OUR Providers SPEND TIME WITH PATIENTS. NOT PAPERWORK.
our team
HEALTHCARE TEAM
Peter Lazzopina MD
MD | Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Peter Lazzopina is a board-certified family medicine physician leading a movement to redefine healthcare. In 2018, Dr. Lazz stepped out in faith to begin direct primary care in Harlingen, Texas. Operating then as Frontier Direct Primary Care, Dr. Lazz saw patients in a shared medical office, performed evaluations and procedures on a massage table, and executed administrative tasks on a picnic table. When he and his wife, Stacey, could juggle all the tasks no more, Dr. Lazz recruited his first employee and former nurse, Sandy. There was no question–Dr. Lazz was helping restore and renew the patient-physician relationship. He focused on bringing healing to people rather than on generating data and profits. And the hard work paid off!
2020 truly tested the direct primary care model, showing that even the coronavirus couldn’t slow down the movement. Dr. Lazz opened up the Harlingen location on historic Jackson Street, hired another physician, and hired an operations team to take the administrative burden off the medical team.
During his time as physician, DPC-advocate, and Frontier spokesperson, Dr. Lazz has had the privilege to speak before the Texas Legislature in support of House Bill 484, a pilot program that would allow Medicaid recipients to use their government benefits to pay for DPC memberships. Though the proposed Bill was killed, it was a large step forward for the entire DPC community. In September 2021, Dr. Lazz was featured on Patients Rising podcast, discussing the savings that come out of DPC membership. In April 2022, Frontier Direct Care was featured in the Texas Public Policy Foundation article “Losing Hope–and Finding Care.”
Dr. Peter Lazzopina is a board certified family medicine physician leading a movement to redefine health care. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson Medical College in 2008 and completed residency at Valley Baptist Family Practice Residency. He has cared for thousands of patients and taught physicians in training to do the same as a teaching physician at the same residency program at Valley Baptist to be compassionate, competent physicians. Dr. Lazz has been a family physician in Harlingen for 13 years.
Jordan Dooley MD
Dr. Jordan Dooley completed his medical degree at Michigan State University in 2017. He came to the RGV for specialty training in family medicine and was part of a program led by our founding physician, Dr. Peter Lazzopina. Dr. Dooley witnessed the early development of Frontier Direct Care, and excitedly joined Dr. Lazzopina in his mission to restore the patient-physician relationship in 2019. Board certified in family medicine, Dr. Dooley is also a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and passionate about helping patients utilize healthy nutrition and exercise choice to reverse and prevent chronic diseases. Dr. Dooley is proficient in English language.
Jessica Longoria PA
Jessica Longoria was born in Kingsville, TX and is a graduate of Texas A&M University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science graduating with Honors. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the The University of Texas Pan American graduating with Honors, and later a Master of Physician Assistant Studies at The University of Texas Pan American.
Jessica has fifteen years' experience in Family and Internal Medicine practicing in the RGV Community, with special interest in Chronic Disease Management, Preventative Medicine, and Aesthetic and Wellness Health. Jessica is a Certified Aesthetic Practitioner and is passionate about helping individuals feel and look confident with a natural approach.
In addition to her work at Frontier Direct Care, Jessica Serves as a Preceptor to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Physician Assistant Program. Jessica is a member of the Rio Grande Valley Physician Assistants Society, the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Texas Academy of Physician Assistants, and American Association of Diabetes Educators.
Jessica resides in Harlingen TX with her husband, two children and dog where she enjoys spending time with family and friends and tolerates exercise regularly. Jessica is proficient in English and Spanish language and serves our members in the Weslaco location.
Cindy Zamorategui, NP
Cindy Zamorategui obtained her BSN in 2019 and her Masters of Science in Nursing from Walden University. Cindy came to Frontier with five years' experience in nursing, with a special interest in family medicine. She is delighted to be a part of a team that is unified, safe, and that prioritizes patients' healthcare needs.
In addition to her work at Frontier Direct Care, she is co-owner of Care Rx Pharmacy, a local pharmacy that has aided in administering over 15,000 COVID-19 vaccines to the community by holding special vaccine clinics.
Cindy resides in Harlingen, TX with her husband and enjoys life with her three young daughters. Cindy is proficient in both English and Spanish and serves Frontier members in our Harlingen location.
Amy Garza PA
Amy completed her BS in Biology at the University of Texas at Austin in 2007 and obtained her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Texas Pan American in 2010. Amy brings 12 years of experience as a Physician Associate in Gastroenterology, Family Medicine, and Internal Medicine. She is dedicated to developing lasting relationships with patients and providing comprehensive health care. During her free time, she loves doing fun activities and crafts with her two children, ages 9 and 6, and her supportive husband of 12 years. Amy keeps busy with her "mom lifestyle" and wouldn't have it any other way and is ecstatic about joining the Frontier Direct Care team in Brownsville.
Patty Garza NP
Patricia (Patty) Garza is an RGV native, mother of two children in college and a dog mom who started her nursing career in 2007 at VBMC with an Associates Degree in Nursing from South Texas College. She continued to pursue her passion for providing medical care to our underserved community and earned her Bachelor’s in Nursing in 2012 followed by her Masters in Nursing from University of Texas-Pan American in 2015. Patty practiced medicine at VBMC until 2021 and then transitioned to research as a sub investigator for multiple studies including research on novel vaccines for COVID-19. Today Patty is a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner at Frontier Direct Care and patients of all ages see her for their healthcare needs.
Patty is also passionate and certified in an extensive list of aesthetics and wellness services. Services include Medical Weight Loss Treatments, Fillers, Neurotoxins, Laser Hair Removal and Skin Care Treatments, Trainings, and Recommendations.
In her spare time, Patty enjoys spending time with her family, friends and her dog and also enjoys reading and exercising.
Gina Sanchez NP
Georgina (Gina) Sanchez is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from University of Texas- Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in 1999 and a Master of Science in Nursing degree with certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner from UTRGV in 2014.
Gina enjoys educating her patients and treating them holistically using multiple modalities to attain and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Gina is also proficient in both English and Spanish and in her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets, practicing yoga, cooking and traveling.
Laura Saucedo is a local graduate of Harlingen High School South. Immediately after graduation in 1999, she enlisted in the United States Air Force and started her career as a medic. She was awarded a military scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio in 2010 followed by a Master’s Degree in Nursing also from UTHSCSA in 2014. Laura is a commissioned officer and after 23 years continues to serve in the Texas Army National Guard.
Laura is a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with a special interest in flight medicine, nutritional wellness, and is an expert in veterans disability processes and examinations. Additionally, Laura is a highly experienced aesthetic practitioner and travels the country training other professionals on the use of laser and light therapy. She is expertly trained on nearly all aesthetics procedures and is thrilled to assist with the development of the Frontier Aesthetics and Wellness program.
In her free time, Laura supports her local community as a volunteer providing primary care to the underserved of the RGV at Culture of Life Ministries.
Laura resides in Harlingen with her spouse of 23 years. The two enjoy traveling and spending time visiting their two college students.
Peter Ruiz MD
Dr. Peter Ruiz was born in Dayton, Ohio and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his medical degree at the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio in 2006. He completed his residency in 2009 at Valley Baptist Family Pracce Residency Program and its affiliated Valley Baptist Medical Center.
Dr. Ruiz has 13 years' experience in family medicine, with special interests in diabetic patient management, occupational health, and veteran disability evaluations. In addion to his work at Frontier Direct Care, he has served on the Committee on Healthcare Services and Managed Care (TAFP).
Dr. Ruiz is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Texas Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Ruiz is the ninth of twelve children and resides in Mission, Texas with his wife and two children. Dr. Ruiz is proficient in English and Spanish.
MELISSA PEREZ, PA
Melissa was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and moved to the United States at the age of 5 to pursue the American Dream.
Melissa graduated from the University of Texas Pan American with a Bachelor's degree in Biology and double minors in Chemistry and Psychology in 2014. Afterwards, she attended The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley where she obtained her Master's of Physician Assistant Studies in 2017.
Melissa has been practicing in the Rio Grande Valley for 7 years. She specializes in family medicine with a focus on managing diabetes and obesity. She is passionate about educating patients on maintaining a well-balanced lifestyle, being knowledgeable about their diseases and teaching them how to manage their conditions.
Christina Bolton MD
Christina Bolton, MD was born and raised in New York & New Jersey. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biology and a Master's Degree in Biomedical Sciences. She earned her medical degree in 2016 from St. George’s University School of Medicine and completed her residency training in 2019 at the University of Connecticut where she served as Chief Resident. She has an interest in preventive care, health education, lifestyle & aesthetic medicine. Over the course of her training and career, Dr. Bolton has lived and practiced in many states. She relocated with her family to the Valley in 2022 and was drawn to Frontier's patient care model. She is Board Certified in Family Medicine and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Veronica Gonzalez, MSS
Mauricio Blanco, MSS
Erica Gonzalez, MSS
Cassie Saldivar, MSS
Miranda Macias, MSS
Neydi Salazar, MSS
JOLISSA PRAT, FNP-C
Jolissa Pratt is a Family Nurse Practitioner. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2018 and earned her Master of Science degree in 2022 from the University of Texas at Arlington. Jolissa holds a national board certification with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). She has been in the medical industry as a RN for 11 years, specializing in critical care working as an ICU nurse. Jolissa works with individuals of all ages. She is skilled at helping patients manage acute issues and chronic illnesses.
When she is not taking care of patients, Jolissa enjoys family time with her husband and two kids. She enjoys working out, running and has a newfound love of reading books.
Matthew Basquez, MSS
PAULINA MONTEMAYOR, MSS
MIRANDA MARTINEZ, PA-C
Miranda Martinez is a native of the RGV who is fluent in English and Spanish. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Texas Pan-American, then pursued her masters degree in Physician Assistant studies.
Miranda has nine years of experience working in various settings, including Family and Internal Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Endocrinology. Her special interests include chronic disease management, preventative medicine and endocrinology. In addition to primary care, Miranda offers expertise in medical weight loss, intra-articular injections, incision and drainage, Pap Smears, skin tag removal, x-ray interpretation and cryotherapy.
Miranda is a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the Endocrine Society. She is also a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist and Obesity Medicine Association. Miranda is in the process of pursuing further education and certifications to better serve her patients. She enjoys spending time with her family and close friends. She also loves to read, workout, and she is both a sports and barbecue enthusiast.
JANNA HENKEL, PA-C
Janna was born and raised in Greenbush, Minnesota. She completed her Bachelor of Biological Sciences degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She then earned her Masters of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Janna is passionate about using her skills at providing a patient-centered care approach to each visit. Her aim is to provide the most efficient and effective care plan based on each unique patient’s needs and goals. Her recent focus has been on preventive medicine, health education, and emergency medicine.
Outside of work, Janna enjoys spending time with family and friends, working out, fishing, traveling, cooking, and playing with her cats and dogs.
MICHELLE YBARRA, FNP-BC
Michelle Ybarra is an Advanced Practice Family Nurse Practitioner. She was born, raised and educated in the Rio Grande Valley. Michelle graduated as a Registered Nurse in 2007 from the University of Brownsville and started her nursing career on the medical surgical floor. She eventually worked her way up to care for patients in the intensive care unit. She also functioned as charge nurse and helped manage and coordinate patient care.
Michelle’s passion for nursing and providing scientific based medicine with a holistic approach created a drive to further her career so that she could provide more than just basic nursing care. Michelle returned to UTB to pursue and eventually receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing in 2010, which was only a stepping stone to her ultimate goal. In 2014, she made her goal a reality. Michelle graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Master’s degree in Nursing and gained her board certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Michelle has worked mainly as a hospitalist nurse practitioner, which has helped her fine tune her medical management skills. In her spare time, Michelle loves to refurbish old furniture. She loves to take something old and broken down and make it beautiful and appealing again.
ALEX BARRAZA, PA-C
Alexandra Barraza, MPAS, PA-C is a 2019 graduate from the University of Texas Rio Grande
Valley. Alex is an RGV native, mother of four children, and loves to travel with her family.
Alexandra’s special interest is preventative medicine and is focused on a holistic approach to combat diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. She has experience in women’s health and Rheumatology.
Prior to obtaining her Master’s degree, she worked extensively as a pediatric speech therapist
for five years in an outpatient clinical setting. She concentrated on treating patients with special needs, and it was then she found her love for serving patients with Autism and Down Syndrome.
In 2013 she decided to expand her knowledge and became a certified special education
teacher. She worked with both middle school and high school students with various learning
disabilities in the classroom. She has experience with special programs offered at the school
districts, creating IEPS, and classroom accommodations. She comes from a family of educators and has a special love for teaching which has transcended into patient education at the clinical
setting.
In 2021, Alex began serving her patients in the field of psychiatry for two years. She focused on treating patients with generalized anxiety, depression, ADHD, Autism, OCD, PTSD, and postpartum depression.
Alexandra is proficient in both English and Spanish. She is delighted to work in primary care where she can utilize her unique skills to serve the population of the Rio Grande Valley.
ANABELLE RODRIGUIZ, FNP-C
MARISSA DE LEON, MPAS, PA-C
SAMANTHA PUENTE, MA
MARGARET JIMENEZ, MA
SAMANTHA VILLEGAS, MSS
Cassandra Cuellar, PA-C
Cassandra Cuellar was raised in McAllen, TX and is a graduate of Texas A&M
Corpus Christi for which she received her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical
Sciences. She then obtained her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley.
Cassandra has 6 years of experience working in Family Medicine and Internal Medicine. She strives to build positive relationships with her patients while encouraging them to optimize their health. She has a special interest in preventative care and promoting a healthy lifestyle for her patients. Cassandra enjoys traveling, exercising regularly, being outdoors and spending time with her family and friends.
DAVID MARTINEZ, FNP
David Martinez earned his Family Nurse Practitioner in 2022. Prior to being a FNP he was an emergency room nurse and a firefighter/paramedic for the City of Weslaco for 12 years.
David attended South Texas College where he earned an Associates Degree in Nursing. He decided to continue his education further by obtaining a Master’s degree in nursing from Texas A&M - Corpus Christi.
He is married and has one daughter. He enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with family.
KATELYNN DAVIDSON, MSS
FERNANDO SALINAS
Illiana I. Vasquez, MSS
Kristian Carrizales
YESENIA Urbina, MSS
HEADQUARTERS TEAM
Chief Executive Officer
Joe Wilson
Chief Growth Officer
Chief Operations Officer
Chief Finance Officer
Brad springer
Chief Revenue Officer
MD | Chief Medical Officer
Executive Administrative Assistant
Onboarding Specialist & Counselor – EAP
Member Services Team Lead
Jess Cantu
Chief People Officer
Melissa martinez
Construction Project Manager
Sr. Customer Success Manager
BLAIN BARNETT
Chief Strategy Officer
Chief Technology Officer
Ashley Dickerson
Consultant – Public Health
Leonela Nava
Member Services
Lauren Orzechowski PA
Director of Medical Operations
Growth Data Analyst
Perla Hernandez
Finance & Accounting Analyst
Sandy Arevalo LVN
Director of Medical Support
Helen Maldonado
Member Services
Hayden Benavides
Member Services
Febe Zepeda
People Operations Specialist
Debbie Herrera
Member Services
VANESSA RAMIREZ
Head of Operations
Ashley Cruz
Patient Care Coordinator
EmmaRuth Potter
Marketing Coordinator
Jessica Banuelos
Controller
SARAH NELSON
VP of Recruiting
Mallory Bannon
VP of Finance