Our Psychiatric Services
& Primary Care Staff
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Our psychiatric services staff are but a few of the 350 staff members who drive the mission of Polara Health.
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EXECUTIVE STAFF
TAMARA PLAYER
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Tamara Player, MSW joined Polara Health as the CEO in June of 2019. She received her master’s degree in social work from the University of New England and a BA in Psychology from the University of Maine. Her career in mental health spans over 26 years in four different states. She served as Chief Operations Officer for community mental health agencies in Maine and Colorado and most recently as the CEO of a community based behavioral health provider in Northern California. As a native from Maine, Tamara began her career as a direct care provider in an adult residential facility and then quickly transitioned to her clinical passion of providing in-home services to high-risk children. With great training, mentoring and coaching, Tamara transitioned from providing clinical services to leadership roles, where she has dedicated over 14 years of her career. She is also an Alumni of the Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership.
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STEVEN CALABRESE
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Steve joined Polara Health as Chief Financial Officer in August 2016. He has been in healthcare finance for more than 30 years. Along with this wealth of experience, Steve holds both a CPA and an MBA.
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KELLY LEGLER
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Kelly Legler, MS, LCMHC joined Polara Health in June of 2016. Prior to this, she worked in leadership roles with other community agencies, such as Arizona’s Children Association and Child and Family Support Services, to build support programs that focus on client success. Kelly has been in leadership for over 16 years, and harbors a “how can we be better” philosophy. With Kelly as the Chief Clinical Officer for Polara Health, the overall mission of the agency as well as the day-to-day clinical operations will continue to be evaluated for efficiency and processes that are client-centered, while also ensuring an integrated care model that focuses on the overall well-being of clients, staff, and our community.
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ALISA MONTGOMERY
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Alisa Montgomery oversees the quality management processes that support Polara Health's service delivery, including implementation of all performance improvement projects, investigations and responses to all inquiries related to quality of care concerns, managing license, and agency policy and all external audit preparation and internal audit processes to monitor and evaluate service effectiveness and quality of care. Ms. Montgomery has broad experience in direct service, program implementation, systems development, and quality management. Prior to coming to Polara Health, she worked at Mingus Mountain Academy as the Quality Management Director, ensuring facility compliance, managing internal audits, addressing grievances and complaints, and building relationships with outside agencies to monitor and evaluate service effectiveness and quality of care.
As a member of the Executive Team at Polara Health, she is committed to the implementation of quality integrated care in accordance with policies, procedures and professional standards for outpatient services, residential treatment facilities and acute care facilities. Ms. Montgomery earned her B.A. in Political Science from Chicago State University, and her M.S. in Business Administration from Benedictine University. |
KARA D. LANGLEY
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Kara D. Langley MAcc, CHC, CHPC joined Polara Health as Senior Accountant in August 2008. In 2013 she was promoted to CAO. Prior to this, she was Finance Director of Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley for a year and Senior Accountant/Systems Administrator for Gila County Finance Department for 5 years. Kara’s career in health care spans nearly 20 years. Kara was previously a Certified Professional Coder with the AAPC and employed as a Medical Office Manager for 6 years. She is a native of Arizona who earned her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from American Intercontinental University.
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DAVID WOLKOFF
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Dr. Wolkoff graduated from Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York in 1996.
He completed his residency in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, serving as as Chief Resident at Cambridge Hospital. He then completed a fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry at the University of Hawaii, and remained in the state for several years afterward, working in a hospital setting, before moving on to Ontario, Canada, where he directed the largest hospital-based addiction treatment program in the country. After ten years in Canada, including several years practicing in university student mental health, he returned to the US in 2018, settling in the Prescott area. Dr. Wolkoff is board-certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He is also board-certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine. He has particular interests in the treatment of addiction, eating disorders adult ADHD and sleep disorders,and has had longstanding involvement in the wellness of health care workers. |
CHERIE WILCHER
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Cherie earned her bachelor’s and first master’s degree at the University of Colorado, while her second master’s degree was completed at New Mexico State University. She is dual degreed in advanced nursing and has been a nurse since 1981.
Cherie is a member and past president of the nursing honor society Sigma Theta Tau- Xi Phi Chapter. While her most recent position was with Banner Health in the Valley, she has also worked in community mental health settings in Kentucky and Indiana. |
PSYCHIATRIC STAFF
DAVID WOLKOFF
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Dr. Wolkoff graduated from Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York in 1996.
He completed his residency in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, serving as as Chief Resident at Cambridge Hospital. He then completed a fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry at the University of Hawaii, and remained in the state for several years afterward, working in a hospital setting, before moving on to Ontario, Canada, where he directed the largest hospital-based addiction treatment program in the country. After ten years in Canada, including several years practicing in university student mental health, he returned to the US in 2018, settling in the Prescott area. Dr. Wolkoff is board-certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He is also board-certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine. He has particular interests in the treatment of addiction, eating disorders adult ADHD and sleep disorders,and has had longstanding involvement in the wellness of health care workers. |
CHERIE WILCHER
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Cherie Wilcher, FNP, PNP, is Polara Health's inpatient Associate Medical Director. Ms. Wilcher earned her bachelor’s and first master’s degree at the University of Colorado., while her second master’s degree was completed at New Mexico State University. She is dual degreed in advanced nursing and has been a nurse since 1981. Ms. Wilcher is a member and past president of the nursing honor society Sigma Theta Tau- Xi Phi Chapter. While Ms. Wilcher’s most recent position was with Banner Health in the Valley, she has also worked in community mental health settings in Kentucky and Indiana.
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ERNEST HARMAN
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Ernest Harman, MD, specializes in serving Polara Health clients who are hospitalized at Windhaven Psychiatric Hospital and who are patients at the Crisis Stabilization Unit. He has provided psychiatric care for patients throughout Northern Arizona for decades. He earned his medical degree from the Universidad de Ciudad Juarez and completed his residency at the Texas Tech Health Science Center in El Paso, Texas.
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BARRY J. COE
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Barry J. Coe, MD joined the Polara Health staff in April 2016. He relocated to the Prescott area from Wheat Ridge, Colorado, where he was working with the Jefferson Center for Mental Health. However, Dr. Coe is not new to Arizona, since his previous experience includes positions with La Frontera and Kino Community Hospital of Tucson, and Southeastern Arizona Behavior Health Center in Nogales. He completed his psychiatric residency at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, after earning his MD through the University of Michigan Medical School.
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VALERIE GUERNSEY
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Valerie Guernsey, DO returned to the provision of psychiatric services in Arizona, after working for a period in Riverside County, CA. Prior to this, Dr. Guernsey worked for The Guidance Center in Flagstaff, AZ, in outpatient as well as inpatient settings. She is board certified and has been a practicing psychiatrist since 1990, with a private practice in Michigan for more than 15 years. Dr. Guernsey earned her degree in Osteopathic Medicine from Michigan State University.
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RAQUEL BALDERAS
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Raquel Balderas, MD has returned to Polara Health, after working for a period with Southwest Behavioral Health Services as Medical Director for Northern. At Polara Health, Dr. Balderas specializes in the direct psychiatric care of children and adolescents. Dr. Balderas earned her Bachelor’s and Medical Degrees from the University of Arizona. She completed her residencies with Tucson Hospitals in Tucson, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, MN, and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque, NM. Dr. Balderas is a fluent Spanish speaker.
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EDWARD KUHNLEY
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Edward John Kuhnley, MD, serves child, adolescent, and adult clients of Polara Health in an outpatient setting. Dr. Kuhnley completed medical school at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, VA, followed by a general psychiatry residency at the Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine and a child psychiatry fellowship at the Yale University Child Study Center in New Haven, CT. He is board certified in adult as well as child and adolescent psychiatry.
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SUSAN FROST
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Susan Front, DNP, MC, FPMHNP-BC has been working in the psychiatric field for 38 years, as a psychiatric nurse, therapist, teaching psychiatric nursing, and as a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Wilkes University, after obtaining Master’s degrees in Counseling and Nursing from Arizona State University, and Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Nursing from Grand Canyon University. Dr. Frost is a contributing editor for the textbook “Essentials of Psychiatric Nursing,” and belongs to several professional organizations. She is passionate about helping those with mental illnesses using a holistic approach.
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DAVID JENSON
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Dr. Dave Jenson, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC has practiced as a family nurse practitioner in primary care for 4 years with the last 2 ½ years being in Prescott Valley. Previously, he worked as an RN mostly in intensive care units in various hospitals in Phoenix. He enjoyed treating mental health in a primary care setting which motivated him to complete a certification in mental health so that he would be able to work in a psychiatric setting. Dr. Jenson received his Doctor of Nursing Practice – Family at the Arizona State University in 2015, a Psychiatric Certification at Wilkes University in 2019 and a BS in Nursing from Northern Arizona University in 2011.
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MIRANDINE FITCHETTE
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Mirandine Fitchette, DNP, PMHNP focuses on serving patients in the Windhaven Psychiatric Hospital. Prior to joining the WYGC staff, she was with Southwest Behavioral Health Services. And, prior to that, she practiced in Evansville, Indiana. Her work has taken her throughout the U.S., to include positions in San Antonio, Texas, Grand Junction, Colorado, and Salt Lake City, Utah. She has worked in many different settings within nursing including as an associate professor, assistant to the director of nursing, nurse manager and nurse supervisor. Ms. Fitchette earned her doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Arizona.
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PATRICIA WHITE
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Patricia White, PMHNP serves adult clients of Polara Health in an outpatient setting. Prior to joining the Polara Health staff, Ms. White worked with Southwest Behavioral Health Services. She is a member of the American Nurses Association and the Arizona Nurses Association, and she is certified in EMDR. Her degrees were earned through Webster University in St. Louis, MO, and her Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing through Arizona State University.
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LINDA BOSSE
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Linda Bosse, DNP, PMHNP serves adult clients of Polara Health in an outpatient setting. Clinical instruction at Arizona State University has been a recent focus for her, along with holding a nursing position for adult patient care at Valley Hospital. Dr. Bosse earned her Doctor of Nurse Practice in Psychiatric Mental Health from Rush University, along with Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Grand Canyon University. In addition, she is a graduate of Prescott College with a Bachelor’s in Business/Organization Development. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and the American Holistic Nurses Association.
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PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS
ROBERT D. BARKER II
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Robert D. Barker II, MD grew up in Phoenix with his father, uncle, and grandfather who were family physicians. He always wanted to be a doctor so after finishing his undergraduate degree at Arizona State University, he traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico to attend medical school. At the time, the University of Arizona’s medical center was not complete, hence the reason he went to Mexico. Dr. Barker completed his internship and first-year residency of internal medicine at St. John General Hospital in New Brunswick, Canada and completed his residency in internal medicine at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix.
Dr. Barker began his career in Phoenix at St. Luke’s Hospital rehabilitation center and then started a private practice in Phoenix. Later, he opened a private practice in Payson and another in Prescott. Dr. Barker has lived in Prescott since 1997 and has been doing Social Security disability evaluations since the 1980s. In 2010, he was asked to join the Prescott VA to do disability evaluations for veterans. Dr. Barker left the VA in 2015 to work in Primary Care at the state prison in Florence, Arizona. Here, he helped rehabilitate inmates from drug and alcohol addiction. Since he speaks Spanish, Dr. Barker also worked with the Mexican cartels at the prison but the job became so dangerous he decided to return back to Prescott. Dr. Barker is excited to provide primary care support to the client’s of Polara Health who are in recovery or are currently getting mental health and addiction treatment. |
