Board of Directors VIM | Volunteers In Medicine

Walter Clark, J.D.

Director

Walter Clark is a Coachella Valley attorney with his own practice, Walter Clark Legal Group. He is a graduate of USD Law School, a former prosecutor in the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, an invitation-only organization. He has achieved certification as a specialist in civil trials from the National Board of Trial Advocacy and Practices in the Inland Empire while actively engaging in numerous community organizations. He is active in helping his community through civic Involvement and has served as a director with the Community Blood Bank Foundation, the Coachella Valley Wellness Foundation, and the Coachella Valley YMCA among others, and in addition to previously serving on the Indian Wells Planning Commission.

Linda Evans, M.H.A., M.S.

Director

Linda Evans is the Chief Strategy Officer of Community Advocacy for the Desert Care Network, which comprises Desert Regional Medical Center (Palm Springs), JFK Memorial Hospital (Indio), and Hi-Desert Medical Center (Joshua Tree). She has worked for the hospitals’ parent company, Tenet Healthcare for 26 years.

Linda is also Mayor for the City of La Quinta and has served as Mayor since 2014. Prior to that, she served on La Quinta’s City Council beginning in 2009.
Linda received a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications/Public Relations from California State University, Fullerton. She holds two Master’s Degrees: one in Health Administration and the other in Gerontology, both obtained from the University of La Verne, California.

Linda Chairs the following Boards:

JPA for CVB (Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau)
CVAG Energy and Environmental Committee
CVAG Conservation Commission
Linda also serves on the CVAG Executive Committee.

Her role with the Desert Care Network and Mayor provides for extensive networking across a large spectrum of agencies, organizations and community groups – all of which have a common goal of ensuring access to care, healthy eating, and active living.
Quality of life is a key driver in how Linda measures success in her hospital outreach and her civic duty.

Linda and her husband, Tim, have been married for 25 years.

Cindy Farrell

Director

Cindi and her husband, Dennis, own Farrell and Associates Insurance Services. She has been an active volunteer with her children’s elementary and high schools where she was very involved in their Parent Boards and numerous fundraising activities. After her children grew up and moved on to the University of Oregon, Cindi became an avid Ducks fan and even got her Oregon insurance license and opened in office there. She spends most of her time primarily in the Valley now and was an active volunteer on our Events Committee helping to plan and produce our annual VIMY Award and Live Auction. Cindy continues on that committee and has now assumed additional Board Director responsibilities.

Stewart Fleishman, M.D.

Chair

Stewart B Fleishman MD gained much of his primary care experience in the development of what is thought to be the first organized program for adult survivors of adult cancer. Board Certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, he worked with an interdisciplinary team applying principles of active symptom management to care throughout the trajectory of cancer illness focusing on the period of treatment and beyond. He currently surveys cancer centers around the country for accreditation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.

He is the Founding Director of Cancer Supportive Services at Continuum Cancer Centers of New York: Beth Israel and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt. He also served as the Associate Chief Medical Officer of Continuum Hospice Care, and the Chair of its Ethics Committee. Dr. Fleishman has been an investigator at the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (now the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology) since 1986, and was the Vice Chair of its Quality of Life Sub-Committee. He is the author of LEARN to Live Through Cancer: What You Need to Know and Do and the accompanying provider’s textbook Manual of Cancer Treatment Recovery: What the Practitioner Needs to Know and Do. He has authored numerous peer reviewed journal articles as well.

Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Fleishman taught in the New York City public schools.

David Gandolfo

Director

Dave is a successful business person actively involved in Self-Storage projects. He has entitled over 1,000,000 square feet of self-storage throughout California and Hawaii, having raised over $28 million from investors for these projects. He also has projects in Florida and North Carolina.

Dave became involved with Volunteers in Medicine through his father, Joe Gandolfo. Joe was the first chair of our Wine Lover’s Auction event (now the VIMY Awards & Auction) each year from 2016 through 2022, until Dave assumed the role in 2023. Dave also joined our Board of Directors in 2023 and chairs the Event Committee which helps plan our annual fundraising event, golf tournament and other fundraising events throughout the year.

Luz Gonzales

Director

Luz joined California Bank of Commerce in 2016 and currently holds the position of VP, Relationship Manager. Luz has had a career of over 20 years in the banking industry, starting as a teller and working her way up to her current position. Luz enjoys working with people and helping them navigate through their banking needs.

Luz also serves on the boards of the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, Cathedral City Senior Center, Rotary Club of Rancho Mirage and Valley Crime Stoppers. Luz is passionate about giving back to the community and has a deep appreciation for the Coachella Valley.

In her free time, Luz enjoys spending time with her family.

R. Ronald Hare, M.D.

Founder/Past Chair

In January of 2019, the VIM Board of Directors bestowed the title of Founder & Counselor to Dr. Hare, agreeing unanimously that his insight, wisdom and thoughtful advice will be cherished and sought after as we continue to make his vision of affordable and accessible healthcare in the Coachella Valley a reality.

Dr. Hare is credited as the Founder of VIM having been the initial driving force to establish the clinic. He has been involved in all aspects of the clinic, served several terms as the Chair, Board of Directors, and continues to promote the clinic in the community. A recipient of numerous awards for his community service, in addition to VIM, Dr. Hare is well-known and respected throughout the Coachella Valley, and beyond, for his contributions that improve the community. Today, he continues his commitment to VIM, as a nonvoting member of the Board of Directors and its various committees.

Amy Hetherington

DNP, MSN, APRN, NP-BC

An Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with experience in internal medicine, women’s health, orthopedics and palliative care. Amy has more than 13 years of experience with multiple specialty certifications and is a certified nurse educator and clinical mentor for pre-licensure and graduate nursing students. She is on faculty at the College of the Desert, Nursing Program and is a board member with Shay’s Warriors, a local nonprofit organization focusing on cancer survivorship. In addition to her board responsibilities at VIM, Amy is a member of our Clinical Care Committee and has been a VIM volunteer for more than 10 years.

Greg Kuldanek, MD

Medical Director

Bio coming soon!

Barbara Limardo, MBA

Vice Chair

Barbara Limardo is a graduate of California Baptist University’s Masters in Business Administration program, where she is also focusing on attaining her Doctoral Degree in Business. Barbara works at Desert Orthopedic Center in Rancho Mirage, California, as the Director of Finance, where she has been promoted through several positions. She has worked in healthcare for over 20 years in various roles and has experience in healthcare accounting. She began working in medicine as a coder and medical biller.

Barbara is a native of Bronx, New York. Barbara moved to the Coachella Valley in 1999, where she discovered her love of hiking and the desert landscape. She also enjoys indoor gardening and Crossfit. Barbara has a wonderful daughter and miniature poodle named Jagger. VIM is Barbara’s first opportunity to participate and serve the community that she now calls home.

Esfandiar "Essie" Nasr, M.D

Secretary

Esfandiar “Essie” Nasr, M.D. grew up in Palm Springs, attending local PSUSD public schools. After high school, Dr. Nasr left the Coachella Valley for higher education and lived in various cities and states across the country and abroad, returning home to the valley to practice medicine in 2007 at Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Nasar is married with three children, and resides in Palm Springs.

Patricia Riley, MBA

Director

With an undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of Phoenix, Pat has more than twenty years of experience in healthcare marketing, business development, and corporate communications. She has held senior level positions and worked as a consultant for some of the leading healthcare organizations in the country, including HCA HealthONE, Centura Health, Saint Joseph Hospital, Good Samaritan Health Systems, University of Colorado, Policy Studies Inc., St. Mary’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Eating Disorder Center of Denver and Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Pat was a volunteer in our Indio clinic before joining the Board of Directors in 2023 and assumed the role of Chair for the PR & Communications Committee in 2025. Currently serving as the office manager for Custom Care Solutions (a licensed home care agency), she is also a member of the Alzheimers Coachella Valley Board of Directors.

Stephan Skoggins

PhD, MPH, RN, Treasurer

Dr. Stephan Scoggins is a true renaissance man. He is an international motivational speaker, registered nurse, PhD, veteran with the U.S. Army, former OKC police officer, educator and author. Currently, based in Palm Springs, California, Dr. Scoggins is the founder of ESTEEM, an educational health and motivational center. He is a national recording artist, volunteer Citizens on Patrol with the Palm Springs Police Department and Brothers of the Desert member.

Stephan was a volunteer nurse with VIM before joining our Board in January 2023. Stephan assists with administrative tasks and is a member of our Clinical Care Committee.

Les Zendle, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Director

Dr. Zendle is a graduate of Occidental College (A.B., 1974) and the University of Arizona College of Medicine (M.D., 1977). He practiced Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine at Kaiser Permanente from 1980-2010, during which he serviced as Associate Medical Director for Clinical Services for the Kaiser’s Southern California Region (1993-2003) – in charge of clinical analysis, quality improvement, research, graduate medical education and care coordination. He attended the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School in 1996.

Dr. Zendle has been a volunteer physician at Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine since 2011. He served as a board member from 2011-2016, as well as medical director for several years. He served two 4-year terms as an elected Director of the Desert Healthcare District (2016-2024).

He lives in Palm Springs with his spouse Jerry Hanson and two rescue dogs — Sam and Ella.

Board of Directors

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