NAVAPD Leadership
Meet the Team Behind the NAVAPD Organization
Joseph Abate, D.M.D.
President
Dr. Joseph Abate is a Supervisory Dentist at the Miami VA Healthcare System’s Broward Outpatient Clinic. His scope of duties there includes all phases of General Dentistry including Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics, Endodontics, Periodontics, Restorative Dentistry, identifying and managing mild to serious, acute to chronic medically compromised patients, performing simple and complex full mouth extractions, and pre-prosthetic surgery.
Walter Bukowski, M.D.
Board Member
Dr. Bukowski is a Primary Care Provider at the Bill Kling Broward, Florida CBOC. While at Broward he earned the Director’s Coin for extraordinary service in a life-threatening event. He is currently active with patient care and teaching students at his clinic. He is also active in workplace improvement with Local & National VA Administration and Union Representatives. Dr. Bukowski has been excited to offer his skills as a NAVAPD Board Member to help improve both Patient and Provider experiences at the VA.
Alina Gonzalez-Mayo, M.D.
Board Member
Dr. Gonzalez-Mayo serves as the Section Chief for the Inpatient Unit and the Program Director for the Psychiatry Residency Program at Bay Pines VA with Nova Southeastern University as the sponsor. She also chairs the Public Psychiatry for the Florida Psychiatric Society.
Pamela Ellen Karasik, M.D.
Director
Dr. Pamela Karasik is Assistant Chief of Cardiology and Director of Clinical Electrophysiology at the Washington, DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She has been on staff for almost 16 years, since completing her Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Electrophysiology training in the Washington, DC area.
Ali Parand, M.D.
Board Member
Dr. Ali Parand is a board-certified internist and has worked in the VA system since 2009. He started his VA career as a hospitalist and now practices as a primary care physician. He has worked at 18 different VA facilities, many as part of the VA's innovative Interim Staffing Program, which previously provided gap staffing coverage for facilities throughout the agency. He currently works as a primary care physician for the Palo Alto VA system. One of his main career interests is advocating for wise implementation of the VHA’s mission to provide sustainable high-quality cost-effective care to our Veterans.
Samuel V. Spagnolo, M.D.
Board Member
Dr. Spagnolo is Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is the former Director of the Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Allergy at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences (1976-1993) and during this same period, he was also the Chief of the Pulmonary Section at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, DC.
Shane Taylor, D.D.S.
Board Member
Dr. Shane Taylor is ACOS Chief of Dental Services at the Montana VA HCS. As a practicing dentist, his skills include; Implant placement, Oral Surgery, fixed and removable Prosthodontics, Endodontics, Periodontics, Orthodontics and all aspects of Restorative dentistry. Dr. Taylor served as simultaneous Dental Chief at both the Montana VA HCS and the Sheridan VA HCS from 2015 to 2021, where he served all of northern Wyoming and all of Montana.
Stephen A. Vaughn, M.D. PhD
Board Member
Dr. Stephen A. Vaughn is an Internal Medicine Physician at the VAMC in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is a board certified internist with broad experience in basic and clinical sciences, ranging from primary care to intensive care. He is also an active Ambulatory Care representative to LGBTQ outpatient sponsorship of America’s veterans, and member Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee. He currently participates in preparing and implementing VA-specific planning and treatment for Veterans with COVID-19 and other health needs.