Valley Springs Health & Wellness Center is staffed by a team of approximately 12 providers across primary care, specialty clinics, behavioral health, and dental services. The incoming Internal Medicine physician joins a group of senior physicians, experienced nurse practitioners, and an integrated behavioral health team. Staff composition is verified against the clinic's public provider directory at vshwc.org.
Randy Smart, MD VP of Clinic Operations / Medical Director / Internal Medicine Dr. Smart graduated with honors from U.C. Davis and completed medical training at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland on a scholarship. He completed a three-year Internal Medicine residency and then served twenty years in the United States Air Force, leading medical missions to multiple countries. Dr. Smart returned to Calaveras County in 2002 and has served in a variety of leadership positions within the region. He currently oversees clinic operations and contributes part-time to Internal Medicine services at Valley Springs Health & Wellness Center.
Jim Mossoon, MD Internal Medicine Dr. Mossoon is an experienced internal medicine physician with a tertiary care background, practicing alongside Dr. Smart in the primary care group.
Debbie Salom, MD Family Medicine Dr. Salom brings an emergency medicine background to the Family Medicine practice, enabling the clinic to manage acute care presentations that frequently walk in from the surrounding rural community.
Rhoda Nussbaum, MD Gynecology Dr. Nussbaum graduated with top honors from the University of Miami Medical School and completed her Ob/Gyn specialty training at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. She spent 30 years at Kaiser Permanente, serving in several leadership roles including Chair of the Ethics Committee, Assistant Physician in Chief of the San Francisco Medical Center, and founder and first Leader of Women's Health for Kaiser Permanente Northern California. She led a seven-year volunteer project in India teaching cervical cancer screening and now provides part-time gynecology services at the clinic.
Robert Gish, MD Hepatology (Visiting Consultant) Dr. Gish is a nationally recognized hepatologist, board certified in internal medicine, hepatology, and liver transplantation. His original medical training was at the University of California, San Diego. He holds academic appointments including Professor of Medicine and Attending Physician at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, and he has published more than 600 original articles, review articles, abstracts, and book chapters. Dr. Gish joined the clinic in 2021 and provides monthly hepatology consultations on site.
Dr. Stone Pediatrics Dr. Vasquez, MD Adult Psychiatrist Dr. Vasquez provides on-site adult psychiatric services four days per week and is integrated with the primary care team for real-time behavioral health collaboration.
Susan Deax-Keirns, LMFT Director of Behavioral Health Susan Deax-Keirns earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma and a Master's in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University. Her training includes eight years at Santa Clara University working with students, faculty, and staff, as well as a year of mindfulness intensive training at a silent interfaith monastery. Her expertise includes depression, anxiety, alcohol issues, chronic pain, and trauma, drawing on Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, and neuroscience-informed practice.
Dr. Davies Clinical Psychologist Shannon Kelaita, LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker Shannon earned a BA in history from California State University, Fullerton and a master's in social work from Sacramento State University. She has over five years of medical social work experience, previously serving at Sutter Amador Hospital and the Mark Twain Dignity Health Clinics. She specializes in treating depression, trauma, anxiety, and mood disorders, and is trained in EMDR.
Sarah K., LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker Breanna H., LMFT Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Vicky Arellano, ASW Associate Social Worker / Behavioral Health Consultant Vicky earned her Bachelor's in Collaborative Health and Human Services from California State University, Monterey Bay and her Master's in Social Work from California State University, Stanislaus. She brings ten years of community-based experience across hospice care, skilled nursing, school-based intervention, and corrections. Her primary role is helping patients with rapid behavioral health assessments and connecting them to appropriate services.
Jose G. Vet 2 Peer Specialist Emily C. Behavioral Health Peer Navigator
Diana Coleman, FNP-BC Family Nurse Practitioner Diana holds national certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Pacific Union College in 1997 and a Master's in Nursing from California State University, Fresno in 2005. She has worked across a wide clinical range, from obstetrics to oncology, and has held both leadership roles and nursing instructor positions.
Rachall Crowe, FNP Family Nurse Practitioner Rachall is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with 16 years of emergency medicine nursing experience across adult and pediatric populations. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing from Troy University and holds national certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Katie Murphy, FNP Family Nurse Practitioner Katie is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner with a background in ICU nursing, home care, and respiratory therapy. She earned her RN from San Joaquin Delta College, her BSN and MSN from Western Governors University, and her post-Master certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner from United States University in San Diego.
Lauren Date-Chong, PNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Tim Shank, FNP Family Nurse Practitioner Tim holds national board certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. He earned his Master of Science in Nursing from Troy University and brings over 10 years of emergency medicine nursing experience across rural access hospitals, large teaching hospitals, nursing management, and critical care simulation.
Christian Bader, DDS Dentist Dr. Bader earned his Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco in 1997. He maintains memberships with the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, and San Joaquin Dental Society, and has served as a clinical instructor for the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum, teaching cosmetic dentistry techniques to practicing dentists.
Tam Nguyen, DDS Dentist Dr. Nguyen earned his dental degree from The Ohio State Dental School in Columbus, Ohio in 1994 and has been practicing general dentistry in Northern California since 1995. He is a member of the California Dental Association and participates in Smile for Kids and Adult Programs providing free dental services.
Dr. Sommer Dentist
| Role | Approximate Count |
|---|---|
| Physicians (Primary Care and Specialty) | 5 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 5 |
| Physician Assistants | 1 |
| Behavioral Health Clinicians | 8 |
| Dental Providers | 3 |
| Medical Assistants and Support Staff | 20+ |
| Total Clinic Team | Approximately 60 |
Operational support is designed to keep provider time focused on clinical care.
The clinic operates on a medical-led management model. The Medical Director and Clinic Manager are both practicing clinicians, and clinical decisions take precedence over administrative processes. Staff describe the work environment as collaborative and low-drama, with strong engagement across departments. Providers are out of the building by 5:30 p.m. with no expectation of after-hours charting.
Weekly education conferences are held every Tuesday, featuring case presentations and topic-based discussions. These sessions support the ongoing development of nurse practitioners and physician assistants and provide a forum for collaborative case review. Incoming physicians with teaching interests have the opportunity to contribute to these programs.