Who We Are
Novus partners physiatrists with skilled nursing facilities to provide enhanced levels of care for rehab residents in a post-acute setting.
157 Baltimore Street, Cumberland, MD 21502
Dustin Freas is the CEO of Novus Physical Medicine & Pain Management, a multi-state physician practice focusing on decreasing pain scores and opioid utilization in the senior population. He has a master’s degree in Health Management Systems from Duquesne University, is a licensed Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) in Maryland and Pennsylvania and is a business consultant. Dustin’s specialty is evaluating and solving organizational inefficiency across the senior continuum. He regularly meets with State and Federal policymakers to promote measures to increase access, lower costs and improve healthcare quality. Dustin is also a strong advocate for a consumer-centered healthcare system, value-based payment design, and the expansion and utilization of innovative healthcare technology. In addition, Dustin has years of medicinal cannabis experience, including overseeing application processes in over five states, leading various cannabis investment capital raises, and facilitating mergers and acquisitions. He serves as the CEO of the cannabis investment entity Good Harvest Investments, the original anchor investor for Merida Capital Partners. Good Harvest has invested in over fifteen medicinal cannabis deals in seven states since 2012.
Dr. Joseph Dekker is a board-certified Pain Medicine, Neuromuscular Medicine, and Family Medicine physician and Chief Medical Officer at Novus Physical Medicine & Pain Management. Joseph attended medical school at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at Broward General Medical Center, where he served as Chief Resident, and was named Resident of the Year in 2011. He completed his Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship in Miami, FL, and his Pain Medicine Fellowship through Conjoint Medical Board in 2017. Dr. Dekker annually performs state and national educational lectures on Safe Opiate Prescribing, Non-Pharmacologic Techniques for Chronic Pain, interventional and Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound workshops, co-authoring “The Addicted Patient” in The Somatic Dysfunction in Osteopathic Family Medicine. Dr. Dekker has served as a Pain Management physician in Maryland since 2013 and has experience in outpatient interventional, hospital, and skilled nursing settings. He is committed to improving nursing patient care and outcomes with a focus on strong team collaboration, reducing pain and improving quality of life, effective medication, procedural utilization, optimal mobility, reducing hospitalizations due to pain concerns, and decreasing length of stay for subacute patients. An avid traveler, Joseph is fluent in English, Spanish, and Japanese.
Michael Guzman is the Chief Operating Officer for Novus Physical Medicine & Pain Management. He has over a decade of experience working within a variety of healthcare areas. Michael specializes in clinical oversight in orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and geriatric care in short-term and long-term care facilities. Most recently, he served as a Healthcare Consultant for Gravity Healthcare, where he guided and supported customers across the post-acute care continuum to elevate revenue streams, improve workflow/operations and increase regulatory compliance. He also functioned as a Corporate Compliance Officer and Lead Internal Investigator for Flagship Rehabilitation, supervising up to 12 teams across six states. Michael’s varied experiences have developed his strong interpersonal/clinical reasoning skills and keen understanding of patient and customer needs.
Bill Hughes is the Chief Financial Officer and oversees the Development Division for Novus Physical Medicine & Pain Management. He is an experienced healthcare executive with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & healthcare industry, specifically focusing on medical group growth. He is skilled in Finance, Sales, Team Building, Business Development, Medical Group Management, and Managed Care. Bill is a strong business development professional with an MBA and MPH from Tulane University – A.B. Freeman School of Business and the School of Public Health.
Director of Business Development
Suzi Jones is the Director of Business Development for Novus Physical Medicine & Pain Management. She leads Novus’ growth initiative through relationship building and identifying community solutions. Her experience in the healthcare industry spans 15 years, including as an Executive Director in senior living responsible for maintaining all operations of an Assisted Living and Memory Care facility. Previously, she served as a Sales Director for Sunrise Senior Living, managing community census by initiating and maintaining relationships with community organizations and other referral sources.
Practice Manager
Heather Robosson is a Regional Practice Manager with 3 years collaborating with the executive team of Novus Pain Management. Heather specializes in business management and is responsible for day-to-day operations. She has 15 years of HealthCare experience, 7 of them as management. She is a powerful force in the workplace and uses her positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed.
Billing & Collections Specialist
Kristy is the Medical Billing & Collection Specialist for Novus Physical Medicine & Pain Management. She is responsible for ensuring accurate billing, timely submission of electronic and/or paper claims, monitoring claim status, researching rejections and denials, documenting related account activities, and posting adjustments and collections of Medicare, Medicaid, Medicaid Managed Care, and commercial insurance payers. Previously, she was a recruiting specialist for CareVentures Inc. Kristy is a licensed, certified occupational therapy assistant with 12 years of experience providing care in Skilled Nursing Facility settings.
Business Analyst
William is a Business Analyst for Novus Physical Medicine & Pain Management. He works closely with the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Finance Officer to identify financial goals, develop best practices for data collection, and analyze current processes. William is a graduate from Stetson University with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a Minor is Entrepreneurship. He is very active with the Boy Scouts of America obtaining his Eagle Scout status is 2017.
Strategic Advisor
Andréa Beall is the Strategic Advisor for Novus Physical Medicine & Pain Management. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), a Certified Sales Manager, and she has a Brand Management Certification from Cornell University. Her marketing and branding background includes over a decade of experience developing and executing successful advertising campaigns, digital marketing, social media outreach, web development, CRM programs, corporate identity and branding, internal communications, and media relations strategies. Andréa is a conference presenter at various National and International conferences delivering topics on Ageism & Diversity – How it Impacts Marketing and Choosing the Right Marketing Platform for You. She actively participates in corporate partnerships with state and national affiliations to increase awareness and support advocacy for aging services.
Novus partners physiatrists with skilled nursing facilities to provide enhanced levels of care for rehab residents in a post-acute setting.
157 Baltimore Street, Cumberland, MD 21502