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Daniel D. Baird, CSA, M. SC., MBA
Daniel D. Baird, CSA, M. SC., MBA
Chief Executive Officer
Dan Baird has more than 25 years of experience in the surgical assisting field. He is currently an adjunct professor for the Surgical Assistant Master’s program at Eastern Virginia Medical School and is the Chairman of the Board for the National Surgical Assistants Association. Mr. Baird is also a formal advisor for the Surgical Assistant Program at the Mayo Clinic. Dan is a Subject Matter Expert in Robotic Surgery and currently teaches Advanced Colo-Rectal Robotics for Intuitive Surgical. He has assisted with thousands of robotic cases in all areas including: Gynecologic Oncology, Colo-Rectal Surgery, General Surgery, Urology, and Gynecology.
Taurek Erik-Soussi, CSA, M.S.A.
Taurek Erik-Soussi, CSA, M.S.A.
Chief Surgical Assistant
Taurek Erik-Soussi has been an integral member of the Surgical Assistant team at Northside Cherokee since July 2017. He completed his initial training as a Surgical Assistant at Eastern Virginia Medical School in 2009. Taurek continued his professional career at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, where he gained experience in a variety of surgical specialties: General Surgery, Urology, Gynecologic and Obstetric Surgery, Plastic, and Orthopedics. Currently, Taurek has assisted in more than 5000 procedures in Minnesota and Georgia. Additionally, he gained invaluable experience in Houston, TX, as a Training Specialist with Intuitive Surgical at their Robotics Institute for simulation training before returning to the operative arena.
Donna Haney, CSA, RSA
Donna Haney, CSA, RSA
Senior Surgical Assistant
Donna Haney began training as a surgical assistant in the US Navy. She earned her certification as a Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA) in October 2015. She also has been trained in the daVinci Robotic Surgical System. Since returning to her native state of Georgia in July 2015, Donna has assisted in Orthopedic, General, Obstetrics and Gynecologic surgeries.
Katryn "Kit" Parillo, CSA, M.S.A
Katryn "Kit" Parillo, CSA, M.S.A
Senior Surgical Assistant
Katryn Parillo earned her undergraduate degree from Berry College in 2015. She completed her Master’s degree in Surgical Assisting in 2017 at EVMS. Katryn is certified as a Surgical Assistant in the daVinci Robotic System. She also is experienced in General, Orthopedic, Breast, and Gynecologic surgeries. She has been active within the Northside Cherokee team since July 2017.
Jared Haley, CSA, M.S.A
Jared Haley, CSA, M.S.A
Senior Surgical Assistant
Jared Haley has been assisting surgeons at Northside Cherokee since June 2019 He earned a Master’s degree in Surgical Assisting at Eastern Virginia Medical School in May 2019, Jared is certified as a Surgical Assistant in the DaVinci Robotic System. He is experienced in General, Colo-Rectal, ENT, and Gynecologic surgeries. Jared earned a B.S from Louisiana State University in 2017.
Cheliz Ojeda, CSA, M.S.A
Cheliz Ojeda, CSA, M.S.A
Senior Surgical Assistant
Cheliz Ojeda earned her undergraduate degree from University of Florida in Biology in 2014. She completed her Master’s degree in Surgical Assisting in 2019 at EVMS. Cheliz is certified as a Surgical Assistant in the daVinci Robotic System. She also is experienced in General, Orthopedic, Gynecologic and Obstetric surgeries. She has been a member of the Northside Cherokee surgical assistant team since June 2019.
Ross DeVantier, CSA, M.S.A
Ross DeVantier, CSA, M.S.A
Surgical Assistant
Ross DeVantier earned his undergraduate degree from Old Dominion University in 2016. He completed his Master’s degree in Surgical Assisting in 2020 at EVMS. Ross is certified as a Surgical Assistant in the DaVinci Robotic System. Ross has specialized in Orthopedic, General and Obstetric surgeries since coming to Northside Cherokee in July 2020.
Synquisite Shamlee, CSA, M.S.A
Synquisite Shamlee, CSA, M.S.A
Surgical Assistant
Synquisite Shamlee earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Old Dominion University in 2016. She completed her Master’s degree in Surgical Assisting in 2023 at EVMS. She received top honors in anatomy and the Director's Award from EVMS. Synquisite is certified as a Surgical Assistant in the daVinci Robotic System. She joined the Northside Cherokee team in July 2023.
The Administrative Team
The Administrative Team
Dee and Kara are a mother-daughter team who support the surgical assistants through administration. Dee focuses on people while Kara focuses on digital communication. Together they provide administrative support for the Summit Surgical Partners team of assistants and surgeons.
Dee Chatham, CMRS, CPPM
Dee Chatham, CMRS, CPPM
Chief Administrative Officer
After earning her Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics and Finance from Valdosta State, Dee married and moved to Cherokee County in 1986. She was a homeschool mom from 1995 - 2012, before re-entering the workforce. She earned her CMRS from American Medical Billers Association in 2015 and the CPPM from AAPC in 2021. She serves as the Chief Administrative Officer.
Kara Chatham, M.A.I.S., MOAC
Kara Chatham, M.A.I.S., MOAC
Brand & Administrative Coordinator
Kara holds a Bachelor of Arts in English (2015) and a Master of Arts in Integrated Studies (2025), both from Jacksonville State University. She brings valuable experience from her work with North Point Ministries and Chick-fil-A, specializing in digital communication, brand management, and workflow optimization. Certified in Social Media Marketing and Google Workspace, Kara currently serves as the Brand and Administrative Coordinator.
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