Neurosurgery Advanced Practice Providers
Our neurosurgery nurse practitioners and physician assistants have advanced educational and clinical experiences that contribute to our academic programs. They treat all patients with kindness and respect, and offer information services that promote healing and lead to healthier life styles.
Marlene Aguilar, MSN, RN
Marlene recently joined the interventional neuroradiology team in March of 2017. She joins us from Mount Sinai Medical Center, NY. She worked 5 years in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery and 3 years as a Specialty Clinical Coordinator in the Department of Neurosurgery. She obtained her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley, and completed a bachelors and masters degree in nursing at Columbia University, New York.
Melissa Ballard, BSN, MSN, RN, CPNP
Melissa is a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP) specializing in the care of hospitalized children with an emphasis in the transition from intensive to acute care, end-of-life care and all acute care settings. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from San Francisco State University in 1985 and a Master of Science in Nursing as an Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from University of California, San Francisco in 2007.
Teresa Bell-Stephens, BSN, RN, CNRN
Teresa came to Stanford from the East Coast in 1988. She worked in critical care for many years before joining the Department of Neurosurgery in 1990. She has worked as a nurse coordinator cerebrovascular surgery since then. Teresa is an excellent resource for information on vascular malformations, aneurysms and Moyamoya disease, and is available to guide care for patients and families before, during and after their treatment at Stanford Healthcare. Teresa is frequently involved in clinical research, program development and nursing/patient education. She is a frequent lecturer for nursing colleagues in the Bay Area, and nationally and internationally.
Camille Bloom, MS, MMS, RD, PA-C
Camille currently covers both neurology and neurosurgery at the San Francisco campus at CPMC. Her areas of interest in neurosurgery are tethered cord, intraventricular hemorrhage of prematurity, craniosynostosis and plagiocephaly.
Vania Bernatsky, MSN, RN, ACNP-BC, AANN
Vania received her Master of Science in Nursing with a minor in Education from the University of California, San Francisco in 2001. She is certified as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, as well as certified in nursing through the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. She is a member of American Association of Nurse Practitioners, California Assocaition of Nurse Practitioners, and Sigma Theta Tau. She has spent her career caring for patients both in acute care inpatient, as well as outpatient settings. Her interests include complex spine reconstruction and neuro-oncology diseases.
May Casazza, CPNP
May is a certified pediatric neurosurgery nurse practitioner with extensive experience working with pediatric intensive care patients. May received her undergraduate nursing degree from Johns Hopkins University and her graduate training at UC San Francisco.
Stephanie Choi, RN, MS, CPNP-BC
Stephanie is a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) specializing in the care of children with special health care needs with an emphasis in adolescent health care. Her previous experience includes working as a neurosurgery PNP at Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera, California.
Olivia Chu, MSN, FNP
Olivia is a family nurse practitioner providing care for patients in the Pituitary Center of the Department of Neurosurgery since 2006. She obtained her undergraduate degree at University of California, Berkeley, and completed a bachelors and masters degree at Johns Hopkins University. Currently she specializes in neuro-endocrine cases, predominately pituitary tumors.
Nicole Hodgeboom, RN, MS, CPNP, CNS
Nicole has over 10 years of experience working as a certified pediatric nurse practitioner (CPNP), caring for children with complex medical conditions.
Traci Hornbeck, M.S., P.A.-C.
Traci is a board-certified physician assistant. She obtained her Master of Science degree from Midwestern University and her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa. She has worked in the specialty of neurosurgery for many years as well as in the specialties of neurology and emergency medicine. She lectures at the Stanford Physician Assistant program regarding neurological diseases. She has been involved with conducting research studies throughout her career. She specializes in neurosurgical-oncology and functional neurosurgery.
Michelle Klesczewski, NP
Michelle joined the Neurosurgery team in 2002 after obtaining her Masters of Science as a Family Nurse Practitioner at San Jose State University. She is Nationally certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and is a member of the California Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Neuroscience Nurses and Oncology Nursing Society, and past member of the Radiosurgery Society. She has also worked in Radiation Oncology as an FNP, as well as being involved with giving talks for radiation therapy Continuing Education courses. Currently her practice focuses on neurosurgical treatments of brain and spine tumors using either conventional surgery, or Cyberknife radiosurgery.
Elizabeth Lee, MSN, RN, NP
Elizabeth joined the Department of Neurosurgery in 1996. She obtained her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 1992, and her Master of Science as Family and Geriatric Nurse Practitioner in 1996 from the University of California, Los Angeles. Currently, her practice focuses on neurosurgical treatments of brain and spine tumors, arteriovenous malformations, and aneurysms using conventional surgery and/or Cyberknife Radiosurgery. Her 17 year nursing career has always been devoted to neurosurgery both in the inpatient and outpatient settings. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, facilitates local brain tumor support groups, and has published many articles regarding the use of Cyberknife in the treatment of brain and spine diseases. She has received several grants to support educational projects for brain tumor and Parkinson's disease support groups.
Melissa Lewis, MSN, ANP-BC
Melissa has been at Stanford Hospital since 2006, working with the neurosurgery and general patient populations. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Brigham Young University in 2006, and her Master of Science in Nursing from University of California San Francisco in 2011. Now as a Nurse Practitioner she works with patients and their families in the Neuroscience Department working in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. She coordinates care for patients with vascular malformations, moyamoya, aneurysms and tumors.
Mary L. Marcellus, RN, BSN, SCRN
Originally from Connecticut, Mary came to Stanford in 1980. She began as a staff nurse in the ICU and then went on to become an Assistant Nurse Manager for several years before taking on the role of Interventional Neuroradiology Nurse Coordinator in 1993. She has lectured on various cerebrovascular topics as well as published several articles in her area of expertise. Patient advocacy remains the most important part of her daily patient care responsibilities
Brigid T Matts, MSN, FNP-C
Brigid joined the Stanford Neurosurgery team in March 2017 after completing her MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner degree at UCSF. Prior to this, Brigid worked as an Army Nurse working in Korea, Hawaii, and Afghanistan. Following active duty she moved to California where she first was a travel nurse at the Stanford Neuroscience Clinic and then worked as a staff nurse at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Pediatric Brain Center for four years. Brigid is a member of Sigma Theta Tau and is a certified neuroscience registered nurse (CNRN).
Candice Osuga Lin, MSN, APRN, BC, ACNP
Candice earned her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of California at Davis and her Master of Science in Nursing with clinical specialization as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from Vanderbilt University. Candice came to Stanford Hospital & Clinics as Staff Nurse in the Medical, Surgical Intensive Care Unit (E2ICU). She joined the Department of Neurosurgery as a nurse practitioner and has been active with neuro-oncology and spine neurosurgery. Candice has been the study coordinator on several research studies and has a passion for patient care..
Louisa Pangilinan, NP
Diana Poon, RN, MSN, CPNP, CCRN
Diana is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) with extensive experience working with pediatric intensive care patients. She is also a certified critical care nurse and a member of NAPNAP.
Abby Robertson, MSN, FNP
Abby is a family nurse practitioner providing care for complex spine patients. She obtained her Bacherlor of Science in Nursing at Western Governor's University in Salt Lake City, Utah, and obtained her Master of Science in Nursing at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Before becoming a nurse practitioner, she worked as a travel nurse in rural and urban communities. She joined Stanford in 2017 after working at a local urgent care center. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the California Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She volunteers with a local non-profit to provide health care to underserved communities. Abby is passionate about partnering with patients to achieve positive outcomes in their care.
Joy Sabig, RN, CCRN, MSN, Adult NP- BC
Joy Sabig earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of St. La Salle in the Philippines and her Masters of Science Degree as an Adult Nurse Practitioner from Florida International University. Joy came to Stanford Hospital in 2003 and worked in the Cardiovascular ICU as an RN and relief Charge Nurse before working as a Nurse Practitioner in the Pre-Op Anesthesia Department in 2007. In 2010, she transferred to Vascular Surgery and worked there for 2 years before joining the Neurosurgery Team in November of 2012. Her experiences as an NP include working in the Anticoagulation Clinic at UCSF and Cardiology at SFGH.
Camly Slawson, MSN, RN, CNS, PNP
Camly is a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with a background in the pediatric specialty and acute care settings, both as a pediatric nurse practitioner and registered nurse. Camly completed her undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University and attained her Master of Science in Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. Camly is a board member of NAPNAP and a member of Sigma Theta Tau International.
Bonnie Taft, MSN, RN, CPNP
Bonnie is a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP) with a rich background in the pediatric primary care setting. Bonnie is also an experienced educator and served as a member of the pediatric clinical faculty at the University of California at San Francisco for several years. Bonnie completed her undergraduate degree at State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1994 and she later went on to attain her Master of Science in Nursing at Boston College in 2003.
Armine Tayag, NP
Patricia Thompson MSN, RN, FNP-BC, APP III
Pat received her Master’s of Science degree in Nursing at Rivier College, and her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at the University of Massachusetts. She has worked as a nurse practitioner since 1998. She joined the Stanford Neurosurgery service in 2013, and specializes in the care of patients with brain tumors, vascular malformations, aneurysms and neurogenetic disorders such as Von Hippel Lindau and neurofibromatosis. She is active in the meningioma, acoustic neuroma trigeminal neuralgia and brain tumor support groups at Stanford.
Joli Vavao, MSN, ACNP, CNRN
Joli joined the Neurosurgical team in 2004. She obtained her masters degree as an acute care nurse practitioner from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has worked as a nurse for over 13 years specializing in neurosurgery and stroke neurology. She has received national certification in neuroscience nursing. She plays an active role coordinating the care of cerebrovascular patients in both an inpatient and outpatient setting. She participates in lectures to hospital staff and local health care professionals regarding the care of neuroscience patients.
Erin Wipff MSN, ANP-BC
Erin Wipff earned her Bachelors of Arts in Biology from University of California, Santa Cruz and Bachelors of Nursing from Johns Hopkins University. She received her Masters of Science in Nursing in Adult Primary Care with a minor in HIV from the University of California, San Francisco. She is board certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, a member of the California Association of Nurse Practitioners, and Sigma Theta Tau. She has cared for patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings with focuses in research, oncology, endocrinology, and surgery.