Medical Staff
- Leigh Anne Bearden
- Kathy J. Colapinto
- Keevil Helmly
- Sarah Howell
- Tammi Kolkjen
- Amy Waltman
- Heather Dean
- Elizabeth Mallcott
- Andrea McIntosh
- Catherine Nunziata
- Hiral Patel
- Tara Pirkle
- Joan E. Rodriguez
- Linda M. Stahelek
- Katrina Farrow
- Katie Slade
- Tracy Creed
- Esther Askew
Administrative Director
Leigh Anne Bearden, RN
Leigh Anne Bearden joined our practice in 2005 as our clinical nurse manager and was promoted in 2006 to the position of administrative director. She received her nursing degree from Dekalb College and subsequently received her associate's degree in business from Reinhardt College. Mrs. Bearden has been a registered nurse for 17 years and has experience as a nurse in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Her experience has included medical, surgical and cardiac duties in the hospital. As an outpatient nurse, she has been the nursing director for a large family practice, and, for seven years, the nursing director for a large pediatric office. Mrs. Bearden is responsible for the management of our entire practice, both administrative and clinical. Her vast experience is a great addition to our clinical practice, and we feel fortunate to have her. Her goal is to ensure that our staff is highly trained and in tune with the needs of our patients.
Clinical Nurse Manager
Tara Pirkle
Mrs. Tara Pirkle, a native of Georgia, joined our practice in March of 2007 as our clinical nurse director. Tara comes with seven years of clinical and office manager experience in an Internal Medicine office. She has worked in the medical field for 20 years which has given her a great deal of experience in billing, front office, back office, and management. Her vast experience is a great addition to our practice. Mrs. Pirkle currently resides in Dawsonville, Georgia with her husband and 2 children. Her hobbies include camping, singing (although her family prefers she not) and spending time with family and friends. She is very active in her community participating in various volunteer opportunities. As clinical manager, Mrs. Pirkle’s goal is to ensure that our staff provides the best possible care for our patients.
Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants
Hiral Patel, RPA-C
Hiral Patel joined the Ear, Nose, and Throat Institute in March, 2007. She is a board certified Physician Assistant licensed to practice in the States of New York, Washington DC, Virginia, and Georgia. She earned a Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Miami-FL, and a Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant with Honors from Long Island University-NY. Since graduating in 2005, Mrs. Patel has worked in the fields of Internal Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology, and Urgent Care. Mrs. Patel maintains professional affiliations with the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), the Society of Physician Assistants in Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and the New York State Society of Physician Assistants. She is also certified in Advanced and Basic Cardiac Life Support (ACLS & BCLS) through the American Heart Association. She recently moved to Georgia with her husband and enjoys swimming, reading, and the outdoors. Mrs. Patel has a passion for medicine and strives to provide the best possible care to her patients.
Keevil Helmly, PA-C
Keevil joined the ENT Institute in August 2009. A native of Atlanta, he graduated from Georgia Tech and eventually entered Emergency Medicine as an EMT. After several years as a Paramedic at Grady Memorial Hospital, he attended Emory University School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program. During that time, he had the profound honor to serve as the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ (AAPA) Student Academy President. This included many trips to Washington, DC to lobby Congress on PA issues and sit on the Board of the AAPA for 2 years. Surviving this experience and Emory, Keevil graduated with Honor in 1988 and began his PA career on the Cardiothoracic team at Emory. The arrival of his first child prompted a move to General Medicine at Grady which had hours more conducive to family life. The desire to return to a surgical specialty triggered a move to the ENT clinic at Grady where he additionally served as a Clinical Preceptor for PA students. He met Dr. Gallups there during his Residency years. Eighteen years later, they have resumed the camaraderie of diagnosing and treating ENT disorders for metro Atlanta patients. He is a Fellow in both AAPA and Georgia Academy of Physician Assistants.
Tammi Kolkjen, RPA-C
Tammi Kolkjen is a certified physician's assistant who has been working in the Ear, Nose, and Throat Institute with Dr. Jeffrey Gallups. Ms. Kolkjen received her bachelor of science degree in speech pathology in West Virginia and went on to receive her masters degree in audiology, a branch of medicine dealing with hearing and balance disorders. She graduated magna cum laude. Ms. Kolkjen obtained a second masters degree in physician assistant studies at Wayne State University in Michigan. She resides in Dunwoody and is an avid runner and sports' fan. She also enjoys music and travel. Ms. Kolkjen is committed to providing the best possible care for her patients.
Catherine Nunziata, M.S.N., R.N., F.N.P.
Catherine Nunziata joined ENT Institute in August 2007. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing on scholarship from Emory University. Catherine continued her education while working as a RN and in 2001 she graduated from North Georgia College and State University with a Master of Science in Nursing. She has worked in the hospital setting on medical/surgical floors, inpatient hospice and more recently hematology/oncology. Her wide range of experience contributes to a broad knowledge base which allows her to manage patient’s concerns holistically. It is ENT Institute’s holistic approach to medicine that first drew Catherine to the practice as a patient herself and piqued her interest in joining the team. Catherine lives in Johns Creek with her family. She enjoys playing outside, chocolate, food and more chocolate. Catherine also enjoys running which allows her to maintain her food addiction.
Sarah Howell, M.S.N., R.N., F.N.P.-C.
Sarah received her Bachelor of Science Degree from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2003. Before continuing her education, she worked as a critical care nurse at Champlain Valley Physician’s Hospital in Plattsburgh, NY. After one year of local work, Sarah felt it was important to learn about different cultural backgrounds and different medical practices to become a better provider. She became a travel nurse and worked in Burlington-Vermont, Cape Coral-Florida, and at several local hospitals in this area. She spent three years working primarily in cardiology in progressive care, critical care, step-down, cardiothoracic surgery, and with a variety of medical surgical units. During this time she received her Master's Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner in May 2008 from SUNY Stony Brook University. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Sarah loves photography, landscaping, and spending time with her growing family.
Tracy Creed, FNP-C
Tracy Creed FNP-C joined ENT Institute in 2011. She obtained her Bachelors degree in Nursing from Valdosta State University and after 10 years working as a RN in the critical care area went on to obtain her MSN Family Nurse Practioner Degree at Albany State University. Mrs. Creed has worked in infectious disease, internal medicine, and more recently in Cardiology prior to joining the ENT Insitute. She is credentialed through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). She maintains affiliations with American Academy of Nurse Practitoners and United Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. She holds both ACLS (Advanced Cardiac life support) and BLS (Basic Life Support) certifications. She is originally from Lakeland, GA and now lives in Newnan with her husband and daughter. She enjoys reading, travel and exercising.
Andrea McIntosh, PA-C
Andrea McIntosh, PA-C joined the ENT Institute in August, 2011. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in 2000 from Miami University in Ohio, and a Master's of Physician Assistance from Chicago Medical School in 2003. She is certified through the NCCPA as well as the Georgia Medical Board. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistance and the Georgia Association of Physician Assistance. Andrea comes with experience in Gastroenterology, Hematology and Oncology. Currently she primarily works in our Smyrna location in conjunction with Dr. Thomas Guffin and Dr. Earnest Riley.
Esther Askew, PA-C
Esther Askew, PA-C joined the Ear, Nose and Throat Institute in July, 2011. She is a Georgia licensed and NCCPA board certified Physician Assistant. After attending Samford University, Mrs. Askew earned her Bachelor of Physician Assistant degree from the Medical College of Georgia in 2002 and obtained her Master's of Physician Assistant Studies Degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2006. Since graduating with Honors in 2002, Mrs. Askew has gained experience in both Family Medicine and ENT. Mrs. Askew practiced with Dr. N. Hadley Heindel, III and Dr. James G. Burson in a multi-specialty clinic in Newnan, Georgia, prior to joining the staff at ENT Institute. Mrs. Askew brings eight years of ENT experience and primarily works now at the Newnan location with Dr. Heindel. She maintains current certifications for Advanced and Basic Life Support (ACLS and BLS) and is a fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), Georgia Association of Physician Assistants (GAPA), and Society of Physician Assistants in Otolaryngology (SPAO).
Audiologists
Kathy J. Colapinto, Au.D., FAAA
Kathy Colapinto is a Georgia licensed audiologist providing hearing evaluations and amplification services for over twenty years. She received her undergraduate degree from Colorado State University where she graduated with honors. Dr. Colapinto received her masters of science in audiology in 1989 from Colorado State University and her doctorate of audiology in 2008. Dr.Colapinto is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology, a member of the Academy of Rehabilitation Audiology, the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists, and the Greater Atlanta Audiological Society. Her professional interests include evaluation of hearing disorders in both pediatric and adult patients with particular expertise in hearing aid dispensing. She has been a valued member of our staff for over 10 years.
Elizabeth Mallcott, M.A., C.C.C.-A
Elizabeth Mallcott is a GA licensed audiologist who joined our practice in December 2007. A native of Georgia, she has an undergraduate degree in speech language pathology from the University of West Georgia, where she graduated with honors. She received her Master's degree in audiology from the University of Tennessee in 2001. Prior to joining our practice, Ms. Mallcott was a pediatric audiologist for over 6 years. Her professional interests include evaluation of hearing disorders in pediatrics and adults, hearing aid evaluations, dispensing and counseling. She currently resides in Cumming with her husband, James, and young son.
Linda M. Stahelek, M.A., C.C.C.-A
Linda Stahelek joined our practice in October of 2002. A native of Massachusetts, she has an undergraduate degree in communication disorders from the University of Massachusetts. She received her master’s degree in audiology from Northwestern University in Illinois. Linda is a licensed and certified audiologist and has practiced audiology for 20 years in various medical settings. She has a great interest in adult and pediatric hearing disorders, hearing aid evaluation, dispensing and counseling. Linda is a member of the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association as well as the Greater Atlanta Audiological Society. She currently resides in Alpharetta with her husband Tom and two sons.
Joan E. Rodriguez, Au.D., CCC-A
Dr. Joan Englehart Rodriguez joined ENT Institute in August 2007 with 28 years experience in clinical audiology. A native of Pennsylvania, she earned her Bachelor of Art degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences from the University of Maryland in 1978 and her Master of Science degree in Audiology from Penn State University in 1979. In 2003 she received her Doctor of Audiology degree (Au.D.) from the Arizona School of Health Sciences. Dr. Rodriguez is licensed by the state of Georgia and is certified by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA). She was appointed by the governor of Georgia to serve on the Georgia State Board of Hearing Aid Dealers and Dispensers from 1991 through 1997. She has practiced audiology in various medical settings, including hospitals, public health, and a large multi-specialty organization in Atlanta. Her greatest interests include adult and pediatric hearing disorders, and adult balance disorders. She has two children, both currently attending college. She resides in Duluth, GA.
Amy Waltman, AuD, FAAA, CCC-A
While only recently joining our practice, Dr. Amy Waltman has been a practicing clinical audiologist for 14 years. Although originally from the midwest, she moved to Mississippi as a child and made her home there for many years. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences in 1995 and then her Master's degreein Audiology in 1997 from the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2009, she completed her doctoral degree from the University of Florida. Dr. Waltman is a GA licensed audiologist and Board Certified by the American Academy of Audiology. She is also a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association. Dr. Waltman is passionate about serving the hearing healthcare needs of all populations although her expertise lies in the diagnosis and management of hearing loss in adults, including hearing aid dispensing, as well as counseling and rehabilitation. Dr. Waltman currently resides in Cumming with her husband, Adam.
Heather Dean, Au.D., CCC-A
Dr. Heather Dean joined ENT Institute in July 2011. A native of Alabama, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communicative Disorders from the University of Alabama in 2007 and Doctorate of Audiology from the University of South Alabama in 2011. Dr. Dean is licensed in the state of Georgia and is certified by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). Her greatest interests include adult and pediatric hearing disorders, and balance disorders. She resides in Peachtree City, GA.
Katrina Farrow, M.S., FAAA
Katrina Farrow has been a Georgia licensed audiologist since 1993. A native of Northwest Florida, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Florida, followed by a Master of Science degree in Audiology from the University of South Florida.
Ms. Farrow is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology and a member of the Georgia Academy of Audiology. She enjoys all aspects of her profession, but has special interests in hearing aid dispensing and testing for balance disorders. She currently resides in Lithonia, Georgia.
Katie Slade, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
Katie Slade is a Georgia licensed and certified audiologist who joined the ENT Institute in 2011. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Auburn University with a undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders in 2004. After that, she went on to receive her Doctors of Audiology degree from Auburn in 2008.
Dr. Slade provided audiological services for fellow ENT Institute physicians Dr. Heindel and Dr. Burson through a multi-specialty clinic in Newnan, Georgia, prior to joining the staff at the ENT Institute.
Her particular interests include evaluation of pediatric hearing disorders, amplification and rehabilitation of adult hearing disorders and evaluation of adult balance disorders. She currently resides in Newnan with her husband and her daughter.
Testimonials:
"I recently had endoscopic sinus surgery and rhinoplasty surgery. Dr. Gallups made me feel comfortable and confident in my decision to have surgery. He did an amazing job and the surgery went extremely well. The results are exactly what I wanted and I feel and breathe better."
- Laura B., Alpharetta, GA
In The News:
Ear, Nose and Throat News From Medical News Today
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- Increased Risk For Transplant Patients Who Develop Head & Neck Cancer,0,15
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