Our Team

Tim Ehmer, DC

Clinic Director

Dr. Tim Ehmer, D.C. is originally from Massillon, OH. He is an avid soccer player and has been playing his whole life. Attended Kent State University graduating with a BS in Exercise Physiology 2015. As a registered Exercise Physiologist, he became passionate about helping others change their lives through exercise and nutrition. Utilizing preventative measures and complementary approaches to create changes to their bodies, as well as improving their health and overall quality of life. This is what led him to chiropractic. Dr. Tim moved to Georgia in 2018 for chiropractic school, Life University, graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2021. His hobbies include cooking, music (he plays 5 instruments), reading, movies, spending time with friends and family, and traveling. Dr. Tim’s favorite quotes are “All the drugs in the world cannot adjust a subluxated vertebrae” and “The preservation of health is easier than the cure for disease” both by BJ Palmer.

Scott McGrath, DC

Clinic Director

Dr. Scott graduated from Rutgers College in 1999 with his BS in Exercise Science and Sports Studies and The University of Bridgeport in 2003 with his Doctor of Chiropractic. Dr. Scott is an avid sports fan of the MLB, NBA, NFL, and UFC; and is the former captain and top singles/ doubles player of the Rutgers Tennis Team. He is a multi-year award winner of New Jersey Top Docs and (201) Magazine’s Top Chiropractors. Dr. Scott resides in Suwanee and in his free time, he loves spending time with his 3 sons and wonderful wife.

Joe Garcia, DC

Clinic Director

Dr. Joseph García was born in Orlando, Florida, and grew up in Guánica, Puerto Rico. In 2015 he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training at the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce. During his clinical practice, he had the opportunity to work with a professional basketball team in the prevention, diagnosing, and treating of musculoskeletal injuries with a Chiropractor. Dr. García developed a passion for Chiropractic and for that reason, in 2016 he decided to move to Marietta, GA, and pursue his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life University; in which he graduated in 2020. While in chiropractic school he learned of the body's innate ability to self-heal, and the impact the nervous system plays on the functioning of the body. Due to his background, he believes that integrated health care is the best way to address all areas of concern and support the body’s natural ability to heal and support itself. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family & friends, cooking, watching sports, traveling the world, and exercising with his fiancé, Rose, and their dog, Luka. He is very excited to be serving the community with safe and effective chiropractic care for the whole family.

Shelley Martin, DC

Clinic Director

Dr. Shelley grew up in Duluth, GA where she was introduced to chiropractic care at a young age. It wasn’t until she lost the feeling in her legs from a severe cervical spine trauma that Shelley experienced firsthand the healing power of chiropractic care. From the treatment she received she regained full mobility, feeling, and health of her body that led her to become a Doctor of Chiropractic. Today, she brings compassion, caring & dedication while supporting health transforming results to the patients that she treats. She graduated in 2001 from Life University and holds various accreditations and certifications in soft tissue and manipulation techniques. Dr. Shelley is passionate about chiropractic and even more so about her family. Her four beautiful children keep her being her best each and every day, in fact, she and her daughters have committed to participating in a 5K run every month in 2015. Be sure to ask her about her next race the next time you are in for care.

Mike Anderson, DC

Clinic Director

Dr. Mike has one mission and that is to help you achieve optimum health. He brings over 18 years of clinical experience with his specialty in treating neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. This allows him to successfully take his patients from the point of acute or chronic injury through corrective rehabilitative care to restore and optimize health and healing naturally without the use of drugs or surgery. When he is not delivering the best in natural health care, you can find him with his family enjoying the great outdoors or a delicious healthy meal cooked by the one and only, chef Dr. Mike. Optimized health is not an accident, it is a choice and Dr. Mike chooses to share his passion and talents to help himself and those he cares for every day to achieve their greatest health.

Laurie NuChurch, DC

Clinic Director

Laurie is dedicated to helping people optimize their health. As a kid growing up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Laurie played a lot of sports. It was one game in particular when she experienced a shoulder injury that led her to chiropractic. The care helped her to make a full recovery and get back into the game. It also helped to improve her performance and this made such an impact to her that she set out to be able to do the same for others and pursued her path to become a Doctor of Chiropractic. Laurie attended UNC Charlotte where she received her Bachelor's in Biology in 1999, and later her Doctorate of Chiropractic from Texas Chiropractic College in 2004. She holds additional licensure in Physiotherapy. Receiving care from Dr. Laurie is like being with a trusted friend. She listens and understands and will give you the support that you need to fully optimize your health.

Adam Virgilio, DC

Clinic Director

Adam Virgilio, D.C. believes in listening to his patients to help them find the solutions that will optimize their health and wellbeing. He is a native of Atlanta, Ga. and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Valdosta State University. He graduated from Life University in 1999 where he received his doctorate degree in chiropractic. Dr. Adam enjoys all aspects of patient care while treating patients of all ages, sports injuries, weekend warriors, and professional and amateur athletes. When he is not in the office, you will find him out in the community as an advocate and wellness consultant specializing in musculoskeletal and spinal related conditions. All work and no play is no way to live. Dr. Adam lives a life of balance, sharing his time between, work community and his wonderful family. Along with his wife and three sons, they reside in Gwinnett County and love traveling, exercising, and snow skiing.

Ricardo Heinis, DC

Associate Doctor

Dr. Ricardo is a bilingual chiropractor with a passion for helping patients achieve optimal health. Born in The Netherlands, he moved to the United States as a child. Dr. Ricardo has lived in seven countries allowing him to bring a unique perspective to patient care. He received his BA in Psychology from the University of South Carolina, and then his Doctor of Chiropractic at Life University in 1997, which began his path in natural healthcare. His approach to patient care is centered around listening to his patients. His mindset is to give patients what they want while teaching them what they need. His commitment to patient care is evident in everything he does. He spent 21 years working in Chile, where he developed a reputation for providing compassionate and effective care to his patients. While in Chile, Dr Ricardo spent his free time traveling, eating eclectic foods, camping and outdoor activities with his wife and two sons Now back in the United States, Dr. Ricardo is excited to continue his work helping patients achieve optimal health.

Jennifer Okpara

FNP

Jennifer is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner who was born in Atlanta, GA and is of Nigerian descent. She obtained her Bachelor's degree from Albany State University. She later graduated with honors with her Masters of Science in Nursing from Walden State University. Jennifer began her career in a hospital medical/surgical unit, cardiovascular unit, and neuro unit. Jennifer is passionate about providing quality care to her patients and making a difference in their lives. She believes that her role as a healthcare provider is to be a patient advocate and to ensure that her patients receive the best care possible. She also enjoys traveling, outdoor activities and spending time with her fiancé and family.

Christabel Adomako

FNP-BC

Christabel has been in the healthcare arena for over 10 years. In her previous jobs, she provided passionate care as a registered nurse in the emergency department and other areas within the hospital setting. Her enthusiasm to care for the underserved patient population and her community has been a long-term goal. To effectively advocate for her patients, Christabel advanced her education by obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Wester Governor's University in 2016, and further obtained her Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Purdue University Global in 2020. As a Family Nurse Practitioner, Christabel is dedicated to staying current with the latest evidence-based research in order to deliver exceptional care to her patients. Christabel's primary goal is to provide quality, safe, individualized care that is intended to help each patient achieve good health.

Nicole Crawford

FNP-C

Nicole is originally from Connecticut but grew up in Georgia. Her parents are from an island in the Caribbean. In 2014 Nicole obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgia Southern University. In nursing school, she was granted the opportunity to study abroad in Thailand where she focused on health disparities among women. This experience allowed her to ride elephants, meet monks, and interact with tigers. It was there that solidified her interest in traveling. She began working as a cardiac nurse and later transitioned into critical care/PACU. In 2020, she earned her Master's in Nursing from Clayton State University where she graduated as a Family Nurse Practitioner. After graduation, her interest in noninvasive procedures peeked and she began working as an Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner, becoming an expert in fillers and neurotoxins. Her skills with injections are now being put to use beyond cosmetics.

Ray Edouard

FNP

Raymond Edouard was born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. He moved to Philadelphia as a teenager, where he finished high school. He received a Bachelor of Science (Nursing) degree at Villanova University. Ray has practiced nursing since 2009 in various clinical settings. He received his Family Nurse Practitioner degree in 2016, allowing him to make a true difference in the healthcare for his patients. He believes that communication is key to providing quality care and strives to make sure that his patients are fully informed about their health and treatment options. Ray is passionate about patient empowerment and believes that by working together, patients and healthcare providers can achieve better health outcomes. Ray is committed to continuing education and staying up-to-date with the latest advances in healthcare. Ray is a skilled communicator, and is fluent in English, French, and Creole.

Mia Chance

ANP

Mia is an Adult Health board certified Nurse Practitioner and has been in the nursing field for 14 years. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Georgia State University in 2009. She graduated from South University with honors with a Master of Science in nursing with honors in 2016.  Mia began her career in critical care, pain management and aesthetics. She is passionate about helping people alleviate their pain and improve their quality of life. Mia is married and has a beautiful family. She enjoys travelling, soaking up the sun, and spending time with her family.

Mary Blalock

ANP

Mary has been a registered nurse for more than 20 years and has seen the shift in healthcare from treatment-based to a more preventive-based model.  She is passionate about regenerative medicine because she believes this is the direction in which healthcare is moving.  She also loves working with patients and helping them decrease their joint pain and improve their quality of life.

Anna Alle

FNP-BC

Anna was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and received a degree in Accounting from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. Thereafter, she relocated to the United Kingdom and acquired another degree in Business Information technology from London South Bank University. Due to Anna's passion for interacting with people and compassion about their health goals and needs, she relocated to the United States, started a nursing career, and acquired a Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of New Mexico and graduated with a Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Walden University. Anna's nursing career includes Emergency Surgical Services, Inpatient and Outpatient Surgery, Home Health, Health Risk Assessment for the geriatric population, Family Medicine, Urgent Care, Physical and Functional Medicine. In addition to nursing, Anna loves spending time with her family engaging in different family-oriented activities.

Vess Raytchev

ANP

Vess has numerous years of clinical experience in cardiovascular medicine, orthopedics, pain management, and integrative medicine. He is originally from Bulgaria, where he was a Medical Doctor working as an attending physician in the ICU. Vess moved with his family to Atlanta in 1998. After coming to the United States, he first worked as a cardiovascular sonographer and earned his Master of Science in Nursing from Kennesaw State University in 2012. He is a compassionate professional dedicated to giving his patients the best integrative care – combining traditional and functional medicine to find the root cause of a problem (not just treating symptoms) and treating the whole body. In his spare time, Vess likes to spend time with his wife and two daughters, enjoys outdoor activities, and working out at the gym. You might even catch Vess playing the drums from time to time.

Dr. Kobina Wilmot

M.D

Dr. Wilmot grew up in Southern New Jersey and stayed through his medical school training at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He completed his residency at Emory University School of Medicine. His parents are from Ghana and both immigrated to the US in the '70s for school. Dr. Wilmot has been blessed to visit his Ghanaian relatives five times throughout his life. Dr. Wilmot played piano from age 6 through high school and achieved many awards in competitive piano. Along with music, he has a strong interest and knowledge base in business and personal finance. In his spare time, He loves watching sports since he is a big-time Philly sports fan especially the Eagles. As a proponent of general wellness, and preventive, both integral components of Optimum Health; Dr. Wilmot believes its a great collaboration based on mutual interests. He loves the ability to see patients gradually improve from symptoms such as pain and fatigue. The Optimum Health team describes Dr. Wilmot as a fun-loving, open, jovial person who loves the opportunity to empathize with and understand the situations of his patients.

Dr. Patrick McDougal

M.D

Dr. Patrick D. McDougal is an emergency medicine physician. He graduated with honors in 2004 with a medical degree from Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine and has been in practice for over 18 years.

Dr. Amit Shah

M.D

Dr. Amit Shah loves helping his patients experience positive change in their health. He supports each patient in achieving the best outcomes and results based on his years of in-depth medical training. He went to college at Princeton University, where he studied physics. He later went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He then completed his internship and residency in Social Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, where he learned the bio-psychosocial model of the disease. After that, he completed training in cardiology at Emory University, where his interest in the effects of stress on the heart and holistic interventions grew. Dr. Shah brings not only his clinical expertise into his patient care but his joy and life interest too. If you ask, you just might find out his secret ingredient in his favorite vegetarian recipe. But let it be known that if you talk college basketball, you better be a Kentucky fan around Dr. Shah. A brilliant mind, a caring doctor, and a proud father are just a few of the qualities that make Dr. Shah such a valuable asset to the Optimum Health team and the patients he serves.

Dr. Alex Jutis

Founder, CEO

Born and raised in New York City, Dr. Alex graduated with a bachelor’s in history from Binghamton University in New York before enrolling at Life University in Marietta, Georgia to pursue his passion for health and wellness. After receiving his Doctor of Chiropractic degree, he opened his first private practice in Buford to grow his work to offer Georgians non-surgical solutions while helping them on their journey to holistic healing. Nearly two decades later, Dr. Alex and his team have grown Optimum Health to one of the region’s most trusted providers of advanced integrative medical services and care. His initial practice in Buford was so successful that two years later he opened his second clinic in nearby Suwanee. From that point, every two years he added a new location. Dr. Alex’s vision was to create a one-stop-shop for meeting every health and wellness need of his patients, from treating car accident injuries to addressing chronic health conditions, controlling weight, and more. The clinic’s services cover chiropractic, auto accident recovery, physical rehab, regenerative medicine, weight loss support and help with chronic fatigue, stress, anxiety, and other common conditions affecting the mind and body. While actively engaging as CEO of Optimum Health, Dr. Alex continues his personal quest for optimum health through regular treatment, healthy eating and training, and competitions as an internationally ranked Jiu Jitsu black belt.

MaryEster Council

Chief Operating Officer

MaryEster is an accomplished COO who brings a wealth of expertise to her role as a leader. She has worked at Optimum Health since the first clinic opened in 2002. Her diverse professional background includes teaching, course development, technology, management, human resources, operations, and bookkeeping, making her a true jack-of-all-trades. Her goal for Optimum Health is for patients to receive the best care and customer service in the Atlanta area. Her knowledge and experience make her a unique and inspiring leader. The part of her job she enjoys the most is helping others grow and develop, while creating a culture where employees love their jobs. When she's not working, she enjoys spending time in nature, hiking, gardening, and hanging out with her husband, children, and teenage grandchildren. Her love for holistic health has led her to explore the benefits of essential oils and other natural remedies, and she is always eager to share her insights and experiences with others.

Karishma Patel

Director of Operations

Meet Karishma, a talented Director of Operations with a passion for healthcare management. With a bachelor's degree in Medical Anthropology and a background in Americorps/City Year, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role. She is dedicated to ensuring that clinics run smoothly, and that staff are well-supported and equipped to provide the best possible care. When she's not working, she loves to bake and spend time traveling with her family. Her passion for healthcare management is truly inspiring, and her dedication to her team and her patients is unparalleled. With her wealth of knowledge and experience, she is always eager to share her insights and help others grow and develop. She is a true inspiration and a valued member of any team.

Elsa Peña Guzmán

Office Manager

Meet Elsa, a dedicated and hardworking office manager with a passion for efficiency. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she is a proud mom who is always striving to provide the best possible life for her child. Her expertise in office procedures and operations has been instrumental in streamlining operations and ensuring that everything runs smoothly. When she's not working, she loves to spend quality time with her child and explore new hobbies. Her commitment to her family and her work is truly inspiring, and her positive attitude and hardworking spirit make her a joy to be around. Whether she's helping her team overcome challenges or exploring new hobbies, she always brings her best self to everything she does. She is a true inspiration and a valued member of any team.

Aelicia Cook

HR Generalist

Aelicia is an original Georgia Peach. She is a driven and compassionate HR Generalist who holds a Masters in Counseling. Her expertise in counseling and sociology has been indispensable in her work as an HR Generalist, where she has been able to help employees navigate various challenges and situations in the workplace. Aelicia has a true passion for developing and helping people get to where their heart desires to be. Her zeal for travel has taken her to many parts of the world, where she has gained a deep appreciation for different cultures and ways of life. When she's not working or traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family and indulging in her love for crafting. Whether it's event planning, or DIY projects, she loves to create things with her hands and put her creative energy to work. Her intelligence, friendliness, and kindness make her a joy to be around, and her wealth of experience and knowledge make her an invaluable asset to any team.

Habiba Virani

Personal Injury Liaison

Habiba moved to Atlanta in 1999 and met Dr. Alex at another chiropractic clinic, where they both worked together. Dr. Alex opened his own clinics and Habiba started working for him and has been with Optimum Health for 20 years. She is the Personal Injury Liaison and handles the negotiations. Habiba lives in Suwanee, GA with her 2 lovely children, Sabrina and Zarik. She enjoys spending time with them, enjoys travelling and playing with her dogs Chloe and Mia. Habiba is very much involved in community service. She believes in giving back and helping others. With her professional background, she helps the community with case management for any health care concerns.

LaKesha Rachel

Practice Manager

Kesha was born in San Jose, California. She attended the University of West Georgia and has been in the medical field for almost 13 years. Every day she learns something new in the chiropractic and wellness field and is fascinated by the different techniques used to heal the mind and body. Her true passion is helping others and putting a smile on everyone's faces. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and fashion. Kesha lives by the quote "a positive mind equals positive results."

Rabecca Yang

PI Case Manager

Rabecca is a Personal Injury Case Manager for Optimum Health. Before transitioning to the medical field, she held the position of Paralegal and Case Manager for multiple law firms specializing in various areas of law, such as personal injury, workers compensation, and general civil litigation. She is delighted by the opportunity to apply the knowledge she has acquired from the legal profession to help personal injury patients receive the best outcome possible during their care. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, painting, and attending music concerts.

Vicky Monen

Billing Specialist

Vicky has been a long-time resident of the state of Georgia and has always had a passion for all aspects of healthcare and wellness. Which had led her to her career in healthcare billing, coding, and records management. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her family, her animals and studies animal nutrition.

Jason Calito

Practice Manager

Jason was born and raised in Chicago, and now enjoys and lives in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He was introduced to chiropractic care in 2006 during his clinical rotations with Dr. Dietzen at Chicago Health and Physical Therapy. While there, Jason learned a holistic approach to how the body heals itself with a combination of physical therapy and chiropractic care. In his downtime he enjoys spending with family outdoors, going to sporting events, playing with his dog Lucy, and finding new foods to try.