Seeking Physicians! We have strong training program. Email CV to Joan Arsenault, MA CCC-SLP-BCS-S at joan@massteximaging.com.
Physicians
Joan E. Baumer, MD, FAAFP
The President and Chief Medical Officer of MassTex Imaging, LLC. She has 34 years of experience in medicine, as she graduated in 1978 from Davis University in California and has completed both residency and fellowship in Family Medicine. Her career has expanded to not only direct patient care, but chairing departments, supervising other physicians, and developing programs to better serve her patients. She a family medicine physician and has developed the skills and knowledge to work alongside the speech language pathologist to improve patient care around dysphagia management. Dr. Baumer is one of the founding members of MassTex Imaging, LLC and is also a member and president of DiagnosTEX and Professional Imaging, LLC in Texas. Separate from Dr. Baumer’s duties as president and direct patient care, she runs and chairs the Family Medicine Department at John Peter Smith Hospital in Texas. Dr. Baumer truly understands the necessity of not only providing a Modified Barium Swallow Study to determine safe swallow strategies, but the importance of looking at the whole patient separate from the MBSS. This is why MassTex Imaging is more than just a MBSS mobile practice, but a medical practice that focuses on Dysphagia consultation including MBSS, and provides both initial consultations to patients as well as continuity of care.
Stephen Brand, MD, PhD
Dr. Brand graduated in Medicine from University of Western Australia and also holds a PhD in Physiology. Subsequently, he was a research fellow at the University of Copenhagen Denmark and Fellow in Endocrinology & Gastroenterology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. For ten years, Dr Brand was on the faculty in the Gastrointestinal Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital achieving the rank of Clinical Associate in Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He was an internationally recognized leader in gastroenterology research and was elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation. He has published over 75 papers in leading journals. He then pursued a successful career in the Bio Pharmaceutical Industry as a research director at Proscript, Tanabe Research Laboratory, and Waratah Pharmaceuticals leading the discovery and development of novel drugs, for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory diseases and diabetes, which are now in the clinic. Since 2006, Dr Brand has specialized as physician in diagnostic radiology to diagnose disorders of swallowing and esophageal function.
Diane Dickinson, MD
I am a family practice physician and received additional training regarding modified barium swallowing studies through MassTex Imaging. I attended the University of Massachusetts Medical School via a winding road. I started my health care work as a nurses aide and then attended nursing school at MGH in Boston and became an RN.
As a physician I worked in Northern California for 30 years after doing residency training there. I moved back to New England, where I am from, in 2020 and I love being back.
I have worked in many different sites, often overlapping, including: Solo private practice, a community clinic, hospitalist in a community hospital, supervisor of a public health clinic, and as an attending physician at skilled nursing facilities.
I very much enjoy my work at MassTex Imaging, LLC. I am continually impressed working along side our speech and language pathologists, technicians and support staff.
Tina Gardner, MD
Dr. Tina Gardner is a retired US Army doctor, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. A board certified family physician, she completed fellowship training at UCONN to become a board certified geriatrician in 2009. She also completed a tour of duty as a teaching faculty member in Family Medicine at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. She received video-fluoroscopic training at MTI and enjoys helping people living with swallowing disorders. Dr. Gardner and her husband Joe Gardner reside in NW Connecticut.
Martha Martents, MD
Dr. Martha Martents joined us in 2019. Dr. Martents is a Internal Medicine Specialist. She received extensive Video Fluoroscopy training with MTI. She has over 43 years of experience in the medical field. She graduated from Armenian Medical Institute, Faculty Of Medicine medical school in 1977. She is affiliated with medical facilities Massachusetts General Hospital and Mount Auburn Hospital. We are proud to have Dr. Martents as part of our mobile medical practice.
Mario E. Motta, MD, FACC
Dr. Motta had been in practice at North Shore Medical Center in Salem, Massachusetts, since 1983, recently retiring in 2022. He is a graduate of Boston College, with a BS in physics and biology, and of Tufts Medical School. He is board certified in Internal medicine, the American College of Cardiology, and of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. He is an associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Motta has long been active in organized medicine, both in the American Medical Association (AMA) and in the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS), holding a number of posts through the years. He is a past President of the MMS, and represents Massachusetts at the AMA. He was elected and served 8 years on the AMA council of Science and Public Health, and then elected to the Board of Trustees of the AMA in 2018, recently completing his term. In May of 2023 at its annual meeting, the MMS awarded Dr. Motta its highest honor, the “Award for Distinguished Service.” MassTex Imaging, LLC is thrilled to have Mario join our mobile medical team. Mario received video-fluoroscopic training at MTI and he incorporates his Internal Medicine expertise with each and every patient he sees.
Also, Dr. Motta has a lifelong interest in astronomy, and has hand built a number of telescopes and observatories through the years to do astronomical research, including his entirely homemade 32 inch, F6 relay telescope located in Gloucester, MA. He has been awarded several national awards in astronomy, including the Las Cumbras award from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in 2003, and also the Walter Scott Houston award from the northeast section of the Astronomical League, and in 2017 the Henry Olcott Award from the American Association of Variable star Observers (AAVSO). He has served as a president of the ATM’s of Boston, and has served as a council member of the AAVSO, and is a past president as well. He has also served on the Board of the IDA. He has worked on light pollution issues, and published several white papers on LP as a member of the AMA council of science and public health. He served on a UN committee (COPUOS) representing the AMA on light pollution for a worldwide effort to control LP and satellite proliferation. Finally, several years ago the International Astronomical Union awarded Dr. Motta an asteroid in part for his work on light pollution as well as amateur research, asteroid 133537MarioMotta.
Michael Stevens, MD
Dr. Stevens joined MassTex Imaging in June 2012. He is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine and the Tufts/New England Medical Center Family Medicine Residency, where he served as Academic Chief Resident. Following five years of private practice primary care, Dr. Stevens shifted his clinical focus to swallowing mechanics/disorders and dysphagia pathophysiology. He has four years experience in MBSS, dysphagia consultation and dysphagia management with a focus on the geriatric population. Dr. Stevens has held teaching positions at Tufts University School of Medicine and Boston University School of Medicine, and has served as Medical Director for a company that specialized in diagnostic testing for swallowing disorders.
Beverly Timerding, MD
Dr. Timerding joined Masstex Imaging in December 2018. She graduated from University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1986 along with board certification. She subsequently entered an emergency medicine research fellowship in Cincinnati completing multiple studies concerning the treatment of the complications of severe hypovolemic shock and early studies of anti-thrombolytics in the treatment of stroke. She received the Smith, Kline and French/Emergency Medicine Foundation Fellowship Award.
After practicing academic and clinical emergency medicine at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC until 2001, she entered a busy emergency medicine practice in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2012 to be nearer to family, she moved to Massachusetts and has continued working with emergency department patients at some of the most critical times in their lives.
She received video-fluoroscopic training at MTI and incorporates her experience of working with people affected by stroke and neurologic disabilities.
Speech Language Pathologists
Joan Kelly Arsenault, MA, CCC-SLP BCS-S
Joan is the CEO and Managing Owner of MassTex Imaging, LLC. She is a Speech Language Pathologist with over 30 years of experience in dysphagia management with infants, children and adults including MBSS and FEES. Joan is one of 25 Speech Language Pathologists who is Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders in NE States. She has spoken and presented both nationally and at the state level in the areas of pediatric and adult dysphagia including head and neck cancer, neurological disorders, and infant feeding disorders. Joan has developed adult and pediatric dysphagia programs in acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and outpatient settings. She has worked on interdisciplinary pediatric feeding teams, worked closely with ENT and prosthodontists for improved swallowing outcomes for head and neck cancer, and collaborated directly with numerous radiologists and GI physicians to implement and develop MBSS programs. She has worked in a variety of settings including acute care, skilled nursing facilities, home care, and outpatient clinics. Joan has taught dysphagia courses at the graduate level and is an adjunct professor to several Boston area graduate programs. She is licensed to practice in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Katy Anderson, MS, CCC-SLP BCS-S
Katy Anderson is the Lead Speech Language Pathologist of MassTex Imaging and is Board Certified in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. She joined MassTex Imaging in 2014 and has over 10 years of experience working in a variety of settings including long term acute care, outpatient, as well as skilled nursing facilities. Katy holds special interest in management of dysphagia in patients with head and neck cancer as well as tracheostomy/ventilator dependence. She is a fierce advocate for quality of life decision making and end of life care. She received her master’s degree from the University of Washington, Seattle and is currently licensed to practice in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Tom Besade, MM, MS, CCC-SLP
Tom Besade is a speech pathologist with extensive experience in acute care, inpatient rehab, and outpatient therapy settings. His caseload has spanned across multiple populations, and he holds special clinical interests in tracheostomy- and ventilator-dependent patients, psychogenic voice and swallowing disorders, head and neck trauma, gender-affirming voice care, and integrative health. He is a clinician experienced with frequent administration of modified barium swallow studies (MBSS), flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), and videostroboscopy for evaluation of voice and upper airway disorders. Tom holds additional certifications in Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT), the McNeil Dysphagia Therapy Program (MDTP), Buteyko Breathing, and trauma-informed care. He holds graduate degrees in speech and language pathology from Columbia University and in vocal performance from James Madison University. In addition to his work as a speech pathologist, Tom is an active classical singer, voice teacher, and Usui Reiki practitioner. He is licensed to practice in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Gillian Finegan, MA, CCC-SLP
Gillian Finegan is a 2013 graduate of the University of Central Florida who holds a master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. After practicing in Florida for 5 years, she moved to NE in 2018, and joined the MassTex team in 2019. She works in various settings including ALF, SNF, acute rehab, outpatient, and memory care where she evaluates and treats various disorders of cognition, communication, and swallowing. Gillian has a special interest in geriatric care and is a strong proponent for compassionate services for both patients and their families living comfortably throughout this time of their lives. Her clinical interest has always been in dysphagia and neurogenic disorders such TBI, dementia, Parkinson’s, strokes, and psychological disorders. She now has a toddler of her own and has begun more training and education to also work with the pediatric population. Gillian is currently licensed to practice in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Elise Gallegos, MS, CCC-SLP
Elise is a graduate of the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She has a wide range of clinical experience, including evaluation and treatment of both adults and children in private practice, as well as in public schools. Elise’s clinical interests include neurogenic disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, TBI, and CVA, and developmental disabilities in children and adults. Elise is a licensed speech-language pathologist in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Elizabeth Harrison, MS, CCC-SLP
Elizabeth is a licensed speech language pathologist in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire. She has experience in the long term care setting working primarily with adults with dementia, stroke, and psychiatric disorders, targeting swallowing, cognition and/or language, as well as experience in acute care hospitals. She is currently certified in Vital Stim and has completed over 3,800 MBSS.
Amy Parker, MS, CCC-SLP
Amy graduated from Boston University with a degree in Speech Pathology and has over 19 years of experience as a Speech Pathologist treating and diagnosing adult neurogenics including dysphagia. She joined MassTex Imaging in May of 2013. Amy brings with her a wealth of experience having performed MBSS in a Mobile and Hospital environment.
Joy Walsh, MS, CCC-SLP
Joy Walsh is a speech language pathologist with over 20 years of experience in acute care and outpatient therapy settings. Areas of clinical interest include voice/upper airway, motor-speech disorders, and dysphagia. She is a level II Buteyko Breathing educator, trained in LSVT and SPEAK OUT!, and has completed Level II Estill voice work. She received her master's degree in speech and language pathology from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in 2001. She received her undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in theatre in 1992. In addition to her work as a speech language pathologist, Joy is a singer/songwriter, and mother to two human children, one canine child, one snake and 3 lizards. She is licensed to practice in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire.