Our Staff

Eric Johnson

Board Certified Physician Assistant

Eric completed his bachelor's degree at Arizona State University and went on to complete the Physician Assistant master’s program at A.T. Still University. Eric worked in orthopedic surgery for six years, specializing in sports medicine, arthroscopic surgery, joint replacement and trauma surgery. Eric's previous surgical experience made him a natural with vein procedures. In addition to being outstanding at ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy, he also has exceptional skills with microsurgical techniques, such as microphlebectomy. An active member of the American College of Phlebology, Eric has a passion for learning the latest in vein therapy and strives to offer his patients the most up-to-date treatments. 

Prior to school, Eric enjoyed volunteering in rural communities and served a two-year mission in Mexico where he became fluent in Spanish. He has also served the people of Honduras during a medical mission and plans on completing future medical missions in Peru. His medical rotations included rural Spanish-speaking communities of Arizona as well as Native American reservations. Eric's fluency in Spanish makes him a favorite among our Hispanic patients, who are able to converse with him in their native tongue.

Eric is from a small agricultural community in northern Arizona. His family has been in Arizona for many years and Eric is a fifth-generation native of Arizona. Eric's hobbies include hunting, fishing and exploring the great outdoors. He also camps and hikes with the Boy Scouts, with which he has been a scout leader for eight years. He takes pride in helping the young men work hard to achieve their Eagle Scout ranking. Eric's greatest joy is being a husband and father to five wonderful kids.

Karah Norton

Board Certified Nurse Practitioner

Karah, originally from a small town in Kansas, brings a special combination of caring and expertise to our vein practice. Karah excelled from the start, graduating with a perfect 4.0 from Arizona State University with a Master of Science in nursing. Karah has provided care in a variety of settings including cardiology, gerontology and family practice. Her broad clinical background is a vital asset to Advanced Vein Center, and her patients benefit greatly from her experience.

Karah’s mother suffered from painful varicose veins, which sparked Karah’s interest in modern vein treatment. Watching her mother endure painful, heavy legs triggered Karah to research what new treatment options were available. That experience with her mother blossomed into a passion for helping patients with venous conditions.  

At Advanced Vein Center, Karah provides meticulous care for varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and phlebitis. She is especially skilled at ultrasound, sclerotherapy and microphlebectomy, and is adept with other modern techniques, including infrared coagulation and direct current electrotherapy of hemorrhoids.

Her patients compliment not only her technical skill, but her warm and caring bedside manner. She has a knack for making patients feel comfortable, with her pleasant Midwestern manner. Karah and her husband Cory have three beautiful girls and reside in Gilbert, Arizona. She loves to exercise and is currently training for her first triathlon. She can be found running, biking or hiking most days of the week. Karah also enjoys reading and crafts, but most of all, she likes spending time with her wonderful family.

Shelly brings a special combination of experience and kindness to our practice.  Always interested in helping people, at the early age of 16, Shelly began work as a nursing assistant in the small community hospital of Dubuque, Iowa.  As her interest in medicine grew, Shelly earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Clarke University, and Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Arizona State University.  She has accumulated over 20 years of medical experience and she has worked in diverse fields, from internal medicine and family practice to radiology and oncology.  After years in the medical field, Shelly saw the advances that vein care has made and sought out training in this field.  She approached our office, and we were so impressed with her, that we quickly brought her on staff.

Here is why we felt Shelly was so unique.  Although she is a seasoned provider with a wealth of knowledge and strong clinical skills, she is humble and dedicated to making sure her patients are well taken care of. She quickly became a favorite of our patients, with her warm personality, and pleasant bedside manner.  When meeting Shelly, it is obvious that she has a strong desire to build a trusting relationship with her patients. We receive compliments regarding how thorough Shelly is, how comfortable her treatments are and how well informed patients feel after meeting with her.  The truth is, it is Shelly's calling to help people.  We feel fortunate that she has decided to pursue her passion, here in our office, to the benefit of our patients.  She puts her patients first, and provides skillful treatment of varicose veins, deep and superficial thrombosis and lymphedema.  A lifelong learner, Shelly regularly attends the American College of Phlebology meetings, and continues to expand her knowledge in ultrasound and modern hemorrhoid treatment.

Shelly lives in Mesa with her husband and 3 dogs, Coco, Flour, and Monkey.  Her 2 daughters are graduates from ASU and work in the field of graphic design and analytics.  She enjoy traveling and interior design.  We are thrilled to have her on our medical team at Advanced Vein Center.  

Jacque is a kind and down to earth professional who even during her college years, began organizing medical care for the under-served.  This volunteer work sparked her interest in medicine and created a desire to provide care on a more personal level.  In line with her desire to help people directly, after earning a bachelor’s degree at Southern Virginia University in Biology and Chemistry, she attended Northern Arizona University where she earned her master’s in Physician Assistant Studies.  Since graduating she has gained a broad fund of knowledge, as she has provided care to all age groups in Family Medicine and worked in urgent care, where she excelled in emergency procedures.

Jacque developed an interest in vein care, after seeing patients in primary care suffering with painful varicose veins, phlebitis and ulcers, who were either told to just wear stockings or live with their condition.  Since joining our practice, she has become skilled at ultrasound, sclerotherapy and micro phlebectomy, and treats the full spectrum of venous disease.  She is an active member of the American College of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine and enjoys staying abreast of the most up-to-date procedures.

Jacque, although not a native of Arizona considers this home and lives in Chandler with her husband and 2 active children. In her free time, she loves spending time with her children, is active in her church, and enjoys traveling, gardening and hiking. She is currently getting ready to hike to Havasuapi with her husband.