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General Surgery Team

Dr. James Boyd

Dr. Boyd received his Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University in Microbiology in 2001. He completed his Doctor of Medicine in 2006 at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and his general surgery residency at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver in 2011. He is a board-certified general surgeon and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

His interests include: trauma surgery, treatment of the injured patient, robotic and laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery, benign and malignant diseases of the colon, and surgical treatment of reflux disease.

 

Dr. Philip Ernest

Dr. Ernest was raised in Baltimore, Maryland and joined the Navy after graduating from high school. He served as a Helicopter Rescue Swimmer and travelled around the world deploying with the Seventh Fleet. After serving in the military, Dr. Ernest attended Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona and attained a B.A. with a double major in Political and National Security Studies and Outdoor Education. He worked in the outdoor field assisting those struggling with substance abuse through wilderness therapy programs. Dr. Ernest developed an interest in medicine through these years and pursued a medical degree, graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University. He then completed a General Surgery residency at Saint Joseph’s hospital in Denver in 2013. There he focused on advanced minimally invasive surgery and weight loss surgery.  Dr. Ernest is the medical director of the Metabolic and Bariatric Institute. He has a passion for helping our community find health and wellness through weight loss both surgically and medically. Dr. Ernest is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and has a keen interest in improving the quality and safety of surgical care. 

 

Dr. Maureen Mannas

Dr. Mannas grew up in Oklahoma and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of Oklahoma where she was also a member of the rowing team for four years. She received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, followed by a general surgery residency also at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. Mannas is a board-certified surgeon and holds a Certificate of da Vinci® System Training, the robotics-assisted surgery system that is advancing the technology used in minimally invasive surgery. 

Dr. Melissa Maxey

Dr. Maxey received her bachelor's degree in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado in 2006. She completed her degree in just three years and took a year off before starting medical school to work, travel and compete in triathlons competitively. She attended New York Medical College, where she graduated in 2011. Dr. Maxey then moved to Columbia, South Carolina where she completed her general surgery residency at Palmetto Health - University of South Carolina. While there, she also completed a Surgical Critical Care Fellowship. She is Board Certified in General Surgery and Critical Care.

 

Dr. Melania Yeats

Dr. Melania Yeats attended the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and completed a general surgery residency at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. She has a special interest in treating diseases of the breast, and enjoys working with women with both surgical and medical conditions of the breast. Dr. Yeats is board certified in general surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

 

Meghan Ritz, PA-C, MPH

Ms. Ritz holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA. She earned her Master of Health Science, Physician Assistant, from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. She has spent the past ten years as a Physician Assistant at Northern Navajo Medical Center where she fulfilled a variety of clinical and administrative roles. In addition to practicing primary care, she developed and implemented a Metabolic Clinic, operated the hospital’s occupational health program, provided care for chronic Hepatitis C patients and served as Vice Chief of Staff.   

 

Erica Lankenau, PA-C

Lankenau is from Orlando, Florida and received her undergraduate degree in Molecular and Microbiology from the University of Central Florida in Orlando in 2012. She graduated with her Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Nova southeastern University, also in Orlando, in 2015. Lankenau has volunteered on two medical mission trips to Honduras with Hope Worldwide, helping to diagnose and treat hundreds of patients in poverty-stricken communities. She has a special interest in dermatology, and has experience assisting in minor surgeries and procedures involving a multitude of skin conditions.

 

Zachary Haynes, PA-C, MSPAS

Mr. Haynes holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as well as a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Des Moines University. He is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

 

Melissa Marquez-Conklin, PA-C

​Ms. Marquez-Conklin holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of New Mexico as well as a Master of Science - Physician Assistant Studies from UNM School of Medicine. She has spent the past ten plus years serving patients in our community, providing excellent medical care as a physician assistant in private practice settings. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and spent two years serving as the Region 1 Northwest Director for the New Mexico Academy of Physician Assistants.

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