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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ERIN KANTOR
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Erin Kantor joined Polara Health in June 2022 as the Chief Clinical Officer. Erin is a Licensed Professional Counselor and received her master’s degree in counseling and guidance from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Ms. Kantor has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Missouri State University and held leadership positions in community mental health, servicing the Kansas City area for eight years. Erin's previous experience includes working in residential and outpatient substance use recovery programs, adolescent psychiatric inpatient, Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and private practice. Ms. Kantor has a passion for being an advocate for and serving the individuals she works with, both internally and externally.
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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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ABIGAIL TUCKER
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Abigail S. Tucker, Psy.D. serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Polara Health, building from her previous roles in Clinical Operations and psychology in Colorado as well as in Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Dr. Tucker completed her B.A. in psychology at Loyola College, Maryland, and her M.S. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Center for Psychological Studies, Nova Southeastern University. She is an Editorial Board Member to the Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, she serves as Adjunct Faculty at both Colorado State University Global in their Emergency Responder and Military Psychology Program and at her alma mater Nova Southeastern University in both their College of Psychology and for the Fischer College of Education and Criminal Justice. Her passion to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and substance use inspired her to become certified in the instruction of Adult & Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) as well as the Public Safety module of Adult MHFA. Dr. Tucker is also a proud national training instructor for the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project
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ROBERT THOMPSON
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Dr. Robert (“Rob”) Thompson focuses on clinical integration, primary care optimization, provider leadership development, support of strategic planning, and medical group formation.
Dr. Thompson has been a physician leader for 30 years serving in multiple health systems in North Dakota, Minnesota, Oregon, Maine, and Arizona. Most recently, Dr. Thompson led the Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Group with 100 employed providers, 26 clinics, and 25 medical specialties. Also, he was the senior executive for the North Central Arizona Accountable Care organization, YRMC’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO). Dr. Thompson received his medical degree from the University Of North Dakota School Of Health Sciences and completed training in internal medicine and allergy/immunology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Further education included receiving his masters of business administration (MBA) from the University Of St. Thomas Graduate School Of Business (Minneapolis, MN). |
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. |
COURTNEY ROUTSON, OUTPATIENT MEDICAL DIRECTOR, DNP, PMHNP-BC
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Courtney began her career in healthcare in 2003 as a CNA. She worked her way through nursing school, obtaining her RN from Yavapai College in 2006 and her BSN from Grand Canyon University in 2011. Courtney’s nursing experience encompasses a wide range of specialties including critical care, open heart recovery, medical/surgical, hospice, chemotherapy, care management, wound care, legal nurse consulting and leadership. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice through Arizona State University in 2021. Courtney’s doctoral project focused on incorporation of mindfulness and exercise practice for relapse reduction in substance use disorder recovery. She is passionate about reduction of mental health stigma, client education and focus on integration of healthy lifestyle practices in mental health care. As an Arizona native she has a unique knowledge of the population’s needs, resources and enjoys giving back to her beloved community. Courtney enjoys gardening, canning, weightlifting, the outdoors, rescue dogs, friends, and family.
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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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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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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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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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CHERIE WILCHER
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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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JENNIFER HEWITT
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In 2006, Jennifer graduated with her Associates Degree in Nursing, from Yavapai college in Prescott Arizona. She had a history of working in Emergency Medical Services and it felt natural to transition into the role of Emergency Room Nurse at Yavapai Regional Medical Center, where she served the community for nearly a decade. During that time, Jennifer obtained a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing at Grand Canyon University of Arizona. While serving in the Emergency Room, Jennifer became well aware that although she deeply cared for those living with mental illness, she had limited resources to help this population in such a setting. Jennifer made the decision to leave the Emergency Room to follow her passion to serve this population, ultimately landing at Polara Health in 2017. There she has had experience working as a Psychiatric Nurse in the Crisis Stabilization Unit, Windhaven Psychiatric Hospital, Chemical Dependency Residential Unit and in Pediatrics. In 2017, she started school at Gonzaga University in Spokane Washington, to earn her Masters of Science in Nursing Degree. While there, Jennifer gained clinical rotation experience in Pediatric Psychiatry, Crisis Stabilization, Inpatient Psych and Primary/Urgent Care. Jennifer now enjoys serving the community as a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Polara Health.
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SUSAN SPEAR
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Susan Spear first worked as a Registered Nurse in the Obstetrics Mother and Baby specialty in San Luis Obispo California in 1993. She started her career in Mental Health working first as a Psychiatric Registered Nurse at Atascadero State Hospital assisting mentally disordered offenders beginning in 1994. She graduated from California State University Long Beach with her Master of Science Nurse Practitioner – Adult Mental Health in 2002. She was promoted to Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Atascadero State Hospital after completing her Master’s degree and becoming Board Certified with the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She continued to work at Atascadero State Hospital with the mentally disordered offenders until August 2012. Nurse Practitioner Spear began her outpatient career in Arizona treating adult clients with various mental illnesses in September 2012. She currently works for Polara Health serving clients in Prescott. She has been with Polara Health since January 2020.
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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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JUDITH JOHNSON
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Mrs. Johnson graduated from Drake University, in Des Moines, Iowa with a BSN, and MSN in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She then completed her Post Master’s degree from Sinclair School of Nursing in Columbia, Missouri as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She also holds an MS in Education/ Rehabilitation from Drake University. She has worked many years in the Community Mental Health setting as well as inpatient services. She is certified as both a Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, although her interest has always been in mental health.
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JAMI REMIEN
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ELIZABETH HUGGINS
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LISA BREITERMAN
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PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS
SHURINE PATE
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