Department: Medical

Mary Spiese, certified family nurse practitioner, is committed to providing the best family care at Sadler Health Center. She has worked in the medical field for over 9 years.

Spiese received her Masters of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing and received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Drexel University.

Before joining Sadler, Mary worked in several roles as a Nurse Practitioner including providing primary health care for federal inmates and providing risk assessments for Medicare and Medicaid participants. She also worked as a Registered Nurse in Florida, Camp Hill and Allentown.

“I enjoy helping patients to understand their health so that they can help themselves,” she said.

She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Pascale Guirand is a certified family nurse practitioner who has served in the medical field over 24 years in the United States Army and public sector. She is a member of the American Nurses Association and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Dominican College. She received her Master of Science degree from the College of New Rochelle in New York. Her post-graduate education includes a Doctor of Health Administration degree from the University of Phoenix.

Her military service has included work as a Nurse Practitioner in Belgium, Fort Leavenworth, Haiti, Iraq, Fort Bragg, Carlisle Barracks and Fort Belvoir.

Prior to joining Sadler, she worked at the Barquist Army Health Clinic as a family nurse practitioner.

“I have a passion for helping others to become whole,” Guirand said about her love of delivering high quality health care. “I enjoy helping others achieve their personal goals.”

Dr. Stephen Phillips, Family Physician at Sadler, has over 30 years of experience serving patients of all ages. He was formerly a family physician in the United States Army before retiring in 2017.

He received his Doctor of Osteopathy from Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University in 1987, and went on to complete his family practice residency at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Georgia. Phillips also has a Master in Public Health from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and a Master in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a member of the American Osteopathic Association and the Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons.

An active member of the St. Patrick Church in Carlisle, Phillips enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with his family and grandchildren.

Katrina Thoma, Director of Medical Services at Sadler, is certified in pediatric primary care and specializes in pediatric congenital heart defects and intensive care. She is a member of both the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Immaculata University in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and received her Master of Science in Nursing from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and a Master of Public Health at Capella University in Minneapolis. Additionally, Thoma is pursuing a Doctorate of Public Health from Capella.

Outside of Sadler, she is a small farm homesteader and enjoys the outdoors by kayaking, mountain biking, and ultramarathon running.

Dr. Lakshmi Polavarapu, Lab Director at Sadler, focuses on family and addiction medicine. She is certified in medication-assisted treatment for opioid abuse and is a committee member with the Task Force on Opiate Prescribing with Partnership for Better Health.

Outside of Sadler, Polavarapu is a clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and trains medical students from both Penn State Hershey and UPMC Pinnacle.

She earned her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences in India, then went on to receive board certification in family medicine by completing her residency at Genesys Regional Medical Center in Michigan. She has experience with outpatient clinics, in-patient hospital care and nursing home care.

In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and hiking.