Our Physicians

David M. Lee, M.D.

Dr. David M. Lee grew up in Princeton, TX. He attended the University of North Texas where he graduated summa cum laude. He graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston with honors. His residency in Internal Medicine was at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, where he remains an active member of the medical staff. He specializes in general Internal Medicine and HIV Medicine, and he is credentialed by the American Academy of HIV Medicine as an HIV Specialist™.

  • Internal Medicine
  • HIV Specialist™



2013-2019

Donald A. Graneto, M.D.

Dr. Graneto works to keep Dallas healthy - one patient at a time - by creating individual health plans customized to each patient's unique needs. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine before moving to Dallas. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern, and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. His areas of interest include preventive medicine, general primary care, HIV treatment, health information technology and optimizing management of chronic medical conditions.

  • Family Practice
  • HIV Specialist™

D Magazine Top Doctors

2015

Eric Klappholz, NP-C

Eric Klappholz, ANP-C was born and raised in North Richland Hills, Texas. He attended Texas Woman's University where he graduated with honors (Sigma Theta Tau) and earned a Master's in Science as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. In addition, he holds a Bachelor's of Science in nursing and a Bachelor's of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. Eric is certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and is licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing as an Adult Nurse Practitioner.

Eric strives to be a partner in his patients health by providing high-quality primary care to all of his patients, including those with HIV. Eric focuses on health promotion, disease prevention, and health education and counseling, guiding patients to make positive health and lifestyle choices.

In his free time Eric enjoys training for marathons and triathlons.

  • HIV Specialist™

Kristina Schmidt, APRN, FNP-BC

Kristina Schmidt has a passion for providing patient-centered, up-to-date medical care, where she focuses on treating the whole person, not just their illness. Kristina provides inclusive primary care to all her patients, including people living with HIV, transgender, and gender-diverse persons. When not working, she enjoys playing with her dog, Luna, traveling with her husband, Steffan, reading novels, playing board games, visiting the lake, and baking.

Kristina was born and raised in the DFW area, where she lived, until attending Texas Tech University, in Lubbock, Texas. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition before attending nursing school and obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She worked as an emergency department nurse at several Level I Trauma and Certified Burn emergency centers prior to pursuing further education. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. After graduation, she worked at a large urban hospital as a Nurse Practitioner on the HIV/Infectious Disease inpatient and outpatient teams for over two years.

  • Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • HIV Specialist™

Jessica Chu, MPH, PA-C

Jessica Chu, MPH, PA-C, grew up in Greenville, MS. She made her way to Texas to attend Southern Methodist University and graduated in 2015 Cum Laude with a degree in Biological Sciences. She graduated in 2017 with a Master in Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center and then went on to earn her Master of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2019. She is credentialed by the American Academy of HIV Medicine as an HIV Specialist. Jessica strives to provide collaborative, compassionate, and evidence-based care to her patients. Her interests include community advocacy and education, HIV medicine, and gender-diverse care. In her free time, she enjoys international travel, cooking, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her cat and two rat terriers.

  • Master of Public Health
  • Certified Physician Assistant
  • HIV Specialist™

Jason Vercher, PA-C

Jason Vercher, PA-C grew up in Pineville, Louisiana. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in Biology. He completed his Master of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2016 where he was ranked in the top 5 of his class. He is also a member of the Pi Alpha National Honor Society for Physician Assistants. His interests included HIV treatment and prevention, health maintenance, and preventative medicine. Jason enjoys partnering with patients to help them create innovative ways to engage in their health.

  • HIV Specialist™

Vanessa Bludau, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Vanessa Bludau, FNP-C was born and raised in Texas. She attended Texas Tech University where she received her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing with honors (Sigma Theta Tau). She graduated in 2012 with her Master's of Science as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Texas Woman's University with a GPA of 3.9. Vanessa is certified through American Association of Nurse Practitioners and is licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In her free time Vanessa enjoys working out and spending time with her Golden Retriever, Hunter.

William Anthony Hays, MD, ATC, LAT

Dr. Hays grew up in Iowa then relocated to Arkansas with his family while he was in high school. He later attended the University of Arkansas for his undergraduate studies and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with an emphasis in Athletic Training. He is currently Board Certified in Athletic Training and also licensed in the State of Texas as an Athletic Trainer. He attended California University of Pennsylvania and received a Masters Degree in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Performance Enhancement and is certified as a Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Dr. Hays attended Medical School at Ross University School of Medicine and completed his residency training in Family Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Programs in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is an avid HOGS fan and his interests include HIV Medicine, Sports Medicine, along with Wellness and Primary Care Medicine.

  • Family Practice
  • HIV Specialist™

Ismail Boodhwani, MSN, RN, FNP-C

Ismail Boodhwani, FNP-C was born and raised in Midland, TX, and he moved to Dallas in 2012. He attended Texas Tech University where he completed undergraduate school with honors (Magna Cum Laude) and graduate school with honors (Sigma Theta Tau). He is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. His nursing experience includes eight years of intensive care and logistics. He enjoys traveling, cooking, and working out.

  • HIV Specialist™

Taylor Schmidt, MD

Taylor Schmidt grew up in Elmore City, Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2012 with a degree in history. He then moved to Dallas, Texas for medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and graduated in 2017. His education continued at UT Southwestern with a residency in Internal Medicine in 2020 and a fellowship in HIV Medicine in 2021. He has been awarded with a national clinical fellowship from the HIV Medical Association in 2020. His interests include HIV primary care and prevention, general internal medicine, and transgender medicine. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the piano, reading biographies, running at the Katy Trail, learning new recipes, and spending time with family.

Brady L. Allen, MD

Dr. Brady Allen retired from the practice in November of 2018. He was a pioneer of HIV Medicine in the early 80’s, setting the high standards that we still adhere to this very day. Dr. Allen is a nationally recognized expert in the field and has been awarded numerous honors by many of the AIDS Service Organizations, including a Lifetime Achievement Award presented to him by Dr. Jocelyn Elders in 2007. His contributions to the health and well-being of the LGBTQ community is unsurpassed in the DFW Metroplex and his example and passion for his work will always be remembered and treasured by all the clinicians at Uptown Physicians Group.

Robert W. Henderson, MD

Dr. Robert W. Henderson retired from UPG in 2011. He began private practice in Dallas in 1973. In 1994, he joined Dr. Brady Allen to focus primarily on HIV Care although he had treated HIV since the very beginning of the epidemic. He practiced 38 years and regards his last years with Uptown Physicians Group as the happiest of his career.