Our Doctors
Our mission is to provide, safe, affordable
and convenient pediatric anesthesia care to children in the dental office.
Please see below for a listing of our pediatric anesthesiologists.
Dr. George Alvarez, MD
Dr. Alvarez received his medical degree from the University Of South Florida College Of Medicine and completed residencies in Pediatric Medicine and Anesthesiology at Naval Regional Medical Center in Virginia and Pediatric Anesthesiology at the Children‘s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington DC. Dr. Alvarez served as Chief of Anesthesiology and Clinical Practice Director at All Children’s Hospital/Johns Hopkins Medicine facility in Saint Petersburg before joining Pediatric Dental Anesthesia Associates.
Dr. Kathryn Hunt Bietenholz, MD
Dr. Kathryn Bietenholz received her medical degree from the University in 2006 and completed a one year surgical internship at the Mayo Clinic in 2007. She completed a 3-year residency in Anesthesia at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville in 2010 with extra training in Pediatric Anesthesia at The Nemours Children’s Clinic.
Dr. Michael Garcia, MD
Dr. Garcia’s medical degree was completed at the University of Rochester, in New York. Anesthesia training was completed over three years at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and included advanced pediatric training at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C. He has spent over twenty years providing sedation and anesthesia for infants and children, including serving as Chief, Division of Anesthesia at All Children’s Hospital, a branch of Johns Hopkins Medicine. His goal: treat everyone’s child the way he would want his children treated.
Dr. Georgina Kesterson
Dr. Kesterson received her medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia in 1986. She completed her Anesthesiology residency at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals in 1990 where she received advanced training in Pediatric Anesthesiology. She was Board Certified in Anesthesiology in 1991 and has spent over 25 years providing anesthesia in both the hospital and outpatient settings. Her practice has included working at Children’s Hospital of San Diego and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Dr. Kimberly Kimmel
Dr.Kimmel received her medical degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, FL in 2007. She then went on to complete a one year surgical internship at the University of California San Francisco, East Bay in Oakland, CA in 2008. She completed her anesthesiology residency at the University of Miami Jackson Memorial Hospital in 2011. Dr.Kimmel was certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in 2012 and subsequently completed a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Jackson Memorial Hospital and Miami Children’s Hospital in Miami, FL in 2012. Prior to joining PDAA, Dr.Kimmel worked as an Attending Pediatric Anesthesiologist at Miami Children’s Hospital from 2012 until 2017.
Dr. Brooke Maryak, MD
Dr. Maryak received her medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, GA in 2009. She completed her internship and residency in Anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL in 2013 where she served as chief resident. Dr. Maryak was certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in 2014 and completed her Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship at Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, FL in 2015. She lives in Jacksonville, FL with her husband and 2 beautiful daughters.
Dr. Andrew Pate, MD
Dr. Pate received his medical degree from the University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine in 1986. After completing an internship at Johns Hopkins (in Baltimore) he completed an Anesthesiology Residency at George Washington University, including Pediatric Anesthesia training at the National Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC. He then completed his postgraduate training in Obstetrical Anesthesia at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington D.C. He is board certified in Anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology and he is a diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners.
Dr. Deborah Plagenhoef, MD
Dr. Plagenhoef received her medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center At Houston School of Medicine in 1989. She completed her residency in Anesthesiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1993 with advanced training in pediatric anesthesiology at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas.She became Board Certified in Anesthesiology in 1994 and subspecialty Board Certified in Pediatric Anesthesiology in 2013. She has taken care of thousands of children in private practice for over 25 years. Dr. Plagenhoef is passionate about patient safety and has been heavily involved in this area at the state and national levels. She recently completed her term in 2017 as President of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists during which she advocated strongly for the safety of pediatric patents receiving dental procedures. She is pleased to be joining the physicians of Pediatric Dental Anesthesia Associates who share this passion.
Dr. Linda Jo Rice, MD
Dr. Linda Jo Rice received her primary Board Certification in Anesthesiology in 1980 and most recently earned the newly created Board Certification in Pediatric Anesthesiology in 2014. She received her medical degree from the University of Kentucky and completed her anesthesiology residency at Naval Hospital Portsmouth, Virginia and her Pediatric Anesthesia fellowship at Children’s National Medical Center. She has been a professor at three universities, and is an internationally recognized lecturer in pediatric anesthesia. Dr. Rice has been voted one of the Best Doctors in America every year since 1993, when she was first nominated. She recently completed 25 years as an examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology. Prior to joining Pediatric Dental Anesthesia Associates, Dr. Rice practiced pediatric anesthesiology at All Children’s Hospital in St Petersburg, Florida for 20 years.
Dr. Brad Stone, MD
Dr. Stone received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in 1979 and his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio (University of Toledo) in 1982. He completed his residency in anesthesia at the University of Florida in 1985, where he received advanced training in pediatric anesthesia. He was initially certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in 1987 and has twice recertified. He was certified in pediatric anesthesiology in 2015.
Dr. Stone has been a long time ambulatory surgery center director (16 years) with extensive experience in the care of children. Dr. Stone has been involved in dental office anesthesia since 2003. In addition, he was the director of anesthesia education for the MAHEC dental general practice residency.
Dr. Stone has published several articles on techniques and safety in anesthesia. He has also published a book chapter on intravenous access.
Prior to joining PDAA Dr. Stone practiced in Asheville, NC for over 25 years.
Dr. Dennis Stone, MD
Dr. Dennis Stone was certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in 1980 and earned his recertification in 1993. He received his medical degree from the University in 1976 and completed a 3-year residency in Anesthesiology at The University of Florida. He served a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a pediatric cardiovascular anesthesiology fellowship at the University of Alabama.
Dr. Stone has practiced pediatric anesthesiology for over 21 years at The Wolfson Children’s Hospital where he served as Director of the Pediatric Anesthesia Department, Director of Outpatient Surgical Services, Director of Pain Management Services and was a founding member of the Division of Anesthesiology of The Nemours Children’s Clinic.
Since 1998 he has provided I.V. sedation care for children in pediatric dental offices in the NE Florida and SE Georgia areas.
Dr. Hector Vila Jr., MD
Dr. Hector Vila received his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in 1989 and completed a 3-year residency in Anesthesia at the University of South Florida, where he received 12 months of advanced training in Pediatric Anesthesia. At graduation he was the recipient of the Dripps Award for outstanding resident. He was certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in 1994.
Dr. Hector Vila is nationally renowned for his work to improve the quality of care in ambulatory and office based anesthesia. He served as chair of the South Carolina Medical Association Taskforce for Office Surgery Guidelines. He was lead author of the study, “A Comparative Outcomes Analysis of Procedures Performed in Physician Offices and Ambulatory Surgery Centers”. Abstracts of this study received international awards and attracted national media attention. He was quoted in US News and World Report, CNN, Good Morning America, and numerous other media. He is considered an expert in the area of patient safety. Dr. Vila has been voted to the Best Doctors in America list every year since 2005.
Dr. Timothy Watson, MD
Dr. Watson received his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1980. He completed his residency in Anesthesia at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, CA and a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at UC Irvine, CA. Dr. Watson was an Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at UC Irvine from 1992-1995 and the Vice-Chair of Anesthesia and Associate Professor of Anesthesia at the University of Missouri from 1995-2006. Dr. Watson has been in private practice in Columbia, TN since 2006.
Dr. Watson is board certified in Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine and earned recertification in Anesthesia in 2009. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Medical Specialties.
Dr. Robert Watson, MD
Dr. Robert Watson received his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama. After completion of an internship at Carraway Methodist Medical Center, Dr. Watson completed his anesthesiology residency training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He received his pediatric anesthesiology training at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama. Upon completion of his training, Dr. Watson returned to his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, to provide anesthesia care at the University of South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital as well as at USA Health University Hospital. He received board certification in the specialty of Anesthesiology in 2007 and achieved board certification in the subspecialty of Pediatric Anesthesiology when certification first became available in 2013. After over twelve years of providing inpatient and outpatient anesthesia care at the University of South Alabama, Dr. Watson has now focused his practice on the care of children undergoing office-based dental procedures. Dr. Watson is committed to providing high-quality, safe sedation services to children in need of dental treatment in the offices of pediatric dentists.