Georgia Team

Frank Curvin, MD

Medical Director

Dr. Curvin has over 20 years experience serving as a medical director and clinician for post-acute care practices in Georgia. As Medical Director at Restore First Health, Dr. Curvin manages all patient care for the practice, overseeing and collaborating in the clinical protocols provided by the Nurse Practitioners. Before joining Restore First Health in 2022, he was regional medical director for Institutional Special Needs Program and Housecall & Telemedicine Practice for Heal Doctors in Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Curvin has a passion for patient care focused on medically proven therapies that bring greater quality of life to his patients. With over two decades in family medicine and managing complex care for patients, he continues to connect with his patients and their families to understand barriers to their care, and present collaborative solutions for improved health to all his patients.

He is a graduate of New Jersey Medical School at The University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark, NJ. Dr. Curvin completed his Family Medicine internship at Harbor – UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, CA and residency training and fellowship at Emory University – Crawford Long Medical Center in Atlanta, GA.

Wendy Smith Haupt

Regional VP of Operations

Wendy Smith Haupt serves as Restore First Health’s Senior Area Operations Manager. Wendy is responsible for the overall day-to-day operational performance and leadership of our Georgia locations. Wendy brings twenty years of strong operational leadership experience to Restore First Health. She has a strategic mind that produces outcomes through efficiencies, clinical quality, patient safety, consumer satisfaction and fiscal management. She enjoys designing efficient services that continuously meet the needs of patients, communities, physicians, and staff. Wendy has a passion for finding ways to expand access to healthcare services in our communities. Wendy also enjoys mentoring others for leadership roles.

Wendy lives in Atlanta, is married, is a proud baseball mom and has two cats. She enjoys spending time with her family at the baseball field, taking road trips, vacationing at the beach, and spending time with her two cats.

Tugba Pal M.S/HMD

Regional Director of Community Partnerships

Tugba is a dynamic healthcare professional with a passion for fostering strategic partnerships and driving referral growth. With years of experience in provider relations and community outreach management, she brought expertise to all her previous roles.

Prior to joining Restore First Health in June 2023, Tugba served as the Assistant Director of Physician Relations Services at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, where she worked with various pediatric and adult services to initiate initiatives to expand the institution’s network and increase engagement with referring healthcare providers. This includes developing comprehensive outreach strategies, fostering existing relationships, and analyzing referral data to identify growth opportunities. She also coordinated community-based education programs and collaborated with marketing teams to enhance brand awareness.

She was also the Provider Liaison Lead at Boston Children’s Health Physicians, where she established and managed the Physician Liaison program, driving community engagement and physician-to-physician relationships. She played a key role in resolving provider issues, analyzing referral data, and coordinating in-service training to improve network integrity. With over a decade of experience in healthcare provider relations, Tugba has also made significant contributions to organizations like Montefiore Medical Center, overseeing large provider networks, facilitating contracts, and ensuring compliance. She has a proven track record of increasing provider satisfaction, resolving claims issues, and implementing best practices to streamline operations.

She has a M.S. in Human Resource Management and Development from New York University (NYU) and a B.A. in International Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In addition to Tugba’s extensive experience in healthcare, she holds certifications in Professional Coaching and pursuing certification in Digital marketing , highlighting her commitment to personal and professional development.

In 2019, she was recognized as a successful Millennial Business Professional in the Westchester/Fairfield County region, continues to be a driving force in the healthcare industry.

Sherrie Hoover, AGACNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner

Sherrie Hoover is a board-certified Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with 16 years of clinical experience in Emergency Medicine, Critical Care and Wound Care. She has specialized in advanced wound modalities for the past six years.

She began her career in a Level 1 Trauma Center and was relocated where she went into critical care. This experience exposed her to advanced wound care modalities, which she gained a passion for. Acute and chronic wounds have been her passion as she understands the importance of treating the whole patient, and the effects chronic wounds can have on individual lives.

Sherrie resides in the Savannah area and enjoys traveling, music and the Georgia Bulldogs with her husband and their four children.

Callie Sullivan, NP

Nurse Practitioner

Callie is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with over 10 years of clinical experience. She began her nursing career working on the Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit at UAB Highlands hospital in Birmingham, AL where her love for wound care began.

Callie earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Troy University in 2019. She then worked in both inpatient and outpatient wound care and hyperbaric medicine in the states of Washington and Tennessee.

Callie relocated to Georgia and is proud to be a part of the Restore First Health team providing advanced wound care in the home setting allowing patients to remain comfortable in their homes and relieving the burden of traveling to outpatient wound care appointments.

Marlene Pepukayi, FNP-BC, MPH

Nurse Practitioner

Marlene Pepukayi is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner specializing in advanced wound therapy at Restore First Health. She has more than 15 years of clinical experience in managing wounds. Marlene initially began her career in Trauma and Intensive Critical Care, and then expanded to wound care in the community.

Marlene earned her MSN-FNP from Walden University, and also has a Master’s in Public Health and Master’s in Business Administration that she received from Benedictine University.

Marlene has a passion for helping and caring for others, which led her to go into healthcare. She currently resides in the Metro Atlanta area, and enjoys spending time with her family in her free time.

Katrina Robertson, APRN, FNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner

Katrina Robertson is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner at RFH. She has over 15 years of experience in the medical field working in home care, case management and addiction services. She has also worked as a family nurse practitioner at CVS minute clinic.

Katrina earned her nursing degree from St Vincent’s College and her masters of science degree from Quinnipiac University. She also holds a bachelors of art in Psychology from University of Connecticut.

She resides in Metro Atlanta enjoying traveling and spending time with her four children, husband and friends.

John N. Shirley, FNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner

John N. Shirley specializes in advanced wound therapy at Restore First Health. Utilizing the most advanced treatment options, John understands the complexities and challenges related to chronic wounds. He began his healthcare career working in the cardiac intensive care unit at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta where he developed a passion for acute and chronic wound care. After several years at Children’s Healthcare, he had the opportunity to open and expand wound care services from one practitioner to 20 for Quality Surgical Management in Georgia.

Throughout his career, John has garnered the respect of his patients and fellow healthcare professionals with his attention to detail and the care he provides to his patients. He has an unmatched dedication to continuing education and research related to advanced treatment options to provide each patient with improved health and quality of life.

John holds an advanced practice degree as a family nurse practitioner, as well a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of North Georgia. John volunteers at his children’s school and provides first aid and medical care to student athletes during games.

When not treating patients or volunteering John enjoys attending his children’s sporting events with his wife, and attending college and professional sporting events as a family.

Julia Choe

Nurse Practitioner

Julia is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with over 15 years of clinical experience.

She began her career working in a step-down unit, primary treating trauma patients at CMC Main, now known as Atrium Health, in Charlottle, NC. She then relocated to the Atlanta area in 2011, where she worked in the surgical ICU at Emory University Hospital.

Julia earned her MSN from Kennesaw State University in 2014. She worked as a nurse practitioner at Emory University Hospital in the transplant hepatology department and simultaneously worked in aesthetics, performing multiple procedures.

She has a passion for caring for others, which prompted her to go into nursing. She currently resides in Atlanta area.

Amy Beckner, FNP-BC

Nurse Practitioner

Amy is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She earned her BSN from Johns Hopkins University and MSN from Simmons University. Additionally, she holds a BA in Criminal Justice.

She began her nursing career in 2013, starting in adult acute care, followed by several years in home care providing wound care, chronic disease management, and palliative care. Amy believes in providing holistic, compassionate care with an emphasis on patient education and involvement. She feels that in-home care provides the perfect opportunity to bring high quality care to the place where the patient is the most comfortable.

During her spare time, Amy enjoys doing all things outdoors with her husband, 2 children, and 2 dogs. She has lived in multiple locations due to her husband’s military career and is excited to set roots in the Savannah area following his retirement.

Suniko Hickman FNP-C, CWCN

Nurse Practitioner

Suniko is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with 15 years of clinical experience. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology in 2005 and later pursued a BSN in 2009 from the University of South Carolina Spartanburg. Her passion for wound care led her to become a Certified Wound Continence Ostomy Nurse (CWOCN) in 2012 from Emory University.

Suniko began her wound care career in an outpatient clinic, working closely with vascular and cardiovascular surgeons. This foundational experience propelled her into an inpatient/acute care setting, where she provided autonomous wound, ostomy, and continence care evaluations and treatments. She also took on leadership and educational roles for nursing staff.

In 2021, Suniko completed her MSN in Family Nurse Practitioner from Chamberlain School of Nursing, continuing her specialty in wound care within long-term care settings. Recently, she has transitioned into the Home Health Industry, where she enjoys providing care to patients in the comfort of their own homes.