New Faces

Photography by James Moore

One of the things that has kept Ozarks Healthcare at the forefront of quality medical care is its ability to attract and retain the top practitioners in their field. The following are just some of the new faces who have joined the team in service to patients throughout Ozark Healthcare’s service area.

David Benalcazar, MD
General Surgeon

A desire for simple living led Dr. David Benalcazar and his wife, Abbie, to relocate to West Plains from New York City. 

“We have a 2-year-old daughter, and we were looking for a small town where we can grow our family,” he said. “Ozarks stood out because it’s in a family-friendly place and had a hospital that had a lot of major specialties, advanced technology and a very nice group of professionals.”

A native of Ecuador, Benalcazar completed his medical degree in his home country. He served one year of surgical residency at the University of Texas-San Antonio before completing his residency at Harlem Hospital Center-Columbia University, New York. 

“I decided to go into medicine while in high school,” he said. “After taking anatomy classes, I really liked having knowledge about the human body and being able to help other people with this knowledge.” 

So far, the decision to move to Missouri has proven to be a good one.

“I really appreciate everyone’s hospitality,” he said. “Everyone shows a lot of responsibility, hard work and dedication. They are very knowledgeable and go the extra mile to make sure everything gets done in the best way possible for the patients.”

D.J. Gross, FNP-C
Family Practice

From the time she was a child, D.J. Gross had her heart set on becoming a nurse, despite a lack of role models in medicine.

“When I was little, I wanted to play nursing with my brothers and sisters and parents,” she said. “As long as I can remember, being a nurse was all I wanted to do.”

In achieving her dream, Gross became the first person in her family to attend college. The mother of two holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington and a master of science in nursing, family nurse practitioner degree from Maryville University.

Her current role in Ozark Healthcare’s Family Practice Clinic in Winona is her fourth position with the health system, which makes the assignment feel like a homecoming.

“I actually started at Ozarks Healthcare, which was then West Plains Memorial Hospital, in 1984,” she said. “I know a lot of the families in this area, and they are awesome people. I’ve really loved what I have done in my career, and I’m excited to be back here where I’ve known some of these patient families since the beginning. I can hardly believe it’s been almost 40 years.”

Tony Lam, MD 
OB/GYN

In joining Ozarks Healthcare six months ago, Dr. Tony Lam brought with him 35 years of medical experience to the organization’s women’s health department. The New York City native joins providers Dennis Albino, MD, Mary Kate Brasier, WHNP-BC, and Jennifer Rhoads, WHNP-BC, in providing excellent women’s health care to the community.

Even though he didn’t have any immediate family members in health care, “I decided to go into medicine at a pretty young age,” Lam said. “I think I was just interested in delivering babies. I’ve delivered a lot of them — I’ve lost count how many.”

Lam earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York. He completed an obstetrics and gynecology residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California. He most recently practiced at Sainte Genevieve County Memorial Hospital, in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, after 20 years practicing in St. Louis. 

He said the biggest thing that led him to West Plains was the lifestyle.

“We were interested in eventually retiring in this area,” said Lam, 66. “It’s a beautiful part of the country with the trees and forests. It’s amazing, and we’re just incredibly impressed with how friendly everyone is.”

Danielle Joyce, FNP
Dermatology

As a girl, Danielle Joyce spent a lot of time in the hospital, where she witnessed firsthand the impact a caring health care professional could have. The experience left her wanting to have that same impact on others. 

“The compassion that they showed me among all the nurses and the team of physicians was always fun,” she said. “You don’t think about that in a hospital setting, but they always made it an exciting day.”

Now a wife and mother of two, Joyce is starting a new chapter in her career after almost nine years in various nursing roles.

“I worked in the intensive care unit for five years,” she said. “I worked as the house supervisor for a little bit. I worked in psych for a little bit. I worked on med-surg for a little bit and in surgery for a little bit.”

A native of West Plains, Joyce completed her LPN training right out of high school at South Central Career Center and then bridged over to earn her RN credentials at Missouri State-West Plains. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Central Missouri in 2019 and her master’s from Walden University in August 2022.

Amber Tooley, FNP 
Orthopedics & Spine

Amber Tooley feels a little misplaced in the New Faces section, considering this is her second go-around with Ozarks Healthcare. A local kid, she worked in orthopedics for almost 10 years as a clinic nurse and manager before earning her family practice license in 2021. 

“One of the orthopedic surgeons said to me, ‘I really think you should pursue this full-time as a physician’s assistant,’” she said. “I really liked my nursing roots and didn’t want to leave nursing, so I decided to become a nurse practitioner. When I finished school, there just wasn’t a position available (in orthopedics) at that time for me. 

“I did two years of family medicine in the urgent care setting. Then a position became available here, and I got to come home.”

Away from work, Tooley is very active in her church and the community. 

“I’m on the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Club of West Plains and for a teen ministry, Ozark Summit Ministries, here in town,” she said. “I’m also vice president of Hammond Mill Bible Camp in West Plains. I just really enjoy being part of our community. This community raised me, so I want to give back.”