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TELEMEDICINEDr. Dragos Zanchi and Dr. Rafael Martinez have known each other for nearly 15 years, as both friends and colleagues. Together they run a private practice built to treat patients as their own family. They strive to be available for patients at all times, maintaining a highly technological practice without losing the human touch.
The Doctors At Pulmonary And Sleep Of Tampa Bay
Dragos Zanchi
Pulmonologist
I’ve always known that I wanted to be a doctor and help people feel better. I decided to specialize in pulmonology because what happens in the lungs is connected to all the other systems of the body.
Meet Dragos Zanchi
Rafael Martinez
Pulmonologist
When Dr. Martinez was 18 years old, his father underwent open-heart surgery. Rafael was so impressed by meeting the surgeon who had successfully treated his father that he was inspired to become a physician himself.
Meet Rafael MartinezOur Team
Mercedes N. Fernandez
Adult Nurse Practitioner
Mercedes N. Fernandez, a Cuba native, has lived in Tampa since 1991. Her love for medicine and making a difference in the lives of others inspired her to study medicine in Cuba. Not having been able to complete her degree before she immigrated to the United States, she set her sights to become a nurse to further her education. In 1998, she became a Registered Nurse and worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Tampa in Cardiac Care and Intensive Care Units for a combined fourteen years. In 2011, Mercedes received a Masters of Science in Nursing from The University of Tampa. Mercedes is a Board Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. In addition, she is a member of Tampa Bay Advanced Practice Nurses Council and American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Mercedes has been a nurse practitioner in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care since 2012 and has joined Pulmonary and Sleep of Tampa in 2019.
Special Interests:
Treatment of Asthma, Pneumonia, and early Lung Cancer Detection.
Personal Interests:
Mercedes loves the outdoors and enjoys traveling to learn about exciting cultures and places around the world. She is married and is a proud parent of two college students. Mercedes loves and values the time spent with friends and family.
Special Interests:
Treatment of Asthma, Pneumonia, and early Lung Cancer Detection.
Personal Interests:
Mercedes loves the outdoors and enjoys traveling to learn about exciting cultures and places around the world. She is married and is a proud parent of two college students. Mercedes loves and values the time spent with friends and family.
Krista Ziesman-Weaver
APRN
Krista Ziesman-Weaver, APRN, is a graduate of The University of South Florida USF with a master’s degree in Nursing and the University of Florida UF with a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts focusing on Sociology. She graduated with both Sigma Theta Tau and Golden Key Honor Society memberships. She passed her certification with AANPCP in the fall of 2015. She is a current member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioner in good standing.
Krista started her career in nursing as a patient care assistant on the neonatal floor at All Children’s Hospital currently known as John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1998. She continued on from there to become a Registered Nurse in the pediatric Intensive Care Unit remaining at All Children’s Hospital Her time in the ICU unit embedded a love of critical care patients and showed her the difference that quality and attention to detail could do to alter the outcomes for severely sick and injured patients. From there on she knew what she was destined to accomplish. Her nursing journey exploded and after completing her Master’s degree and she furthered her career to include a diverse range of specialties including infertility and family practice.
Krista is a Florida native being born right here in Tampa. Her favorite pastime is spending quality time with her family and animals on her 15-acre farm. Her passion includes breeding Dutch Warmblood KWPN horses and German Shepherd dogs.
Krista started her career in nursing as a patient care assistant on the neonatal floor at All Children’s Hospital currently known as John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1998. She continued on from there to become a Registered Nurse in the pediatric Intensive Care Unit remaining at All Children’s Hospital Her time in the ICU unit embedded a love of critical care patients and showed her the difference that quality and attention to detail could do to alter the outcomes for severely sick and injured patients. From there on she knew what she was destined to accomplish. Her nursing journey exploded and after completing her Master’s degree and she furthered her career to include a diverse range of specialties including infertility and family practice.
Krista is a Florida native being born right here in Tampa. Her favorite pastime is spending quality time with her family and animals on her 15-acre farm. Her passion includes breeding Dutch Warmblood KWPN horses and German Shepherd dogs.
Catherine Papatheodorou
APRN
Catherine Papatheodorou, a New Jersey native, graduated from Rutgers University in 2011. She started her nursing career working at Morristown Medical Center on a telemetry and step down unit (SDU). After three years at the bedside, Catherine completed a Master of Science in Nursing at Rutgers University (2014), graduating at the top of her class.
Catherine is board certified in primary care of adults and geriatrics through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). In 2011, she became a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nursing. Catherine has worked in numerous health care settings since becoming a nurse practitioner including urgent care, preventative/primary care, metabolic, and infusion centers. Catherine is an active member of the American Diabetes Society and the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). She has a special interest in pulmonary as she has seen how the lungs play a role in many diseases. She enjoys meeting new patients and helping them improve their health and well-being.
Outside of work, Catherine has a passion for fitness. She can be found training for a race, road biking or playing Frisbee at the beach. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
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