Dr. Hallmark graduated from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston and did her residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Hallmark comes to us from the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio where she served as the Medical Director of the Clinical Laboratory.

Dr. Hallmark and her husband, Parker, are moving back home with their two children, Hadley and Judson. Dr. Hallmark will begin providing services January 15th.

For additional information, you may call 325-949-9555.

West Texas Medical Associates is proud to announce the association of John Stevenson, MD, FASN as of September 15, 2009.  Dr. Stevenson has practiced in California and most recently in Brownwood, Texas.  He has been with Angelo Nephrology Associates in San Angelo briefly before joining WTMA.

After receiving his medical degree from the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Dr. Stevenson completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Los Angeles County – USC Medical Center and completed a 3-year Nephrology Fellowship at Harbor – UCLA Medical Center.

In his spare time, Dr. Stevenson enjoys team roping, reading and cooking.

Specializing in kidney disease, kidney transplant care and follow-up, difficult hypertension, disorders of mineral and fluids, care of kidney failure including hemodialysis, home hemodialysis and kidney transplant referral, Dr. Stevenson welcomes all new and returning patients to his practice at WTMA. He will be located on the 2nd floor of the main WTMA building on Knickerbocker Rd. You may call his office to schedule appointments at 325-224-5771.

West Texas Medical Associates is proud to announce Jennifer Slaven, CNS, specializing in Women’s Health. Mrs. Slaven has worked with Dr. Deborah Hajovsky of WTMA since 2002. She completed her Associates of Science in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from ASU in 1989 and 1997, respectively. Recently, she earned her Master of Science in Nursing from ASU in August 2008 and is now seeing patients as a Board Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Jennifer has lived in San Angelo since 1985 and her husband, Jerry, and she have a 5-year-old son, Jacob, two boxers named Lexi and Roxi, a miniature pinscher named Riley and a female cat named Garfield. She enjoys cooking and trying different recipes on family and friends, snow skiing, playing tennis and gardening.

New patients are welcome and Jennifer Slaven is located in Dr. Hajovsky’s office on the 2nd floor of the main WTMA building. To schedule an appointment or for more information, call 325-224-5358.

In the past patients would undergo vein stripping surgery for varicose veins with leg discomfort, but now patients can be treated with the VNUS® Closure® procedure – a minimally invasive and more comfortable alternative to painful vein stripping. Dr. Patrick Gibson is now performing this procedure on patients at West Texas Medical Associates.

Many factors contribute to venous reflux disease. This disease develops when the valves that keep blood flowing out of the legs and back to the heart become damaged or diseased. This can lead to symptoms of varicose veins, pain, swollen limbs, leg heaviness and fatigue, and skin changes and ulcers.

If your physician determines you are a candidate for the closure procedure, it can be performed on an outpatient basis. Using ultrasound, your physician will position the Closure catheter into a diseased vein through a small opening in the skin and a tiny catheter powered by radio-frequency (RF) energy delivers heat to the vein wall. As this energy is delivered, the vein wall shrinks and the vein is closed. Once the diseased vein is closed, the blood is re-routed to healthy veins.