and she has particular interest in women’s health, preventative medicine, and in-office procedures.

Dr. Jefferson is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Alabama Dept. of Family Medicine.

 

Sarah McMullin, MD

Sarah McMullin, M.D., grew up in New Brunswick, Canada, but has since lived and trained around the world. She graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine (in Newcastle, United Kingdom and Grenada, West Indies), completed her pediatric residency at the University at Buffalo and completed a sports medicine fellowship at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. During fellowship, she had the opportunity to train at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, treating recreational and professional dancers from world-renowned companies in New York City and beyond.

Dr. McMullin enjoys treating patients of all ages and encouraging physical activity as a pathway to lifelong health. She prefers to take a multifaceted, personal approach to her treatment plans, considering the entire body and mind. She has a special interest in working with young female athletes and dancers as she grew up dancing, figure skating and participating in track and field in Canada.

Dr. McMullin is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Alabama Dept. of Family Medicine/Pediatrics as well as the Sports Medicine Assistant Fellowship Director.

 

Ehab Molokhia, MD

Ehab Molokhia, M.D. joined the faculty after completing his residency at the University of South Alabama Family Medicine. He became Interim Chair of the Department of Family Medicine July 1, 2023, after serving several years as Vice Chair and is also the Residency Director. He has served as program director since 2012.

Dr. Molokhia’s hometown is Ann Arbor, MI. He did all of his undergraduate work, as well as earned his medical degree, from the University of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt.

 

Amit Pant, MD

Amit Pant, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician providing personalized care to children of all ages. He earned his medical degree from Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. He completed his pediatric residency at the University of South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Pant strives to provide integrated care to address a child’s mental, physical and emotional needs. He has a special interest in gastrointestinal disorders, growth and development, and timely administration of vaccinations to prevent serious disease.

 

Ann Payne-Johnson, MD

Ann Payne-Johnson, M.D., received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a Master of Science in marriage and family therapy from the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg. She graduated from Spartan Health Sciences University School of Medicine in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia, in 2000. Dr. Payne-Johnson holds dual board certifications in family medicine and obesity medicine.

Dr. Payne-Johnson has a long history in fitness, nutrition, and exercise. She enjoys seeing patients from infancy, adolescence and throughout adulthood. She has interests in wellness care, preventative medicine, women’s health, and weight management.

Dr. Payne-Johnson is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Alabama dept. of Family Medicine.

 

R. Allen Perkins, MD

R. Allen Perkins, M.D.,  has served as the University of South Alabama Family Medicine department chair from 2005 to 2023. He is a professor, Chief Ambulatory CMO and Population Health Officer with the department as well. He teaches several of the procedural components within our Family Medicine Department including obstetrical ultrasound. Dr. Perkins academic interests are focused on improving care delivery to underserved populations and care of patients with chronic diseases.

 

Jenna Pfleeger, MD

Jenna Pfleeger, M.D., earned her medical degree at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. She completed residency at University of South Alabama Family Medicine where she also served as chief resident during her final year at which time she also completed a fellowship in Faculty Development at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Upon completion of her residency, Dr. Pfleeger joined our faculty as an assistant professor and has a strong interest in undergraduate medical education and serves as the clerkship director to our medical students.

Dr. Pfleeger is dedicated to serving all members of the community and is listed under Rainbow Mobile as an affirming provider. She is also a member of the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.

 

Peter Rippey, MD

Peter Rippey, M.D., is originally from Missouri and began his medical career as an occupational therapist before returning to obtain a medical degree from the University of Missouri. He completed his family medicine residency and sports medicine fellowship training at Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, Fla. He has experience practicing in multiple settings including private practice, hospital-based practice, and emergency medicine. He served as team physician for collegiate and high school athletics, as well as covering community sporting events.

He has passion for treating the athlete as a whole instead of focusing only on the immediate injury. Rippey teaches that injuries do not only involve the athlete’s muscles or joints. It can affect their mental health, be caused by training errors, and even result from problems with nutrition. These issues need to be considered and addressed when caring for athletes and achieving the ultimate goal – injury prevention.

Dr. Rippey heads our procedural training as well as our point-of-care ultrasound training. He is an Assistant Professor and Sports Medicine Fellowship Director at the University of South Alabama Dept. of Family Medicine.

 

Hari K. Sivanandam, MD

Hari K. Sivanandam, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician providing compassionate care to patients from birth to age 18. While in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, he earned his medical degree from Stanley Medical College and worked on his pediatric residency at the Madras Medical College Institute of Child Health and Hospital. He completed his pediatric residency at the University of South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Sivanandam practices whole person care addressing a patient’s mental and physical needs. He has a special interest in the medical needs of children, global health, and healthcare access to underserved communities.

 

Rebecca Sollie, MD

Rebecca Sollie, M.D., is a 2015 graduate of the University of Alabama, School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL and completed her residency in 2018 at the University of South Alabama Residency Program.  Dr. Sollie joined South’s faculty as an assistant professor following the completion of her residency and is the Assistant Program Director for the Dept. of Family Medicine.  She is a member of the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians and Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.  She has a strong interest in family, maternal, and childcare beginning before conception.  Dr. Sollie also works closely with our Advanced Obstetrics in Primary Care Fellowship.

 

Kathy Hintz, MHS, PA-C

Kathy Hintz, MHS, PA-C, is a nationally certified family practice physician assistant with a passion for pediatrics. She completed physician assistant training at the University of South Alabama in 2001, earning a master’s degree in health science. In 1996, she graduated from Judson College in Marion, Ala. There, she majored in biology with a minor in chemistry and marine science. While Hintz has many years of family practice experience, she has cared mainly for children for the last five years. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Alabama Society of Physician Assistants.

Julie Lucas, PA-C

Julie Lucas, PA-C earned her master’s degree at the University of South Alabama and is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Her specialty is Internal Medicine.

Chandler Denson, CRNP

Chandler Denson, CRNP has joined AltaPointe Health in its primary care division, Accordia Health. He received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS. He worked as a critical care nurse at Mobile Infirmary Medical Center while earning his master’s degree in nursing from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. Denson is board certified as a family nurse practitioner through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. He is currently a member of AANP and American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Jacob Maloney, CRNP

Jacob Maloney, CRNP, FNP-C has joined AltaPointe Health in its primary care division, Accordia Health. He received his bachelor’s degree in nursing as well as a master’s with a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) focus from the University of South Alabama College of Nursing. Maloney is board certified as a CRNP in Alabama and has national certification through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) as an FNP. He has more than ten years of nursing experience working with patients in outpatient, inpatient, and critical care settings.

Kimberly Parker, CRNP

Kimberly Parker, CRNP, has joined Accordia Health in Rockford, Alabama. Parker earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing in Addison, Illinois. She obtained her certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Parker is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Nursing Credentialing Center and is a member of the American Nurses Association. She has 12+ years of experience working in various medical settings including Med-Surg, Geri-Psych, Hospice care, and in a Telemetry step-down unit.

Tanya Rowell, CRNP

Tanya Rowell, CRNP, joined Accordia Health, AltaPointe’s primary care division in July 2018. Rowell earned a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Capstone College of Nursing at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She earned a master’s in Nursing with a Family Nurse Practitioner focus from Troy University in Troy, Alabama. Rowell is board certified as a CRNP in Alabama, and she also has national certification through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She has more than 20 years of nursing experience working with patients in both intensive inpatient settings and outpatient programs.

Erin Sheppard, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Erin Sheppard, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, and completed her master’s degree at South. Currently, Sheppard is pursuing her doctorate of nursing practice at South. She is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner with the University of South Alabama Dept. of Family Medicine and is board-certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Topie Cassady, LICSW

Topie Cassady, LICSW, joined BayView Professional Associates in 2022. She earned a bachelor’s from LSU in psychology and a master’s from Tulane School of Social Work with a certificate in Gerontology. Cassidy brings decades of experience to BayView. She has worked in community-based programs for people living with HIV+/AIDS, an inpatient psychiatric unit, an inpatient medical center focused on pregnancy/pregnancy-related issues, premature and medically fragile infants and newborns, and in-home behavioral and primary and primary health care services.

Current practice includes integrative therapy, empowerment therapy, CBT, MCBT, Motivational Interviewing, Client-centered therapy, and other modalities, with an underlying focus on systems theory.

Catie Hneich, PA-C

Catie Hneich, PA-C has joined AltaPointe Health as a physician assistant. She earned a bachelor’s degree from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. She received a master’s in physician assistant studies from The Medical University of South Carolina. Hneich is board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and Alabama Society of Physician Assistants. She worked at The Institute of Psychiatry at The Medical University of South Carolina in emergency psychiatric medicine and inpatient psychiatry treating patients of all ages. She is passionate about mood disorders, perinatal mental health conditions, and integrated care.

 

Beverly Ales, PMHNP

Beverly Ales, PMHNP, has joined AltaPointe Health as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of South Alabama, and her master’s in nursing with a specialization in psychiatric mental health from Walden University. While at Walden University, she was a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Ales is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and is an active member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings with patients of all ages from child to geriatric.

Alexis C. Allen, DNP, MSN, FNP-C

Alexis C. Allen, DNP, MSN, FNP-C, has joined AltaPointe Health. Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Alabama-Huntsville. She earned a master’s in nursing with a Family Nurse Practitioner focus from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. She earned a Doctorate in Nursing from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida.  Allen is a board-certified CRNP in Alabama and she also has a national certification through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She has more than 10 years of nursing experience working with patients in both inpatient and outpatient programs.

Megan Traffanstedt, LPT

Megan Traffanstedt, L.P.T., joined AltaPointe as a licensed psychological technician in September 2020 and works at BayView Professional Associates. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Auburn University and a master’s degree in psychology from Auburn University at Montgomery(AUM). Traffanstedt received specialty training in autism assessment at the Vanderbilt Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Her special interests include the psychological assessment of children, adolescents, and adults.

 

Taiye Ajayi, PMHNP, FNP-C

Taiye Ajayi is a dual certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner. She attended and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Coastal Community College, Brewton, Alabama. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from University of Louisiana, Lafayette, where she was a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Ajayi graduated from the University of Alabama with a master’s degree in nursing with a specialization in psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner.  Currently, she is completing her Doctor of Nursing practice degree at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.

She joined AltaPointe Health as a PRN registered nurse at EastPointe Hospital after working as a registered nurse in an emergency department of a regional hospital for several years. Ajayi has over five years of nursing experience in inpatient and psychiatric emergency services for psychiatric patients.  She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from University of Ilorin, Nigeria. She is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C). Ajayi is an active member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.​​

Alyssa Hollingsworth, PA-C

Alyssa Hollingsworth PA-C has joined AltaPointe Health working in adult outpatient services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Mobile. She earned her physician assistant certification and master’s in health science from the University of South Alabama. She is certified through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and is a member of both the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Alabama Society of Physician Assistants.

Tuerk Schlesinger

Tuerk Schlesinger, MBA, is the chief executive officer of AltaPointe Health, where he has served for more than 23 years. Based in Mobile, AltaPointe is one of Alabama’s most comprehensive healthcare organizations that utilize the integration of primary and behavioral healthcare to promote the wellness of all people across a seven-county area.

In 2017, Schlesinger spearheaded the launch of Accordia Health, AltaPointe’s division of primary care, which allows it to integrate primary and behavioral healthcare, increasing patient satisfaction and improving their overall health. Further guidance from Schlesinger led to the creation of Accordia Health & Wellness. It is a state-of-the-art employee-centered clinic in Mobile offering accessible and high-quality primary healthcare by board-certified clinicians at a reduced rate for employees and their families covered by AltaPointe’s health insurance plan.

Under Schlesinger’s leadership, the organization has grown from employing 277 to 1,600, increasing its annual budget from $17 million to $116 million, and from serving an average of 7,000 individuals each year to more than 45,000 in 2020. Operations include BayPointe and EastPointe psychiatric hospitals, five primary care locations, 17 outpatient locations, two private, professional counseling facilities, 30 adult residential group homes, six adult foster homes, seven independent living homes. As CEO, Schlesinger established AltaPointe’s partnership with the University of South Alabama, College of Medicine-Department of Psychiatry, for which the organization’s psychiatrists provide the administration and faculty.

Schlesinger is a member of the Alabama Council of Community Mental Health Boards; the National Council for Behavioral Health; the Statewide Health Coordinating Council (SHCC); the Chair of Mental Health Corporation of America Executive Board of Directors; the Alabama Healthcare Reimbursement Reform Task Force-Steering Committee;  the Alabama Hospital Association’s Telehealth Task Force; National Association for Behavioral Healthcare; various Alabama Department of Mental Health committees and subcommittees, including Chair of the sub-committee for 988 – the national suicide prevention hotline initiative. He also serves on the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Advisory Board and is a Leadership Alabama Class XXXI member.

Schlesinger earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Auburn University and a master of business administration degree from Spring Hill College in Mobile. In 2008, Schlesinger was named a Behavioral Health Champion by the nationally circulated Behavioral Healthcare Magazine.

 

Chris Murphree, PsyD

Chris Murphree, PsyD, joined AltaPointe as a licensed psychologist in May of 2017. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. Murphree earned a doctorate in clinical psychology at Argosy University in Atlanta, Georgia. He completed his pre-doctoral internship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences – Child Study Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Murphree’s special interests include the psychological assessment of children, adolescents, and adults, and the assessment and treatment of trauma victims.

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