Our Staff
Tim Taratsas, LDA
Licensed Dental Assistant
Tim is a licensed dental assistant who got his degree at century college and graduated with honors. Tim also graduated from University of Minnesota with a bachelor degree in chemistry. His goal is to make the dental office more relaxed and less scary for his patients. He understands dental anxiety to the fullest as he had grown up fearing the dentist, but overcame it and is ready to help people overcome their fear. Tim also uses his knowledge from working at family owned restaurant (The best steak house franchise) to understand that people make a business successful. That is why he does everything to make a patient happy and leave satisfied with their treatment.
In his free time he likes to go hunting, fishing and play with his 3 dogs. He makes sure he spends as much time with his wife and son because they are his world. He also enjoys watching and playing sports (especially football GO VIKINGS!)
Ashley Rowan, LDA
Licensed Dental Assistant
Ashley has been working as a Licensed Dental Assistant for 5 years. She attended college in Hibbing, MN and graduated with a diploma in Dental Assisting. After that, she went on and completed her Board exams to become Licensed.
Ashley enjoys being a part of the positive experience in the office and strives to make patients feel comfortable and valued. Outside of work, she loves to travel, be outdoors, and spend time with family and friends.
Nafisa Sayed, DA
Dental Assistant
Nafisa was born in Hyderabad, India. She grew up in Botswana, where she enjoyed traveling to several countries in Southern Africa.
Nafisa has completed her Bachelor of dental surgery at Dr.MGR University in India.
Outside of work Nafisa enjoys spending time with her husband and young daughter. They enjoy going on family walks, playing badminton and traveling. She also enjoys cooking and reading books during the long Minnesota winters. In the future, she hopes to travel and visit more countries.
Desiree Bowie, LDH
Licensed Dental Hygienist
Desiree is a Licensed Dental Hygienist who has a passion to serve patients in the very community in which she was raised. She grew up in the Twin Cities and decided to complete her undergraduate degree in Florida where she obtained her Bachelor’s in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene at St. Petersburg College. Desiree has 10 years of experience working with patients from all backgrounds and has a desire and drive to educate and motivate patients to gain optimal overall health through their oral health. She wants to continue serving Minnesota’s underserved populations by becoming an Advanced Dental Therapist and is currently working toward her graduate degree at Metropolitan State University.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, working out, spending time in the great outdoors exploring Minnesota’s beauty, and when possible, flying back to Florida to spend time with friends on the beach. She is excited to meet you and aid you in your dental hygiene needs.
Rizza, PC
Patient Coordinator
Rizza studied Bachelor od Science in Nursing and is a Registered Nurse in the Philippines. In her experience in the healthcare industry, she learned how to deal with different types of personalities.
She is naturally compassionate towards others and always willing to lend a helping hand.
Aside from the busy day at work, she spends her free time enjoying short travels with family and friends. She loves to try different restaurants and have a taste of different cultures through their food.
Bea, PC
Patient Coordinator
Bea is an alumna of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Prior to joining The Dental Emergency Room, her professional practice includes working as an Endoscopy Nurse in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and working as a Marketing Officer for two healthcare facilities in the Philippines.
Bea enjoys spending her free time riding her bike with her husband and two daughters, gardening and trying out new cafes and restaurants in their area.
Maria, DA
Dental Assistant
Maria is a former graduate of Augsburg University with a Sociology and Communications degree. I am currently a dental assistant, using my Sociology expertise to help the dental environment feel more inclusive and humane. I also use my knowledge from growing up with a doctor father figure. My father taught me a lot of medicine fundamentals throughout my thirteen years of living with him. Observing the characteristics of a doctor and patient environment definitely ingrained in me great knowledge and love for medicine.
As a dental assistant I understand that we are the face of the organization, patients see us first before they see the doctor. This is why I strongly believe that leaving patients happy and satisfied is indeed a huge part of my duty as a dental assistant. Lastly, I also hope to spread happiness to patients through my musician spirit.
I do believe musicians have a charismatic way of making people feel, and what better place to do it than in a dental clinic where there's lots of emotions flowing through patients' minds.
Tome, DA
Dental Assistant
Tome is a dental hygiene sophomore at the University of Minnesota. He plans to pursue an orthodontist degree in the future. Tome began his profession as a dental assistant at the age of 19 in order to gain experience and expertise in the field of dentistry. He enjoys working with teeth and witnessing how each patient improves. He takes satisfaction in assisting each patient in attaining the finest dental hygiene possible.
Tome enjoys learning about the stock market, cryptocurrency, real estate, and drop shipping in his spare time.
Jinda, PC
Patient Coordinator
Jinda (Jinny) first began her interest in healthcare and dentistry when interning for a dental clinic. She went to Normandale to pursue orthodontist assisting but is now pursuing esthiology at Aveda.
Jinda is a people-person and despite pursuing a different career path, has enjoyed working in healthcare the past years as she’s gotten to meet people from all walks of life and enjoys helping others. She is trilingual. Her goal is to make patients feel as inclusive and heard as possible, as well as helping with any questions they may have about treatments or insurance.
In her free time she enjoys spending time in nature, with friends and family, and learning new things. She also has an orange cat named “Hiro” who she adores very much.
Katrina, PC
Patient Coordinator
Katrina graduated from Bethel University with a bachelors degree in Athletic training.
She has been interested in being part of the medical field since high school and believes everyone deserves to feel welcome, heard, and cared for each time they come into the office.
In her free time Katrina enjoys hiking and taking her dog Loui on walks, photography, traveling, playing sports, and going up the north shore to spend time with family and friends.
Mariam, PC
Patient Coordinator
Mariam (Mary) graduated with a Business Associates degree from Normandale Community College. In the next couple years, her goal is to get her bachelors degree in Business Administration. She is currently attending Metropolitan University.
Mary can fluently speak Russian and can translate if a patient ever needs help. Mary’s goal is to help patients with their insurance and making sure that they feel comfortable during their visit.
In her free time she loves to travel, spend time with friends/family and teach kids.
Darell, PC
Patient Coordinator
Darell was able to finished her Bachelor's in Nursing Degree at Velez College, Cebu, Philippines. She is currently a registered licensed Nurse and has extensive Health care experience for more than 10 years. She was able to hone her hands-on skills both in Cebu and in a Hemodialysis facility in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She has always been fascinated with health care as she always gets to work with and meet wonderful unique individuals. Working in this industry has also made her appreciate more and respect different cultures in all walks of life.
Beyond work, she loves to bake desserts and is not afraid to try out different delicacies from different cultures. She also spends her free time volunteering in church and be with family and close friends to unwind.
Kristine, PC
Patient Coordinator
I am Kristine Charlotte Vargas but my family and friends call me KC for short. I graduated from Riverside College, Inc. with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, 2017. I also got my Psychometrician license that same year.
Since graduating from college, I have worked in different industries: education as a Special Education teacher, in finance as a Bank Teller, and in human resources as a Payroll Assistant. These experiences have honed me into the professional I am today, with great people skills.
In my free time, I enjoy watching American tv series such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and anime on Netflix. My favorite anime as of today is Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun.
Abdalla, DA
Dental Assistant
Abdalla was born in Mogadishu, Somalia and grew up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He graduated As a Doctor of dental medicine at Pines City Colleges in the Philippines.
He speaks English, Arabic and somali. Abdalla is passionate about dental care and also loves to build a rapport relationship with patients.
He pays attention to the specific needs of each client and likes to listen to their concerns as much as possible. Abdalla enjoys spending time with his family, Reading History books and playing soccer.
Aby, DA
Dental Assistant
Aby has previously graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee WI were she has received her Bachelor's degree in Physiological sciences with a minor in Psychology.
She then spent a year in Philadelphia at Temple University Dental School where she earned a Dental Assisting certificate. Aby is planning on attending Dental School in the Fall of 2023.
Aside from her love of Dentistry, she also enjoys playing sports especially volleyball and spending time with family/friends!
Amelia Moreno, GRR
Gov Relations Rep
Amelia has been working in the Dental field since 2007. Has maintained several roles such as Office Manager, Billing, Front Desk and reception. Currently Amelia works as a 911 Public Safety Dispatcher however, spends a lot of time contracting with Dentists on special projects, grant work, credentialing and consulting.
In her spare time she enjoys fishing, drawing and gardening with her son.
Miranda, CEOA
CEO assistant
Miranda offers more than eight years of concentrated experience in the Administrative Field; primarily highlighted in project management, account management, team oversight management and office operations. Her experience includes direct client interface and overall client satisfaction and retention.
She believes in creating a work environment where everyone feels valued and appreciated. “When we start realizing our worth, there is a trickle of confidence that comes down the pipeline. That is the key to produce organically meaningful work, personally and professionally. This creates true authenticity.”
In her free time she loves to travel, cook, try new restaurants, go to concerts and comedy shows, spend time with friends and family, and simply enjoy each day as they pass. She is an animal lover and happy vegetarian!