Florida Center for Prostate Care Physicians

Dr. Augspurger is a Jacksonville native. After graduating from Terry Parker High School, he attended the University of Florida on an academic scholarship. While there, he pledged Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Following in Dr Paryani’s footsteps, Dr. Augspurger was admitted early to medical school in the Junior Honors Program. After finishing medical school in 1995, he completed an internship at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta, followed by a Radiation Oncology residency at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Here, Dr. Augspurger served as Chief Resident during his final year of training.

Following the completion of his training in June of 2000, Dr. Augspurger served an active duty commitment with the United States Air Force. While stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi, he became Chair of the Radiation Oncology Department.He started the first IMRT program in the Air Force and later earned the Meritorious Service Medal. Dr. Augspurger is board certified in Radiation Oncology. He is an active member of the American College of Radiology and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. His cancer interests are wide ranged but include prostate cancer, IMRT and Gamma Knife radiosurgery.

His time away from the office is primarily spent with his wife and two sons. He also enjoys jogging, salt-water fishing, and spending time with his parents and sister who live on Amelia Island.

Dr. Cesaretti A native of Blue Springs, Missouri, Dr. Cesaretti is now in private practice in Jacksonville Florida, where he and his partners perform over 500 prostate seed implants per year. He learned his technique while a resident at Mount Sinai. He stayed on as faculty for four years during which time he studied the reasons behind why patients develop side effects during and following radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The Department of Defense awarded Dr. Cesaretti a large grant that allowed him to complete important investigations in this area. He and his research group were also awarded funding by the American Cancer Society, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

Dr. Cesaretti joined FROG in 2008. He has a special interest in the application of both stereotactic body radiosurgery and prostate brachytherapy. In addition, he is a member of the Children's Oncology Group, the Annual Meeting Subcommittee of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the American Brachytherapy Society. He has given many talks about how to successfully cure prostate cancer using seed implants in Japan, South Africa, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and throughout the United States. He has authored many articles, written several protocols, and contributed the prostate brachytherapy chapter to the most recent edition of the Johns Hopkins textbook about the treatment of prostate cancer. In addition, at the 2009 World Brachytherapy Conference he served as a course instructor for the prostate seed procedure. He also has a particular interest in helping patients make the right personal decision regarding their cancer care among an often-overwhelming array of potential treatment choices.

Dr. Deshmukh: After graduating as Valedictorian of his class at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Deshmukh went on to complete his undergraduate degree with honors at Harvard University. He attended Cornell University Medical College, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. As a medical student, he became interested in the field of Radiation Oncology, and spent time during his vacations in Jacksonville with Drs Paryani, Wells, and Johnson. He ultimately completed his residency in Radiation Oncology at Stanford University Medical Center, California. Dr. Deshmukh is board certified in Radiation Oncology.

Dr. Deshmukh's clinical interests include prostate cancer, lymphomas, breast cancer, and Gamma Knife therapy for brain neoplasms. He is a member of the Duval County Medical Society, Florida Medical Association and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. He is active with the local American Cancer Society and Community Hospice of Northeast Florida.

After work, Dr. Deshmukh enjoys tennis, sailing, jogging, and music, and sharing time with his medically oriented family: His father practices neurology and his mother is an anesthesiologist in private practice. Even his siblings could not avoid the medical "bug": Abhijit's two younger brothers have completed their M.D.'s at Harvard Medical School as well!

Dr. Grow: Allison Grow is a north Florida native, having grown up in Tallahassee with several generations of roots in southwest Georgia. She mostly enjoyed the humanities and creative arts in school while growing up, and then developed an interest in the sciences in college at Florida State University. She completed a premedical curriculum while majoring in physics and applied math, and went on to obtain a PhD in theoretical physics.

While teaching college physics at Florida A&M University, her interest in medicine was rekindled, and she eventually moved to California to attend Stanford School of Medicine. Her initial interests were in pediatrics and obstetrics, but these were quickly and decisively overshadowed by the challenges and rewards of working with cancer patients on a surgical oncology rotation. Exploring options in oncology, she was thrilled to discover the discipline of radiation oncology, which allowed her to combine patient care with her past interest in physics.

She remained at Stanford for residency training in the very strong radiation oncology program there, following in the famed footsteps of several senior FROGs! While there, she appreciated the opportunity to participate in projects relating to CyberKnife radiosurgery for gastrointestinal cancers and to prognostic factors for lymphoma, as well as Stanford’s unique expertise in both areas. She also continued to enjoy teaching enormously throughout her medical training, working as a teaching assistant in human anatomy and as a physics lecturer for a team-taught interdisciplinary undergraduate science course.

After ten great years in California, she really missed home, and once she discovered a group as strong as FROG in Florida, joining was an easy decision! She is very excited to be a part of launching CyberKnife radiosurgery in Jacksonville.

Away from work, she enjoys choral music, playing piano and flute, a little karaoke now and then, writing, baking and spending time with her growing family.

Dr. Hayes, board certified by the American Board of Radiology has more than 11 years experience in the field of Radiation Oncology.

She obtained her medical degree and completed her residency at the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Hayes did a breast research fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta and has participated in research of gynecologic oncology issues.

She has co-authored a book chapter and various peer review articles. She has served on the faculty at the University of Florida as an assistant professor and currently serves on the boards of several community organizations as well as participates in local and national societies.

Dr. Maureen Holasek was born in North Dakota, living in several states as well as Europe throughout her lifetime.

She graduated from high school in 1979 in the top 10% of her class. Dr. Holasek attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, graduating Summa Cum Laude from the College Scholars Program, which is equivalent to obtaining a masters degree in four years, with emphasis in zoology. Medical school followed at the University of Tennessee. Upon completing Medical school she attended Eastern Virginia Medical School completing an internal medicine internship.

Maureen continued her medical training in radiation oncology at the University of Minnesota serving as chief resident her senior year.

During her one year on staff at University of Minnesota, Dr. Holasek moved to Florida. Dr. Holasek trained and was certified in stereotactic radiosurgery using the CyberKnife machine.

Maureen and her husband have recently returned to Central Florida. They are building a new home and are happy to be close to family and friends.

Dr. Holasek recently accepted the position at the CyberKnife Center affiliated with Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford where she will be based.

Dr. Douglas W. Johnson was born at the West Point Military Academy in New York, and traveled the world as an “Air Force brat” during his youth. After obtaining his B.S. degree at Virginia Tech, he received his M.D. degree from the Medical College of Virginia. His post-doctoral studies included an Internal Medicine internship at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, followed by his Radiation Oncology residency at Stanford University Medical Center, where he met Drs. Paryani and Wells. From 1983-87, he served as the Chairman of Radiation Oncology at the David Grant USAF Medical Center in California. Upon leaving active duty in 1987, Dr. Johnson brought his family to Jacksonville to join the Florida Radiation Oncology Group. He retired as a Colonel in the USAF reserves in 1999, after having served as a Radiation Oncology Consultant, Flight Surgeon, and Commander of David Grant USAF Medical Center. Dr. Johnson was Chief of Radiation Oncology at Baptist Medical Center from 1995-2003, and chair of the Institutional Review Committee from 2001-2004. From 2004-2006 he was elected Chief of the Baptist Medical Center Medical Staff. He has been active in the American Cancer Society as the Vice-President for Programs, Duval County. He is Board Certified in Radiation Oncology and is a member of a dozen major regional and national professional societies.

Dr. Johnson has more than 20 years experience doing brachytherapy. He was the first to perform a Palladium prostate seed implant in North Florida. He has a major interest in clinical cancer research, and is a Principal Investigator for the national Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and Children’s Oncology Group. As principal investigator, he supervises research access to several leading edge national protocols open for prostate cancer. He serves on national research strategy committees and has authored numerous protocols, as well as over 35 scientific publications. He has also served as a Quality Control consultant to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Dr. Koshy was brought up in Sarasota, Florida and received her undergraduate training at Cornell University, where she graduated Suma Cum Laude. She received her medical school training at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. She then went on to do her Internship in Internal Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta, GA and stayed on to complete her residency in Radiation Oncology where she served as Chief Resident in her final year. She stayed on at Emory for the following year on faculty as a Clinical Instructor and then served as Assistant Professor in Radiation Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston for another 2 years before returning to Florida. Dr. Koshy is a member of numerous organizations, including the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the American College of Radiology and The American Society of Clinical Oncology. She is Board Certified in Radiation Oncology by the American Board of Radiology.

She has authored several papers on IMRT, pediatric tumors, gastrointestinal tumors and PET-CT imaging. She has been recipient of the ARS Young Oncologist Travel Award, RSNA Roentgen Research Award and the AAWR National Resident Award. She maintains a strong interest in clinical research, and has a special interest in Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy.

Dr. Anand Kuruvilla: Originally from India, Dr. Anand Kuruvilla has been in the United States since 1982. After completing his undergraduate medical training in India, he attended Derbyshire Royal Infirmary and the Royal Berkshire Hospital in England for specialized post-graduate training in Radiation Oncology. After his arrival in the United States, he spent another four years studying Radiation Oncology as a resident at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and served as Chief Resident there in his final year.

After obtaining Radiation Oncology Board Certification in 1986, he practiced at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles, California, until his move to Florida in 1991 to join the Florida Radiation Oncology Group.

In 1999, Dr Kuruvilla also achieved Board Certification in Palliative and Hospice Medicine. In 2000, he was awarded Fellowship in the American College of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Kuruvilla has a special interest in genitourinary cancers. He helped pioneer the use of radioactive seed implants for treatments of prostate cancer in North Florida. "This is a tremendous option for many men with localized prostate cancer, and in many cases can be completed without major surgery in one day as an outpatient," he says.

Dr. Kuruvilla is currently the Director of the Cancer Center of Putnam, and has served as Chief of Staff of Putnam Community Medical Center, and as a member of the Palatka Rotary Club, the Putnam & Duval County Medical Societies, Florida Medical Association, American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American College of Radiation Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology and American College of Radiology and the American College of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Kuruvilla is also Putnam County's Honorary Medical Advisor to Hospice of North Central Florida. He is an active volunteer and board member with the local chapter of the American Cancer Society where he has chaired the Community Outreach program for screening and early cancer detection.

Dr. Kuruvilla and his wife Sheila have two children, a daughter and a son, attending college. When not at work, he can be found exploring the fairways and greens of the area's numerous golf courses.

April Smith Mendoza was born in San Antonio, Texas but spent most of her formative years right here in Florida. She graduated from Leesburg High School with honors and was designated a Florida Academic Scholar. She accepted a Presidential Scholarship at West Virginia University graduating Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting. Upon passing the Certified Public Accountant examination, she spent a year with a large accounting firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

However, a love of science and medicine compelled her to return to West Virginia University to pursue pre-medical studies. Dr. Mendoza graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia where she stayed to complete her residency in radiation oncology and serve as chief resident.

Dedicated to clinical research, Dr. Mendoza has authored publications and directed studies on multiple topics including prostate cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer and colorectal cancer.

Returning to Florida to be near her family, Dr. Mendoza joined the Florida Radiation Oncology Group in 2005 and is currently Co- Director of the Flagler Cancer Center in St. Augustine. She is a member of the Flagler Hospital Cancer Committee, and serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator. She is also a member of several professional organizations including the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American Society for Clinical Oncology, American Medical Association and American College of Radiology.

Dr. Mendoza and her husband have a son, a daughter, two dogs and a cat, who are all very happy to be in the warm Florida weather. Their spare time usually revolves around the children and includes visits to the beach, historical sites or just enjoying the outdoors.

Rizwan Nurani was born in Kenya, East Africa. He moved to Seattle to study at the University of Washington, where he earned a Bachelors of Science in Cell & Molecular Biology as well as a Doctorate in Medicine, with Thesis Honors. He chose to continue his specialty training at the University of Washington and completed his residency in Radiation Oncology in 2007. In his final year of training, he served as Chief Resident as well as Coordinator for the American Brachytherapy Society/Seattle Prostate Institute Fellowship Program.

Dr. Nurani’s practice is based on the philosophy that he can best serve his patients by helping them obtain a balanced and detailed understanding of the treatment options for their cancer. This knowledge, when combined with each patient’s unique perspective, enables the patient and doctor to work together to tailor an individualized treatment program.

His clinical and research interests have centered on improving treatment for patients with prostate cancer, brachytherapy applications, and integrating new imaging tools into treatment planning. He has presented his research at national and international conferences sponsored by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), American Head and Neck Cancer Society (AHNS), European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO), the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) and Groupe Europeen de Curietherapie (GEC).

In their free time, Dr. Nurani, his wife and young daughter can usually be found outdoors, kayaking, biking, hiking or playing with bugs. They enjoy discovering new places and have an interest in international health.

Mike Olson is a native of the Northeast. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry with highest honors from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. Seeking to apply his love for science to the treatment of disease, Mike transitioned from a graduate program at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) to Duke University where Mike accepted a position at Duke's Medical Scientist Training Program. He obtained his M.D. and Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, researching processes of cellular death critical to the treatment of human cancers. Having experienced the rewards and satisfactions gained by helping patients every day, Mike decided to hang up his lab coat and pursue a career in clinical medicine.

After completing his internship in Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mike joined the prestigious Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University Medical Center for his residency in Radiation Oncology. While at Stanford, Mike developed his interests in Stereotactic Body/Cyberknife Radiotherapy for prostate, lung, and gastrointestinal cancers. He also pursued research interests in lung cancer and Hodgkin's disease. He served as Chief Resident and became a member of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American College of Radiology.

In his spare time Mike likes to play volleyball, read and see new parts of Florida with his wife and daughter.

Janelle Park, M.D. was born in Columbia, Missouri, and grew up in Avon Lake, Ohio. She obtained her B.A. in Biology, with a minor in Art History, from Columbia University in New York City, and her M.D. from the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Park completed her medical internship at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, and then traveled to Los Angeles to the University of Southern California for her radiation oncology training. While at U.S.C., she served as the Chief Resident.

Upon completion of her training, Dr. Park did a brief stint in private practice in Southern California, and then returned to New York City in order to be closer to family. While in New York, she was an assistant professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Clinical Director of the Bronx Veterans' Administration's Radiation Therapy clinic. She also served as the chair of the Radiation Safety Committee and director of the Tumor Registry. During her 3 years at the Bronx VA, Dr. Park treated several hundred prostate cancer patients, and created the foundations of a radiosurgical program.

Dr. Park is board-certified in Radiation Oncology, and currently participates on the American College of Radiology's Guidelines and Standards Committee, as well as on the American College of Radiology's Physics Committee. In addition, she is a member of American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American College of Radiology (ACR), and the American Medical Association (AMA).

In addition to prostate cancer, Dr. Park also has a strong interest in stereotactic radiosurgery. Dr. Park is based at the Brandon Cyberknife Cancer Center, and is looking forward to further integrating this technology in the Tampa area.

Dr. Paryani came to Jacksonville at the age of eleven. He attended Ft. Caroline Junior High School and Terry Parker High School where he graduated at the top of his class. He then attended the University of Florida where he received a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's degree in Nuclear Engineering/Radiation Physics. In his second year of college, Dr. Paryani was admitted early to medical school in The Junior Honor's Program. After graduation from medical school near the top of his class and being inducted into the National Honor's Society of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), he traveled west to Houston, Texas for his internship. He received training in internal medicine at the University of Texas and M.D. at Anderson Hospital. Following this, he landed in Stanford, California where he received his training in Radiation Oncology. In 1983, he returned to Jacksonville to join his father and Dr. Scott in practice.

He is currently the Director of Radiation Oncology at Memorial Medical Center and Co-Director of Radiation Oncology at Baptist Medical Center.

Dr. Paryani is board certified in Radiation Oncology. He earned a Master of Health Administration degree from the University of North Florida in 2002. He is a member of the Duval County Medical Society, Florida Medical Association, American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American Society for Clinical Oncology, American Endocurietherapy Society, American College of Radiation Oncology, American College of Radiology and The American Association for Physicists in Medicine. He was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Radiation Oncology in 2000. He is also actively involved in the Baptist Health Foundation as a trustee.

He is married to Dr. Sharon Goldman Paryani, who is a pediatric infectious disease specialist locally. They have three children and enjoy the beach, golfing, and the arts.

Sonja Schoeppel was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She began her career in Oncology during undergraduate studies at Stanford University: Her honors program research resulted in a publication about treatment of head and neck cancer with surgery and radiation therapy. Dr. Schoeppel later attended medical school at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. While a medical student, she returned to Northern California to study at Stanford's Department of Radiation Oncology. During this time she met Drs. Paryani, Wells and Johnson. Her positive experience motivated her to return to Stanford for Residency training after completing her medical degree.

Dr. Schoeppel first practiced at the Virginia Mason Clinic in Seattle, Washington. A year later she was offered and accepted an Assistant Professorship at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. While at Michigan, Dr. Schoeppel specialized in the treatment of female malignancies, lymphomas and eye disorders. Research activities included the design, fabrication, and use of a patented applicator for the treatment of cervical cancer. Dr. Schoeppel was among one of the first physicians in North Florida to perform IMRT for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Dr. Schoeppel's honors and awards include an American Cancer Society (ACS) Student Fellow Award for study in England, an ACS Clinical Fellowship at Stanford, and the Robert Reid Newell Memorial Award for selection as the outstanding resident of the year at Stanford. She has authored more than fifteen papers and book chapters. Currently, she is a member of the NCI-sponsored Patterns of Care Study for Cervix Cancer.

On a more personal note, Dr. Schoeppel and her husband Mark delight in interacting with their daughter and son. They enjoy warm weather, beaches, wind surfing, and water skiing.

Neenad Shah was born in India, but left before age one, taking his parents with him. After brief sojourns in such exotic locales as England and New Jersey, he settled in rural Pennsylvania where he spent his formative years. Having little else to do, Dr. Shah cultivated interests in music, literature, outdoor recreation, and orthography. His true loves, however, were science and medicine, and he was accepted into Medical School while still in high school. After two years at the Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, Dr. Shah received his M.D. degree from the Jefferson Medical College of the Thomas Jefferson University, in Philadelphia.

After medical school, Dr. Shah completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical Center of Delaware. Realizing his mistake, he then immediately began his residency in Radiation Oncology at Tufts University in Boston. Dr. Shah served as chief resident and received awards for his research in Radiation Oncology from the American Brachytherapy Society, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and American College of Radiation Oncology. His research interests include prostate cancer, total body irradiation, and accelerated partial breast irradiation. Dr. Shah has presented his data on breast brachytherapy at several national meetings and has published articles in “Cancer” and “Seminars in Radiation Oncology.” Dr. Shah is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Radiation Oncology.

Dr. Shah is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American Society for Clinical Oncology, American College of Radiation Oncology, Florida Medical Society, and the Capital Medical Society. He has served on the Board of Directors of, and has been a Medical Advisor for, the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Shah and his wife have three children and an enormous dog, who conspire to keep them busy most of the time. Given a chance, Dr. Shah will try to hit the ski slopes, tickle the ivories, and work on his pilot’s license. He rarely does all three simultaneously.

Dr. Simmons: Born in Abilene, Texas, Dr. Simmons earned his undergraduate degree at Florida State University in Tallahassee in 1994. He went on to receive his M.D. at the University of Florida, and performed an Internal Medicine Internship at Emory University in Atlanta. He later returned to Gainesville to complete a Radiation Oncology Residency and Fellowship at the University of Florida, and subsequently was on the faculty of the University of Florida as an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Simmons is board certified in Radiation Oncology. In 2002, he left academics to join the Florida Radiation Oncology Group, where he currently serves as the co-director of the Florida Cancer Center—Orange Park. He maintains a strong interest in clinical research, and has a special interest in Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy and prostate cancer.

Outside the office, Dr. Simmons is a devoted family man and enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his daughter

Dr. Mark Thompson joined the Florida Radiation Oncology Group in October of 2007. He practices at the North Florida Cancer Center in Lake City and Live Oak.

Before joining FROG, Dr. Thompson was an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at University Hospitals of Cleveland, Case Western University. He is board certified in Radiation Oncology, Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care. Dr. Thompson has served as a medical director for hospice and has a special interest and competency in prostate seed implants.

He and his wife, Laurie, live in Lake City. They have two children who attend college at Arizona State University.

Dr. Thompson and his wife enjoy outdoor activities and are very active in their local Church teaching adult bible studies.

John Wells, Jr. was born in Brunswick, Georgia. Before becoming a Naval Aviator and F4 Phantom pilot in the United States Marine Corps, he earned both a BS and MS in Mathematics at Auburn University. After his military service, he taught Mathematics at Columbus College, Georgia, for a year while studying for Medical School. After completing his medical degree and internship at the Medical College of Georgia, he traveled west to Stanford University to complete his residency in Radiation Oncology in 1982.

At Stanford, in 1980, he met Drs. Paryani and Johnson. They have been colleagues and friends ever since, and have enjoyed creating "Stanford East" in Jacksonville along with Drs. Schoeppel and Deshmukh, both of whom later trained at Stanford as well.

Dr. Wells has practiced in Jacksonville since 1984 and presently is Chief of Radiation Oncology at Orange Park Medical Center. He is board certified in Radiation Oncology, and is a member of the Duval County Medical Center, Florida Medical Association, American Medical Society, American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and American Endocurietherapy Society.

He is active in the American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts, The Baptist Health System Foundation, and the Rotary Club of Southeast Jacksonville.

In his spare time, Dr. Wells enjoys boating, an occasional game of golf, reading, the great outdoors, and traveling with his wife, Shari.

FL0RIDA CENTERS FOR PROSTATE CARE PHYSICIANS