OUTPATIENT MEDICAL DIRECTOR, DNP, PMHNP-BC

Courtney Routson is an Arizona native who began her career in healthcare in 2003. Starting as a nursing assistant, she worked throughout school to obtain her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. She has had a variety of experience in hospice, outpatient surgery, and intensive care. She obtained her Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Degree and Doctorate of Nurse practice from Arizona State University in 2021. She is currently working on her Masters in Business in Healthcare through Western Governors University, and will begin an Integrative Psychiatry fellowship in Summer 2024. Courtney is passionate about many healthcare topics, of note integrative psychiatry, psychotic disorders and psychiatric rehabilitation. She provides whole person care, identifying the patient’s version of health and building on the quality of life they desire. She enjoys teaching and you will find her with a nurse practitioner student by her side most days. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband, sons and dogs. Her hobbies include hiking, gardening, weightlifting and attending concerts.

Edward John Kuhnley, MD, serves child, adolescent, and adult clients of Polara Health in an outpatient setting. Dr. Kuhnley completed medical school at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, VA, followed by a general psychiatry residency at the Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine and a child psychiatry fellowship at the Yale University Child Study Center in New Haven, CT. He is board certified in adult as well as child and adolescent psychiatry. .

Dr. Ruiloba is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; he has been a psychiatrist for 26 years, practicing in different health care settings in Arizona and Colorado.

Dr. Ruiloba received his medical degree from Montemorelos University, Mexico; and he finished a Master degree in Pharmacology at Loma Linda University, California.

He completed his residency in psychiatry at Texas Tech University Health Science Centre, El Paso, Texas in 1997, serving as Chief Resident during his senior year.

Dr. Ruiloba is a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Lisa Emmans, a native of Arizona, spent her formative years in Phoenix before embarking on a journey to Colorado to fulfill her lifelong aspiration of becoming a doctor. Initially trained as an Emergency Medicine physician, she later completed an Internal Medicine residency, accumulating nearly three decades of experience in both fields, predominantly in her home state of Arizona.

Lisa's tenure in the emergency department and on inpatient hospital services led her to profound realizations. Firstly, she recognized that patients extend beyond their medical conditions; they are individuals with families, friends, beliefs, and unique life experiences. Lisa finds genuine joy in delving deeper into the lives of her patients.

Secondly, over the past several years, she witnessed the significant negative impact of alcohol and drug use as coping mechanisms for life's challenges, affecting not only the individuals but also those who care about them. Lisa was particularly moved by the transformative power of eliminating substances from their lives, noting instances where patients undergoing this positive change were unrecognizable upon reintroduction.

Gratefully, Lisa has joined Polara Health, where she eagerly anticipates caring for individuals facing substantial life challenges. Her focus extends beyond conventional medical care to helping individuals embrace positive coping mechanisms in navigating life's complexities.

DIRECTOR OF NURSING

Devin is a seasoned healthcare leader with over a decade of experience in healthcare management. With a background in clinical care and a passion for fostering excellence, Devin is dedicated to delivering safe, compassionate, and quality care. His journey began at Northbay Neonatology, where he excelled as Practice Manager before seamlessly transitioning into nursing leadership upon earning his Nursing Degree from Pacific Union College in 2016.

During his tenure at Good Samaritan Society, a non-profit organization, Devin demonstrated exemplary leadership as Administrator and Clinical Manager. Responsible for overseeing home health, home hospice, and an inpatient hospice unit, he drove operational excellence, staff development, and process improvement. Devin's commitment to the organization's mission of providing compassionate care made a lasting impact.

Currently serving as Director of Nursing for Polara Health, Devin oversees nursing department operations and inpatient services. His exceptional leadership skills and dedication to optimizing patient care outcomes have been instrumental in fostering a culture of excellence. Devin's unwavering commitment to healthcare leadership, coupled with his passion for family and community, defines his approach to delivering exceptional care.

DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BCr

Dr. Dave Jenson, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC has practiced as a family nurse practitioner in primary care for 4 years with the last 2 ½ years being in Prescott Valley. Previously, he worked as an RN mostly in intensive care units in various hospitals in Phoenix. He enjoyed treating mental health in a primary care setting which motivated him to complete a certification in mental health so that he would be able to work in a psychiatric setting. Dr. Jenson received his Doctor of Nursing Practice – Family at the Arizona State University in 2015, a Psychiatric Certification at Wilkes University in 2019 and a BS in Nursing from Northern Arizona University in 2011.

DNP, MC, MS, FPMHNP-BC

Susan Front, DNP, MC, FPMHNP-BC has been working in the psychiatric field for 38 years, as a psychiatric nurse, therapist, teaching psychiatric nursing, and as a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Wilkes University, after obtaining Master’s degrees in Counseling and Nursing from Arizona State University, and Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Nursing from Grand Canyon University. Dr. Frost is a contributing editor for the textbook “Essentials of Psychiatric Nursing,” and belongs to several professional organizations. She is passionate about helping those with mental illnesses using a holistic approach.

FNP, PNP

Ms. Wilcher earned her bachelor’s and first master’s degree at the University of Colorado., while her second master’s degree was completed at New Mexico State University. She is dual degreed in advanced nursing and has been a nurse since 1981. Ms. Wilcher is a member and past president of the nursing honor society Sigma Theta Tau- Xi Phi Chapter. While Ms. Wilcher’s most recent position was with Banner Health in the Valley, she has also worked in community mental health settings in Kentucky and Indiana.

MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC

In 2006, Jennifer graduated with her Associates Degree in Nursing, from Yavapai college in Prescott Arizona. She had a history of working in Emergency Medical Services and it felt natural to transition into the role of Emergency Room Nurse at Yavapai Regional Medical Center, where she served the community for nearly a decade. During that time, Jennifer obtained a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing at Grand Canyon University of Arizona. While serving in the Emergency Room, Jennifer became well aware that although she deeply cared for those living with mental illness, she had limited resources to help this population in such a setting. Jennifer made the decision to leave the Emergency Room to follow her passion to serve this population, ultimately landing at Polara Health in 2017. There she has had experience working as a Psychiatric Nurse in the Crisis Stabilization Unit, Windhaven Psychiatric Hospital, Chemical Dependency Residential Unit and in Pediatrics. In 2017, she started school at Gonzaga University in Spokane Washington, to earn her Masters of Science in Nursing Degree. While there, Jennifer gained clinical rotation experience in Pediatric Psychiatry, Crisis Stabilization, Inpatient Psych and Primary/Urgent Care. Jennifer now enjoys serving the community as a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Polara Health.

MSN, PMHNP-BC

Susan Spear first worked as a Registered Nurse in the Obstetrics Mother and Baby specialty in San Luis Obispo California in 1993. She started her career in Mental Health working first as a Psychiatric Registered Nurse at Atascadero State Hospital assisting mentally disordered offenders beginning in 1994. She graduated from California State University Long Beach with her Master of Science Nurse Practitioner – Adult Mental Health in 2002. She was promoted to Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Atascadero State Hospital after completing her Master’s degree and becoming Board Certified with the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She continued to work at Atascadero State Hospital with the mentally disordered offenders until August 2012. Nurse Practitioner Spear began her outpatient career in Arizona treating adult clients with various mental illnesses in September 2012. She currently works for Polara Health serving clients in Prescott. She has been with Polara Health since January 2020.

MSN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC

Judith graduated from Drake University, in Des Moines, Iowa with a BSN, and MSN in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She then completed her Post Master’s degree from Sinclair School of Nursing in Columbia, Missouri as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She also holds an MS in Education/ Rehabilitation from Drake University. She has worked many years in the Community Mental Health setting as well as inpatient services. She is certified as both a Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, although her interest has always been in mental health.

Elizabeth is a dual-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She has worked in the healthcare industry since 2006. Elizabeth has a passion for wellness including fitness and nutrition. She is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of a client's recovery journey.

Shurine began her nursing career in 2008 in Amarillo, Texas after finishing nursing school in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her nursing experience was primarily in trauma, medical, and cardiovascular intensive care as an ICU and a charge nurse. She also had opportunities during this time to work with the veterans in Amarillo and in Prescott. She finished her Doctorate Degree at Arizona State University with a specialty in adults and geriatrics in primary care. Her doctorate research focused on palliative care and advanced directives. She also had the opportunity during graduate school to do a leadership rotation with senior leadership of a local hospital and a translational science externship at Arizona State University. Shurine’s passion for many years was taking care of the diseases at the end of life and now she wants to focus on treating these diseases early so that we can improve the quality of life of her patients. She believes that mind and body both affect health and that treating the whole person is important. Shurine rides horses and competes in rodeo competitions with her family in her free time.

Argie Rivera is a doctorally-prepared, board-certified family psychiatric nurse practitioner in Arizona and Nevada. She migrated to USA in 2012 and with her passion for advanced studies, she completed the DNP- Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Program at Arizona State University in 2017. As an advanced practice registered nurse, she has worked as a DNP adjunct faculty and administrator.

Born and raised in the Philippines, she completed her BSN degree in 2007 and her first job was as a public health nurse in a community health center. She then transitioned to other nursing specialties, including OB-GYN, med/tele, drug & substance rehabilitation, home health to name a few. She completed her master’s degree in nursing specializing in advanced psychiatric nursing in 2010 at University of Santo Tomas, Graduate School Philippines. While pursuing advance studies, she and he colleagues founded the first psychiatric nurse specialty non-profit organization in the Philippines in 2009.

She loves camping, couponing, and spending time with her family and fur-babies.

Cheri Ledsome is originally from Pennsylvania and relocated to Arizona in 1997. She began her medical career 32 years ago, after high school, working as a nursing assistant. It was at that time she realized her love in caring for and helping others. Over the years she obtained her Nursing Degree where she worked in the hospital as an RN for 10 years where she worked in many specialty areas throughout the hospital, which helped to increase her knowledge and skills. She has worked in Orthopedics, Oncology, Neurology, Cardiology, Medical /Surgical, Home Health, and as a Charge Nurse at a Neuro Rehabilitation Unit. Cheri realized with her skills, she could help patients in many other ways and obtained her Family Nurse Practitioner degree in 2017. It was then she began working in Primary Care. Cheri works with an adult population of 18+ and has a love for Geriatrics. She enjoys teaching and educating her patients and has recently obtained her Psychiatric Certification to practice psychiatry. She is very down-to-earth, easy to talk to, listens, and cares about what her patients have to say. During her free time, she spends it with her 2 daughters and her husband. She enjoys camping in the woods, riding UTV’s, traveling to different cities and while at home chasing around her dogs and chickens, and during football season, she will be cheering on her Dallas Cowboys, win or lose!

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Mary “Sarah” Houston is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Northern Arizona University in December, 2005 and received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at California State University, San Marcos in December, 2015. Prior to going into the nursing profession, Ms. Houston graduated with a Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling at Santa Clara University in June, 2002. Her interest in behavioral health and nursing is what led her into the field of mental health nursing. She has specialized in psychiatric nursing since 2006 working with adolescents, adults, and veterans. She spent six years working at the VA in San Diego on the inpatient mental health unit, including the Gero-Psychiatric unit. Ms. Houston has been an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) since 2016 and has spent much of her time as a mental health nurse practitioner working with a population experiencing co-occurring mental health disorders and substance use.

Ms. Houston was born and raised in Prescott, Arizona and she is very grateful to be able to make a professional contribution to the mental health needs of this wonderful community.

CeCe began her career in healthcare in 1989 as a CNA. She attended Yavapai College in 1990 and graduated with an LPN license. She returned to Yavapai College in 1998 and received her RN. CeCe’s nursing experience includes a wide range of specialties to include Cardiac Telemetry Hospital Nursing, Hospice Care, Wound Care, and Psychiatric Nursing. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 2021 with a Master’s of Science in Nursing. She is passionate about giving back to her local community with her experience with substance use disorder treatment, gender affirming care, Geri Psychiatric services, and is active with the homeless coalitions. CeCe enjoys mountain biking on trails in Sedona, motorcycles riding in the mountains, and taking care of her farm in Cornville.

Patricia White serves adult clients of Polara Health in an outpatient setting. Prior to joining the Polara Health staff, Ms. White worked with Southwest Behavioral Health Services. She is a member of the American Nurses Association and the Arizona Nurses Association, and she is certified in EMDR. Her degrees were earned through Webster University in St. Louis, MO, and her Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing through Arizona State University.