AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Adds Three Physicians

April 15, 2020 — Merriam, Kan. – AdventHealth Shawnee Mission welcomes Nakita Stephens, MD; Mazda Biria, MD; and Elizabeth Beal, MD, to AdventHealth Medical Group. As patient needs across greater Kansas City continue to grow and shift, AdventHealth remains committed to hiring talented physicians to provide compassionate, personalized care in order to keep our community feeling whole.

Dr. Nakita Stephens, a neurologist specializing in epilepsy, joins AdventHealth Medical Group Neurology at Shawnee Mission. She earned her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies and completed her residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, including service as chief resident. Before joining AdventHealth, Stephens worked as a neurologist at Unity Point Clinic at Allen Hospital in Iowa. She is Board-certified in neurology and epilepsy.

Dr. Mazda Biria, a cardiologist specializing in electrophysiology, joins AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery at Shawnee Mission. He earned his medical degree from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services in Iran and he completed a psychiatry residency at Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services and an internal medicine residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He also completed fellowships in electrophysiology research, cardiovascular medicine and clinical cardiac electrophysiology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Biria is Board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine and clinical cardiac electrophysiology. At AdventHealth, he joins a growing team of electrophysiology specialists led by Obadah Al Chekakie, MD, that also includes Diana Marak, APRN-C, and Patricia Cooper, APRN-C.

Dr. Elizabeth Beal, a family medicine physician who is bilingual in Spanish, joins AdventHealth Medical Group Primary Care. She earned her medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed her residency at Research Medical Center. She sees patients at two AdventHealth Medical Group primary care offices: Primary Care at Shawnee Crossings in western Shawnee and Primary Care at De Soto. Beal is Board-certified in family medicine and provides care for patients of all ages, from newborns to older adults.

“As the health care needs of our community evolve, we are very pleased to have these three physicians join our team,” said Scott Woods, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission vice president of physician network. “Dr. Stephens’ expertise allows us to serve additional patients in need of neurology and epilepsy care, Dr. Biria is an excellent addition to our well-respected team of electrophysiology experts, and Dr. Beal’s ability to see patients of all ages, including families who are Spanish-speaking, makes her invaluable to the De Soto and western Shawnee communities.”

Drs. Stephens, Biria and Beal join more than 120 providers in AdventHealth Medical Group and nearly 700 physicians on the AdventHealth Shawnee Mission medical staff.

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About AdventHealth Shawnee Mission

With a sacred mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth is a connected system of care for every stage of life and health. A focus on whole-person health and commitment to caring for the body, mind and spirit unify the system's nearly 50 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites in diverse markets throughout almost a dozen states. AdventHealth in Kansas City includes AdventHealth Shawnee Mission in Merriam, KS; AdventHealth Lenexa; AdventHealth South Overland Park, AdventHealth Centra Care and AdventHealth Medical Group. AdventHealth Shawnee Mission is the only certified member of MD Anderson Cancer Network®, a program of MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Kansas City. Visit AdventHealthKC.com for more information.