Dr. Elliot Krames, Medical Director is a nationally and internationally known "thought leader" in the field of Pain Medicine and neuromodulation. Dr. Krames is board certified in anesthesiology and sub-certified in pain management through the American Board of Anesthesiology. He is certified in pain medicine through the American Board of Pain Medicine.

Dr. Krames sits on the Boards of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS), the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) and the National Pain Foundation (NPF). Dr. Krames has served on the Boards of the World Institute of Pain (WIP), the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) and the American Board of Pain Medicine (ABPM). Dr. Krames is President-elect of the International Neuromodulation Society, is co-founder and Vice-chairperson for operations of the National Pain Foundation, an organization dedicated to be an educational resource to patients suffering from pain, and is Editor-in-Chief of Neuromodulation, Journal of the International Neuromodulation Society and the Official Journal of the International Functional Electrical Stimulation Society. He serves on the Editorial Board of Pain Medicine, Journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

Dr. Krames has been voted by his peers as a "Best Doctor" for the years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 and has been acclaimed as one of the "top doctors" in the city of San Francisco by San Francisco Magazine. Dr. Krames is on the medical staffs of California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, John Muir Medical Center, Concord and John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek.

Dr. Carlo S. Esteves is an Associate in Pain Medicine and Director of the Fellowship Training Program at PPTC and has completed training as a fellow in Pain Medicine at Pacific Pain Treatment Centers. Dr. Esteves provides expertise in electrodiagnositic medicine, acupuncture, osteopathic manipulation and pain medicine diagnosis and treatment to the patients referred to PPTC. Dr. Esteves is on the medical staffs of California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, John Muir Medical Center, Concord and John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek.

Dr. Esteves received his MD degree from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines. He completed his Internship and Externship at the Philippines Veterans Hospital. He came to the USA in 1987. He received his licensure to practice medicine in the USA in 1999. He received his Doctor of Osteopathy degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his post-degree Internship at Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, New York and his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation also at the Nassau University Medical Center. He is board Certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and Board Eligible in Pain Medicine.

Nancy M Gould, M.Ed joined the PPTC team in November 2004. She is a certified biofeedback and stress management therapist with over 16 years experience. She has a personal commitment to helping her clients have a tangible experience of their power to improve their health. She has taught stress management classes at the University of California Berkeley and California Center for Sleep Disorders and consulted with patients at Duke University Medical Center, Durham Regional Department of Psychiatry and Oakleigh Chemical Recovery Center. She has created successful on site biofeedback and stress management programs at many major US corporations.

Ms. Gould obtained her Masters and undergraduate degrees at the University of Virginia with additional training in behavioral medicine from the Menninger Foundation and University of North Carolina Clinical Psychology Dept. As a fellow with the Biofeedback Institute of America she has trained physicians, nurse practitioners and physical therapists in becoming biofeedback practitioners.

Nancy says that her focus is to "help people reduce pain and stress; and to taper off of medications. My clients see the real benefits of pain reduction with Biofeedback training. I work 'one on one' to assist with work related injuries, chronic back pain, and headaches. I also use EEG theta training to help patients fall asleep easier and sleep through the night."

Elizabeth Buick, RN, is Clinic Coordinator of the clinical services at PPTC. Liz received her Bachelors in the Science of Nursing from San Francisco State University and upon completion of her RN degree in 2000, Liz joined the team at PPTC. She communicates with referring physicians, pharmacists and other therapists to deliver the individualized plan of care designed for each patient. Besides her many responsibilities, Liz is primarily responsible for the coordination of care given to our patients with intrathecal therapies. We do not know what we and our patients would do without her.

Elyria "Lee" Ambeau, originally from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and recently from New Orleans, Louisiana, is a Reimbursement Assistant in our billing office. She has been living in SF since September of 2005 and working with us since January of 2006. Lee enjoys working with the PPTC team because, "The office personnel are team loyal & dedicated with a genuine sense of caring and niceness." Lee brings with her 20 years experience in Medical Billing plus 15 years as an executive assistant and senior clinical manager. Lee would like to continue to constantly learn in her life, and leave her family with a sense of strong ties to one another. In her free time, Lee does word and/or number games, and eventually she will pursue furthering her education in school. Lee is embraced by our team as a member of our "family."

Richard James Bargloski, executive assistant and new patient scheduling coordinator is originally from Glassboro, New Jersey. Richard served 4 years in the United States Navy as a Personnelman on-board the aircraft carrier, USS Kitty Hawk, in the capacity of Assistant Customer Service Supervisor. After extensive travel and discharge from the naval service, Richard settled in San Francisco to pursue a career in medicine. Richard began working at PPTC in 2000. He is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at San Francisco State University, majoring in Philosophy while also completing courses required for entrance into medical school. Richard, while extremely interested in Pain Medicine, also enjoys adventuring California wilderness, playing the drums, exercising and sharing quality time with family and friends.

Shelly Chang, our Front Office Team Leader, has been working at PPTC for 4+ years and living in SF for 5 years. Shelly is a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication with a Minor in Dance from University of Hawaii. Shelly enjoys helping patients receive treatments here at PPTC, and she is an expert at obtaining authorization from medical insurance companies. In her free time, Shelly likes to make stationary art. Shelly continues to be a key member of our office staff and has demonstrated her dedication well to PPTC and our patients.

Marlene Herrera is Director of Financial Services Department of PPTC. Marlene joined the team in 2004. She has made quite a difference for the health of our organization. Marlene is responsible for maintaining cash flow at PPTC through appropriate coding, billing and reimbursement. Marlene has 10+ years previous experience in the healthcare business, mostly involved with contracting, coding, billing and collections. Marlene is a graduate of a university in the Philippines, receiving her Bachelor of Science in Business Management.

Sharon Inase, a San Francisco native, is one of our Reimbursement and Collections Specialists. Sharon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art from San Francisco State University and she has a diploma from Bryman College. Sharon has been working with us since October of 2003 and continues to work toward an AS degree in Health Information Management at City College of San Francisco.

Rosellen Lanning Krames, RN, Practice Administrator and CEO: Rosellen received her BS and RN degrees from Mount Marty College in Yankton, South Dakota. She is a nurse with many years experience in education, clinical research, clinical nursing, hospice, and device research, working with a major medical device company. She has worked with Dr. Krames at PPTC since 1989. Since the fall of 2000, when Liz Buick accepted the role of Clinical Coordinator, Rosellen has devoted her full time attention to managing the practice of PPTC. Rosellen provides caring and professional oversight to our clinical and administrative staff.

Kara Marie is the latest addition to the PPTC front office team, with a strong background in public health and patient advocacy. She has a BA degree from San Francisco State University. She is the Surgery Scheduler, responsible for obtaining authorizations and scheduling all procedures. She communicates with patients, hospital staff and insurance agencies on a daily basis in this role. Her conscientious disposition and practical knowledge have helped her to swiftly assume many responsibilities that are necessary for daily operations. She is a painter in contemporary abstract and idiosyncratic character based styles, and she also enjoys distance running... well, jogging.

Sara Rodirguez, a San Francisco native, graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in San Francisco, obtained a certification as a nurse assistant (CNA) and then went to Bryman College and completed their Medical Assistant program. She worked as CNA at a residence facility for four years. Sara is the newest member of our team, and she brings with her a warm smile and courteous service as an Administrative / Medical Assistant. Sara enjoys working at PPTC and being a part of our team, as she recognizes and appreciates the daily learning that occurs here. In her free time, Sara loves to spend time with her family and friends. Eventually, Sara would like to pursue a degree as a Nurse Practitioner. Sara is a welcome addition to PPTC!

Tia Sofatzis has been working with Dr. Elliot Krames for almost 10 years, and is currently his project manager, and the admissions coordinator for the PPTC Fellowship Program. Tia is also Executive Director of the International Neuromodulation Society, and Managing Editor of the Society's journal, Neuromodulation.