Ubylee

ABOUT

Experience Matters

Ubylee Pain & Injury Treatment Centers’ providers have extensive clinical experience in
managing and treating injury and chronic pain patients.  Ubylee has developed comprehensive rehabilitation services directed at improving the quality of lives of these patients and their families.

Our Clinicians have paired professional experience and compassionate care to develop a variety of customized services offering care and relief to injury and chronic pain patients.


Meet The

Ubylee Team

Dr. Baptiste Marino, MD

Medical Director

Dr. Baptiste Marino, MD

Dr. Baptiste Marino is a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist and the Medical Director for Ubylee Pain and Injury Treatment Centers. Dr. Marino graduated from The Medical College of Ohio in 1986 and has extensive experience performing clinical anesthesiology services, managing chronic pain and providing total comprehensive rehabilitation services for injured patients. He previously held dual chair positions as Chief of Anesthesiology and Director of Pain Management Services at Lexington Memorial Hospital in Lexington, NC.

Jennifer Sager, OT/CHT

Vice President of Operations

Jennifer Sager, OT/CHT

Vice President of Operations

Jennifer Sager, OT/CHT is the Vice President of Operations at Ubylee Pain and Injury Treatment Centers. She graduated from Quinnipiac University in 1999 with a degree in Occupational Therapy. Jenn chose to pursue an additional 5,000 hours of direct, specialized hand therapy services and obtained licensure as a Certified Hand Therapist. She is trained in Casting Motion to Mobilize Stiffness (CMMS) and Orthotic Fabrication. She really enjoys patient care and helping to assist patients get back to what they love to do.

Debra Knuckles, FNP

Debra Knuckles, FNP

Debra Knuckles, FNP has been a Nurse Practitioner since 2001. Originally from Miami, FL, she graduated from Barry University with a Master of Science in Nursing Degree and chose to further her career as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is a proud mom to two sons, as well as grandmother to three granddaughters and two grandsons. She loves working in pain management, and nothing makes her happier than when a patient tells her, "you've changed my life.

Amber Chewning, PT, DPT, CLT

Amber Chewning, PT, DPT, CLT

Amber Chewning is a physical therapist with more than 10 years of experience. She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Duke University in 2013. Amber has advanced education in cancer rehabilitation and pelvic health/pelvic floor physical therapy. She offers myofascial release and trigger point dry needling and is also a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT). In her free time, Amber enjoys running, hiking and camping, and is a proud mom of two girls.

Yesenia Stavros OTR/L, CHT

Spanish Speaking Therapist

Yesenia Stavros OTR/L, CHT

Yesenia Stavros is an Occupational Therapist/Certified Hand Therapist (OTR/L, CHT) who graduated from Florida International University with a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy. She obtained her certification for Hand Therapy in 2023. She provides care to a variety of age groups and helps individuals with orthopedic and neurological conditions regularly. She has worked in outpatient and in-patient settings, including Acute Care Rehabilitation and Inpatient Skilled Nursing Facilities that has allowed her to achieve a multifaceted skill set. Her focus and passion is in Hand Therapy. She is trained in Casting Motion to Mobilize Stiffness, Orthotic Fabrication, Work Conditioning, Functional Capacity Evaluations, as well as Myoelectrical Orthotic training. She is bilingual and fluent in Spanish, providing the hispanic community quality patient care. Making a connection and acquiring trust with her patients is important to Yesenia, as she has found it has allowed her patients to confidently return to a work environment and their daily activities.

Gerald Aronoff, MD

Gerald Aronoff, MD

Dr. Gerald Aronoff received his Doctor of Medicine from the New Jersey College of Medicine. He completed his residency at Harvard Medical School, and fellowship at Boston University Medical Center. In 2005, Dr. Aronoff won the German Pain Award for contributions to the field of Pain Medicine. He served as Chairman of the Department of Pain Medicine, Presbyterian Hospital/Presbyterian Orthopedic Hospital from 2002-2005. He is the Past President of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, New England Pain Association, Eastern Pain Association and North Carolina Pain Society. Dr. Aronoff is the Author/Editor of 7 books and more than 8-Scientific Articles on Chronic Pain, as well as the past Editor-in-Chief of the Clinical Journal of Pain.

Katrina Traverso, FNP

Katrina Traverso, FNP

Katrina Traverso, FNP is originally from Upstate New York and began her medical career as a combat medic in the US Army. She served 4 years before returning home to further her education at SUNY Polytechnic, gaining a graduate degree and becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2011. Katrina relocated to Charlotte that summer and has been practicing pain management ever since. She thoroughly enjoys building a rapport with her patients by actively listening to their concerns and utilizing an array of resources to help achieve an improved quality of life. It is truly a team effort. In her free time, she loves playing tennis, traveling (45 countries and counting), and spending quality time with her son and daughter.

Catherine Bourdeaux, PA-C

Catherine Bourdeaux, PA-C

Catherine Bourdeaux is a Physician Assistant who has been in healthcare for over 30 years. She spent 12 years in emergency medicine as a Registered Nurse and then graduated in 2004 with honors from South University Physician Assistant Program with a master's degree. Throughout her career, she has worked in orthopedics and plastic surgery, including first assist in the operating room. Since moving to the Charlotte area in 2018, she has enjoyed a career in pain management and has a passion for helping people maintain their level of function and quality of life. Catherine's philosophy involves providing patients with multiple options for their pain management and improvement of their healthcare status. In her personal life, she enjoys cooking for her family, planning Sunday night dinners, and spending time with her dog who lovingly requires a staff of at least 3 people.

Paul Fagan, PA-C

Paul Fagan, PA-C

Paul Fagan, PA-C is a Physician Assistant with more than 10 years of experience in pain management. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2010 with a degree in Kinesiology/Exercise Science and started his career in vascular surgery. He currently resides in Cornelius, NC with his wife, and together they have a daughter and an English Cream Golden Retriever. In his free time, Paul enjoys golf, boating and cooking.

Kristi Dougan, AGNP-C

Kristi Dougan, AGNP-C

Kristi Dougan, AGNP-C is a Nurse Practitioner who joined Ubylee in 2021. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with a concentration in Physics from NC State University. She continued her education at UNC Charlotte, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree followed by a Master of Science in Nursing degree from East Carolina University. In her personal life, Kristi has 4 dogs and enjoys hiking, gardening and learning about natural remedies.

Widad Alami, PA-C

Widad Alami, PA-C

Widad Alami is a board-certified Physician Assistant with prior experience in nephrology and pain management. A North Carolina native, Widad earned her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from D’Youville University in 2019 and published her thesis on organ transplantation in Journal of the American Academy of PAs (JAAPA). She is dedicated to continuous learning and has completed advanced training in aesthetic medicine, including botulinum toxin, dermal fillers and sclerotherapy. Widad has worked in pain management prior to joining Ubylee and has experience with trigger point injections, joint injections, and management of interventional procedures and spinal surgeries. Outside of work, Widad enjoys biking, hiking, and traveling with her husband and daughter. She is passionate about promoting wellness both in and out of the clinic, striving to improve patient outcomes through compassionate and effective care.