THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Chrisette Dharma

Meet Dr. Dharma, a passionate and innovative Medical Director who started out with a small medical practice and transformed it into Southwest Family Medicine Associates (SFMA). Her dedication to cutting-edge technology has earned SFMA recognition as a "medical home" by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Dr. Dharma believes in leaving no stone unturned when it comes to medicine, and her approach has earned her a strong following of patients who appreciate her commitment to their health. She's also a firm believer in prevention, which led her to establish an on-site wellness center in 2014. In addition to her work at SFMA, Dr. Dharma holds multiple board positions, including president of her local chapter and a seat on the National Texas of Physicians (TAFP) board. She's also an associate clinical faculty member at UT Southwestern, where she's been teaching medical students for over 15 years.
When she's not busy with her many commitments, Dr. Dharma enjoys exploring art galleries, practicing yoga, traveling, doing CrossFit, volunteering, practicing Capoeira martial arts, and spending time with her family. She's truly a pillar of the community and is always looking for ways to give back, which is why she founded Southwest Cares - to impact the lives of those around her positively.
Shirley Barbour

Shirley Barbour is an experienced Risk Manager with almost 40 years in the insurance industry, currently working at Vistra Corp., a leading Fortune 500 company. Her expertise spans risk management, contract review, and claims administration, and she has built strong professional relationships across both her organization and the
broader insurance industry. Shirley serves on the Insurance Advisory Committee for Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL) and is an active board member and Treasurer for the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE). Shirley is passionate about community service and has held numerous leadership roles, dedicating herself to improving the quality of life for
others. Shirley holds an Associate Degree in Applied Science-Management from El Centro College.
Dequise Rose

For two decades, Dequise has overseen all aspects of Southwest Family Medicine Associates' daily operations, from finances and HR to recruitment. Her unwavering commitment to developing her team, finding solutions to complex business problems and delivering unparalleled client service have been critical to the company's impressive revenue growth and impact.
Dequise earned her MBA in Organizational Behavior, Human Resources, and Strategic Management from the University of North Texas.
Outside of work, Dequise gives back to her community through volunteering and she cherishes quality time with her family and friends.
Dr. Mari Tietze

Dr. Mari Tietze is the recipient of the Myrna R. Pickard Endowed Professorship at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI). In that role, she is also the Affiliate, representing nursing, to the UTA Multi-Interprofessional Center for Health Informatics (MICHI), a collaboration among numerous health informaticists. She is also the director of the graduate certificate and Master’s in Nursing (MSN) Health Informatics at UTA CONHI and project lead for BSN and graduate nursing program curriculum integration of the academic EHR [EHR Go] used by faculty and students.
Dr. Tietze was co-investigator in two Texas-wide multi-method studies to examine over 1,000 nurses’ experiences using their electronic health records (EHRs). Dr. Tietze is co-author of the AJN Book of the
Year, Nursing Informatics for the Advanced Practice Nurse: Patient Safety, Quality, Outcomes, and Interprofessionalism. She has been a long-standing member of the Technology Informatics Guiding
Education Reform (TIGER) global initiative, working on harmonization of informatics competencies.
Dr. Tietze received her BSN from Washburn University, her MSN from Kansas University, and her PhD from Texas Woman’s University College of Nursing. She is a Fellow of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and is certified in nursing informatics from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Dr. Tietze is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.
Dr. Jill Waggoner

Dr. Jill Waggoner holds a Medical Degree and a Master's Degree from the University of Oklahoma. She has certifications in both Preventive Medicine and Wellness Coordination from the prestigious Cooper Institute. Dr. Waggoner is a residency trained, board certified Family Practice Physician, with nearly 30 years of experience.
She has studied Functional and Integrative medicine for the past 15 years; an approach that seeks to find the cause of disease and uses multiple healing modalities to help patients obtain optimal health. Most recently she received a certification in Plant Based Nutrition from Cornell University. She has dedicated her life to teaching her patients how to flourish and embrace better living through better health. Dr. Waggoner has authored eight books, the latest of which is Maddie on a Mission, a children's book. She has also served as a national medical expert for both television and radio for NBC, ABC and Fox affiliates, and has been selected as D Magazine's Best Doctor for five consecutive years. Her most rewarding accomplishment is that of wife to her husband Mark, and mother to her two daughters Jillian and Uriah.
Dr. Jill Waggoner is dedicated to the cause of giving individuals the tools needed to step beyond the traditional approach of early detection of disease, to the futuristic reality of prevention of disease! Her personal mission is to diminish suffering, foster healing, and prevent disease through connection, compassion, enlightenment, education, and love.
Dr. Courtney L. Walker

Dr. Courtney L. Walker is the Managed Markets Medical Liaison at Novo Nordisk, Inc. for the Texas/New Mexico region, specializing in Diabetes and Obesity. In this role, Dr. Walker spends his time consulting health plans and state government (Medicaid/Medicare) organizations responsible for drug formulary decisions impacting millions of patients throughout the country.
Additionally, Dr. Walker engages with large companies such as BP (British Petroleum), Southwest Airlines, and AT&T, who are alert to the clinical crisis of obesity and diabetes in their employees.
Dr. Walker is a proud graduate of Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Houston, Texas. Upon completion of his Doctorate of Pharmacy, Dr. Walker completed a managed care pharmacy practice residency at Humana, Inc. in Louisville, Kentucky and the University of Kentucky’s College Of Pharmacy in Lexington, Kentucky.
Prior to his current role, Dr. Walker worked at Eli Lilly, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Walker is active in his community by serving as an elder in his local church and speaking at various diabetes/obesity-related events to improve clinical awareness. In 2017, Dr. Walker served as a speaker at T.D. Jakes MegaFest 2017 in Dallas, Texas on a panel of experts on the need to address Chronic Kidney Disease in the minority population. He spoke to over 800 individuals and the panel was streamed to many more of the 100,000 participants. More recently, Dr. Walker has served as an expert on panels for AT&T and Southwest Airlines on the prevention of prediabetes and diabetes in the employer environment.
He is the proud husband of Jocelyn, a Physical Therapist, and father to four great kids.
Linda Wassenich

Linda Wassenich received a B.A. degree with University Honors from Texas Christian University and a M.S.W. from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC. Her career focused on public policy in health care and fundraising, primarily for the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas. In 2019, she was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Letters from TCU.
As a member of the Board of Directors of the Community Council of Greater Dallas, she served as Chair of the Dallas Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council. She also served as Vice President, Secretary, Chair of the Development Committee, and Chair of the Membership Committee. Other volunteer activities include president of the Women’s Council of Dallas County, president of the League of Women Voters of Dallas, vice-president of the LWV-Texas, and Board of Directors and chair of the Development Committee for the LWVUS. Linda also chaired the Dallas County Welfare Advisory Board.
Dr. Wassenich was recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals in Dallas as the Outstanding Fundraising Executive and by the National Association of Social Workers, Dallas, TX, with the Lifetime Achievement in Social Work Award. She received the Laurel Award from AAUW, the Women of Spirit Award from the American Jewish Congress, South Division, and the TCU Honors Program Alumna of the Year. Dr. Wassenich has been listed in Who’s Who in America since 1996.
THE TEAM
Jessica Walker
Jessica Walker joined us as CEO after more than 40 years of program development, partnership development, grant writing, and management experience.
Jessica served 15 years at the Community Council of Greater Dallas/Dallas Area Agency on Aging, most recently as Director of Community Wellness. There, Jessica’s leadership on several innovative program were recognized by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Other achievements included accreditation and recognition for the Diabetes Self-Management and Diabetes Prevention Programs. Jessica helped garner more than $12 million in grants and other funds for evidence-based, transportation and research programs. She led successful effort to obtain a national Administration on Community Living grant for a 16-county area in two funding cycles.
Jessica has also served as project lead for the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program, working on Older Adult Outreach, Education, Engagement Initiatives across several states. Prior to that, Jessica was a manager with the City of Dallas for 22 years, managing the city's response to teen pregnancy. She also served as Assistant Director of the Coastal Georgia Area Agency on Aging, where she co-authored the State of Georgia Community Care Plan to enable older Georgians to remain in their homes with the help of home-based programs.
Jessica has a BA in Sociology from Arkansas State University and completed post graduate work at Amberton University. She is a Certified Master Trainer in Chronic Disease Self-Management, Diabetes Self-Management, Chronic Pain Self-Management.

Phillip Turner
As Director of Operations of Southwest Cares, I oversee our work plans to confirm that we are operating according to our motto and our scope of work. This also includes maintaining and ordering inventory to ensure our programs have the supplies and resources needed to function. It is also my responsibility to monitor our spending constantly to ensure that we are operating according to budget.
In collaboration with the Director of Programs of Southwest Cares, I make certain that every initiative has the manpower and resources needed to produce favorable results. Continuously, I assess the organization's performance and, with the Director of Programs ,make needed adjustments to confirm we are on the right track to reach organizational goals.
In efforts to enlarge our footprint, I work with program and marketing directors to corroborate effectively by connecting with and empowering lower-income, underserved communities to holistically provide programs and services to promote healthy living through the mind, body, and spirit.
Lastly, as our founder, Dr. Dharma, states, our work is never done and as Director of Operations it is my job to always push innovation so that we remain on the forefront of holistic cutting-edge services that all can afford.

Melissa Orosco
I am Program Director of Southwest Cares, where I lead a variety of initiatives to promote health and wellness in the community. Under my direction, Southwest Cares has created impactful programs such as Wellness Fairs, the Sister to Sister Run, Walk with the Doc, and a Community Council. The organization also runs an Outreach Clinic called Hope, which provides essential healthcare services.
In collaboration with Dr. Dharma, Southwest Cares has engaged in Health Equity Summits and works to empower patients to live healthier lifestyles. Through educational efforts, the team helps individuals with chronic conditions learn how to prepare nutritious meals that support their health.
To further promote well-being, we facilitated the introduction of yoga classes led by Jayme. Tai Chi to help patients learn gentle movements and physical exercise. As well as Sound Bath classes for stress reduction. These gentle sound therapies help reduce anxiety, enhance mood, improve sleep, and lower blood pressure. Additionally, Southwest Cares runs a Community Closet that provides donated clothes to those in need.

Shumeka Haynes
As the Director of Marketing and Outreach at Southwest Cares, I am dedicated to understanding and addressing the diverse needs of our community, particularly those of low-income and underserved populations. Through comprehensive community surveys, I gather valuable insights that inform our outreach strategies and program development. This data-driven approach allows us to identify specific challenges faced by these communities and tailor our services accordingly.
I develop educational literature that not only highlights our services but also empowers residents with the knowledge they need to access resources effectively. By collaborating with local libraries, recreation centers, and senior living facilities, I ensure that our outreach efforts reach those who may benefit the most. We strive to create partnerships that enhance access to our programs, making it easier for individuals in low-income and underserved communities to participate and engage with our services.
In addition to maintaining an up-to-date and user-friendly website, I work closely with community stakeholders to create welcoming spaces for classes and outreach initiatives. Our goal is to foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. By focusing on the unique needs of these communities, we aim to build stronger connections and provide the necessary tools for individuals to thrive.
