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Education: College of Mount Saint Vincent – MSN Family Nurse Practitioner

Awards and Professional Memberships: American Academy of Nurse Practitioners - American Nurses Association

I graduated from the college of mount Saint Vincent with MSN in FNP in 2013. Began my NP career at St. John in behavioral addiction medicine since then till now. I belong to AANP and ANA organization. I am suboxone waivered and certified in medicinal marijuana. During COVID I was asked to work with COVID patients on COVID unit and in the ED as temporary Hospitalist at St. John’s. My past experiences as RN are Med/Surg, Step down ICU, HIV/ventilator patients/telemetry. I worked for VNS home care RN. I plan to explore other medical interests in the near future.

Dr. Matthew Rodgers trained at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and joins the practice after retiring from the Army after a 27-year career.  He is board certified in family medicine and sleep medicine with a focus on sleep medicine for the past 10 years.   He was the Army medical director for the virtual medical center for two years focusing on providing synchronous and asynchronous virtual health care throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Dr. Rodgers created virtual sleep medicine clinics to provide sleep testing and treatment to sites in four countries and eight sites, throughout Europe. Professionally he enjoys narcolepsy, sleep apnea and the complex interactions between sleep and PTSD.  Dr. Rodgers likes football, basketball, and baseball.  But ironically wasn’t good at any of them, so he played rugby for eight years and wrestled for fourteen and coached wrestling for five years.

Dr. Amy Meoli has been practicing sleep medicine for over 20 years. She trained at the University of Missouri-Kansas City prior to her sleep fellowship at Allegheny University in Philadelphia. She is board-certified in sleep medicine. Dr. Meoli says she recognized the changes in patient needs related to sleep issues, and the growing time constraint people have to manage. She believes Sliiip is a progressive move to accommodate patient needs. Dr.Meoli is excited to be a part of this organization. Besides work, she enjoys time with her puppies. She loves to travel and cook.

Recognizing the shortcomings of the U.S. healthcare system and the opportunities made possible by advances in mobile technology, Dr. Avinesh Bhar left his office-based practice in 2019 to focus on establishing a telemedicine practice founded on high-value and personalized, convenient and cost-effective sleep and pulmonary care. Dr. Bhar is a fellowship-trained and board-certified in sleep and pulmonary medicine. He has been in practice for over seven years following the completion of his fellowships at Washington University in St Louis and the University of Tennessee (Memphis). He also holds a MBA from the University of Chicago. Dr. Bhar loves soccer, plays tennis and is active on Twitter (@AviBhar).

Haley (Bookbinder) Wipper is a board-certified Physician Assistant, originally from Rhode Island. She graduated Summa cum laude from Bryant University’s Physician Assistant Program and was inducted into the Pi Alpha National Honor Society. Prior to PA school, Haley received a Bachelor’s of Science and Master’s of Education in Athletic Training. She is passionate about fitness & nutrition, and enjoys playing volleyball and going to the beach in her free time.

Samantha Ortiz is our Co-Founder, Neurotoxin, Dermal Filler, and Aesthetics Specialist. She is a Registered Nurse specializing in neurotoxins, dermal fillers, and facial and body rejuvenation. She brings an ambitious and driven attitude towards patient-centered care to the practice. Samantha has over 8 years of experience in medical aesthetics. She continually advances her education to ensure the use of the latest and most advanced treatment protocols. Additionally, Samantha is a Pediatric Nurse spending much of her time caring for children in need.

Samantha enjoys hiking, traveling, and doing volunteer work in her free time. She volunteers with Dr. Elaine Suderio with Healing the Children, an organization providing free surgical services to children in need all over the world. Samantha is committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for all of her patients.

Casandra is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner in family medicine. She has been a Nurse Practitioner since 2020. She has a bachelor's degree in nursing from SUNY EmpireState College and a master's degree from Mount Saint Mary College as a family nurse practitioner. Casandra has worked in critical care, emergency medicine, and surgerical services for over 25 years. During her time spent in the acute care setting, she developed a desire to help patients with their health before they fall ill. Casandra has a special interest in integrative health, anti-aging medicine, hormone replacement therapy, and weight loss with a focus on peptide therapy.

When she has free time, she likes to be in the kitchen cooking.

Paolo T. Coppola, MD, FACEP, is an experienced physician who serves as the Medical Director for Victory Recovery Partners, which has locations in Farmingville, Shirley, and Massapequa, New York. Dr. Coppola is board-certified in Addiction Medicine and Emergency Medicine.  He relies on his years of experience providing medication-assisted treatment to people experiencing substance use disorders.

Dr. Coppola simultaneously earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics at New York University and a Bachelor of Engineering at The Cooper Union in New York in 1990. He completed his medical degree at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. 

He then completed his residency in emergency medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, before beginning his career as an attending physician in the emergency department of Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in East Patchogue, New York.

To better serve the diverse communities in New York City, Dr. Coppola is multilingual and speaks English and Italian fluently. He is board-certified in addiction medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine and board-certified in emergency medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Society of Chest Pain Centers.

Christopher Xikis, PA-C, is a certified physician’s assistant at Victory Recovery Partners, which has locations in Farmingville, Shirley, and Massapequa, New York. 

Chris started his education at the State University of New York at Farmingdale, where he earned an associate’s degree in biomedical engineering technology and was inducted into the Alpha Eta National Honor Society for Allied Health. He then completed a Physician Assistant Bachelor of Science at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he was the recipient of the Outstanding Professional Service Award and president of the Physician Assistant Student Society.

Prior to joining Victory Recovery Partners, Chris held several physician assistant positions in New York, including a private cardiology practice, vascular surgery, and in a chemical dependency unit at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, New York. While at St. Charles Hospital, he also received training for medication-assisted treatment in opioid and alcohol abuse disorders. 

Chris is a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and a guest lecturer for the Stony Brook Physician Assistant’s Program.

Steven J. Salvatore, DO, is board-certified in emergency medicine and is the Chief Medical Officer at Victory Recovery Partners, which has locations in Farmingville, Shirley, and Massapequa, New York. 

A Long Island native, Dr. Salvatore majored in biology at Fordham University in The Bronx, New York, before completing a Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine at the NY College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, New York. He then completed a medical internship at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City and a residency in emergency medicine at the Long Island Jewish Hospital in Lake Success, New York, which is currently part of the Northwell Healthcare System.

His early work experience includes several emergency department positions at New York City hospitals and a medical director position with two medical facilities in Farmingville and Ronkonkoma, New York.

An experienced television host and medical correspondent, Dr. Salvatore shared his knowledge on The Dr. Steve Show, a nationally syndicated program. He also appeared on CW 11 Morning News, Discovery Channel, Fox 5 News, Fox News Channel, and CNN as a medical correspondent.

Dr. Salvatore is board-certified in emergency medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He also maintains certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support.

Christina began her career as a high school special education teacher in a high-needs school district on Long Island. Seeing the generational effect of addiction and alcoholism within family systems, Christina found a new passion and became a credentialed addiction professional through the New York State Office of Addiction Supports and Services.

Christina played a pivotal role in establishing the foundation for our flagship OASAS-certified outpatient program. Her leadership and commitment were instrumental in shaping our program's success. Christina also previously served as the Executive Director of our Shirely location.

In addition to her career at Victory, Christina has also served previously as the Director of Access at Wellbridge Addiction Treatment and Research, a close referral partner of Victory, where she worked to reduce barriers and increase patient access to life-saving treatment.

Christina is located out of our Massapequa, Hempstead, and Hicksville offices.

Michelle Ilyayev, LMHC, is a highly skilled licensed mental health counselor at Michelle Silver Lining Mental Health Counseling, a virtual telehealth practice based in Flushing, Queens, in New York City. 

She specializes in treating depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, substance abuse, and marital issues by offering individualized, couples, family, and group therapy sessions. Michelle’s compassionate, warm, welcoming demeanor puts patients of all ages at ease.

Using evidence-based therapeutic approaches, she tailors each psychotherapy treatment to patients’ unique needs. Michelle enjoys helping patients gain insight, build upon their strengths, and develop effective coping skills to improve their mood, emotions, behaviors, and overall quality of life. 

She shares a passion for helping her clients fight against the stigma of mental health disorders and improving their lives by facilitating emotional regulation. Michelle understands that regardless of which struggles her clients have, they deserve to find their silver lining. 

She holds a mental health counselor license in the state of New York. She completed her training at St. John’s University in Queens, New York City, and Albert Ellis Institute in New York City.

Michelle loves helping her patients thrive and enjoys maximizing their mental health, wellness, and quality of life. She compassionately welcomes new and existing patients to Michelle Silver Lining Mental Health Counseling and looks forward to visiting with them.