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 bachelor’s degree in business from Reinhardt College. Mrs. Bearden has been a registered nurse for 12 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 Director of the Surgery Center

Clinical Nurse Manager

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  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 17 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

• Paige McBryar, M.S.N., R.N., F.N.P.-C. Ms. Paige McBryar is a certified family nurse practioner who has worked with Dr. Jeffrey M. Gallups at the Nasal, Sinus and Allergy Institute for 4 years and has vast clinical experience in disorders of the ear, sinuses, and throat. Ms. McBryar received her bachelor of science in nursing degree from the Medical College of Georgia in 1993. Before continuing her education, she worked as an oncology nurse and spent seven years working in multiple aspects of home health. She completed her masters of science degree in the family nurse practitioner program at Georgia State University where she graduated with honors. Ms. McBryar maintains professional affiliations in multiple organizations, including the American and Georgia Nurses’Associations, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the American College of Clinicians, and the American College of Nurse Practitioners. Additionally, she holds membership in the National Honor Society of Nursing and Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Nursing. Ms. McBryar’s hobbies include tennis, reading and college sports. Ms. McBryar is committed to providing the best possible care for patients suffering from sinus, ear, nose, and throat disorders.
  
  
• Jean Rast, APRN, BC. - Ms. Jean Rast joined the Ear, Nose and Throat Institute in February 2006. She is a board certified nurse practitioner. She attended Kennesaw State University where she graduated in 2003 with her Masters of Nursing/Nurse Practitioner degree. She has a broad background in medicine and formerly worked as a pulmonary/critical care and emergency room nurse practitioner before joining our practice. Ms. Rast originally is from Birmingham, Alabama and moved to Atlanta with her family as a child. She grew up in Dekalb County and Marietta before moving to Roswell in 1995. She has been in healthcare for 26 years in the Atlanta area. She attended Emory University and Northwestern University in Chicago, where she studied Respiratory Therapy. She worked as a respiratory therapist until returning to school for nursing. She graduated from Kennesaw State in 1991 with her associates degree in nursing and later returned to Georgia Baptist College of Nursing for her bachelors degree in 1998. She worked as an ER/trauma and critical care nurse until returning to school for the nurse practitioner degree. Ms. Rast hobbies include running, biking, rollerblading, or walking her dog in the area parks. She is staff member at Northside Hospital-Forsyth.

• Colette Frena, M.S.N., R.N., F.N.P.-C. Colette Frena is a certified nurse practitioner who joined our practice in July of 2005. Prior to joining our group, she had extensive clinical experience in the areas of internal medicine and pediatrics with an emphasis on geriatric medicine. Ms. Frena earned both her bachelor of science in nursing as well as her masters of nursing degree as a nurse practitioner from Kennesaw State University. In 1999, she was honored to be asked to join their faculty as an assistant professor of nursing in the nurse practioner program. In addition to her teaching appointment, she was elected Director of the Kennesaw State University Health Clinic. Throughout her career, she has precepted nurse practitioner students in a wide variety of clinical experiences. Ms. Frena maintains professional affiliations in multiple organizations, including the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the North Georgia Advanced Providers Association, and Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society. She is certified as a family and pediatric nurse practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Ms. Frena remains an adjunct faculty member at Kennesaw. She currently resides in Kennesaw with her three daughters.

• 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.

• 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 andbalance 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.

Audiologists

• Kathy J. Colapinto, M.S., C.C.C.-A. Kathy Colapinto is a Georgia licensed audiologist providing hearing evaluations and amplification services for over fifteen years. She received her undergraduate degree from Colorado State University where she graduated with honors. Ms. Colapinto received her masters of science in audiology in 1989 from Colorado State University. Ms. 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. Ms. Colapinto is currently pursing her Au.D. She has been a valued member of our staff for over 5 years.
  
  
• 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.