| Dr. Sanford "Sandy" Avner | | | Dr. Sanford "Sandy" Avner founded Allergy & Asthma Care and Prevention Center, PLLC in 2004. He has been an allergy and asthma specialist in the greater Denver area for more than 30 years. After graduating from Yale University with an honors major and attending medical school at State University of New York, Dr. Avner began graduate training in Pediatrics. He then served our country as an officer in the United States Air Force in California as Chief of Pediatrics and Chief of Outpatient Services, where he received an Air Force Commendation Medal. Upon completing his military commitment, Dr. Avner moved to Colorado and began formal training in allergy and immunology at the University of Colorado Health Science Center (UCHSC) and National Jewish Hospital. His special interests and clinical research activity focused on pharmacological management of asthma and the use of rescue medications. After fellowship training, Dr. Avner maintained his faculty positions with UCHSC, where he is a Clinical Professor, and with National Jewish Hospital while developing a private practice. He also founded the nonprofit Breathe Better Foundation. Dr. Avner is widely respected as an expert in the field of allergy, asthma and immunology. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of the Allergy and Immunology, a Conjoint Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics. Patient care by Dr. Avner follows his philosophy that allergy symptoms need not be so punishing as to exclude the individual from normal life experiences. Each patient’s treatment plan is tailored to the individual with a strong emphasis on early detection and prevention of escalation of symptoms. It is this driving force behind the entire team at this Center that distinguishes it as a Center of Excellence. He occasionally can be seen in the halls of Sky Ridge Medical Center passing by his two physician sons, David and Marc, who have blessed him with five grandchildren. He celebrates more than 30 years of marriage to his wife Susan. | |
| Dr. Lora Stewart has been with Allergy & Asthma Care and Prevention Center for several years and has been a practicing allergist in the greater Denver area for over 5 Years. She graduated at the top of her class from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio and completed her residency training at the University of Colorado and the Children's Hospital in Denver. She then completed additional training with a Fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at National Jewish Hospital. Lora is board certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and is a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology. Her research interests include the diagnosis and treatment of asthma, with additional interest and expertise in the areas of allergic skin disorders, food allergies, nose and sinus disorders and immune disorders. In addition to caring for patients of all ages, she continues to promote her specialty by writing and editing for medical journals and textbooks. Dr. Stewart was born in Pennsylvania, but she and her husband, John, have called Colorado home since the year 2000. They have two daughters (Delaney and Makayla) and an energetic Golden retriever (Jack). In addition to her love of her family and her profession, Dr. Stewart loves most outdoor activities and delights in sharing this with her young daughters. Patient care by Dr. Stewart follows her philosophy that marks each patient as a unique individual requiring an individualized approach which is based on her experience and established medical evidence. This ensures that Dr. Stewart and the team at Allergy & Asthma Care and Prevention Center are dedicated to providing exceptional care that our exceptional patients deserve. | | Jessica Gustafson, MS, PA-C | | | Jessica Gustafson, MS, PA-C has been with Allergy & Asthma Care and Prevention Center since 2007. She graduated with honors in 1998 from the University of Iowa, majoring in Microbiology. Jess completed several research projects during her undergraduate training, including research in the pathogenicity of specific bacteria. After moving to Colorado, she worked at National Jewish Hospital as a research associate conducting research in the fields of asthma and cancer. To explore her interest in pediatrics, she worked as a program manager for Colorado Bright Beginnings, a nonprofit organization that assists parents of newborns to 3-year-olds. Jessica attended the Child Health Associates/Physician Assistant Program at the University of Colorado and graduated in 2006. She completed her Masters of Science degree in 2008, with a research project in pediatric infectious diseases. During the PA program, she specialized in areas of asthma/allergy and general pediatrics. Jess and her husband Matt enjoy entertaining, cooking and going to movies, as well as raising their son Andrew to be a huge Hawkeye Fan! | | Janet Matamales, RN has been with Allergy & Asthma Care and Prevention Center since 2008. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Special/Exceptional Child studies from Bowling Green University in Ohio and then her nursing degree from James A. Rhodes State College. With her nursing and speech therapy degrees, she has earned a variety of experiences and opportunities which have included serving as charge nurse in an oncology department, a hospital discharge planner, a home health RN, a case manager, and a medical services manager. She was also responsible for opening the utilization review/case management offices for a major HMO in Colorado. We are excited that she has now joined our team as our clinical nurse manager. Janet and her husband, Jerry, reside in Elbert County and enjoy the western country lifestyle. They have a daughter, Leah and an energetic dog, Charlie. | | |
| |
| |