Meet Our 
Leadership Team

A firm believer in a holistic approach to medical care, Dr. Smith focuses on lifestyle medicine. He understands that food and exercise have the ability to minimize the need for medication - and even heal. His conviction became even stronger after he significantly improved his own auto-immune condition with intensive lifestyle therapy and medication. What does he like best about being a doctor? He thoroughly enjoys helping people and getting to know his patients, building a trusting relationship with them and making treatment decisions together based on goals, lifestyle and health needs.

Dr. Hogai Nassery joined Ascend in November 2023 as the Chair of Primary Care. She has 25+ years of experience as a Primary Care Physician and more than a decade of experience in administrative leadership roles, including Regional CMO for Iora Health and VP of Ambulatory and Community Medicine for the Grady Health System. Dr. Nassery spent more than 20 years teaching at the Emory University School of Medicine where she was faculty in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, and the Chief of Community Medicine. More recently, she has been consulting in healthcare innovation and running an independent family medicine practice. In 2021, she co-founded the Afghan American Alliance of Georgia. She lives in Decatur with her husband, Douglas, and her 2 sons, who are all crazy EPL fans.

Clark Hawkins joined the Ascend team in July of 2024, as a certified Psychiatrist and Chair of Psychiatry. With a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Clark brings a wealth of expertise in mental health and integrative medicine. His extensive experience in clinical settings and his leadership roles in psychiatric departments enable him to provide valuable insights into patient care and mental health strategies. Clark's contributions to Ascend leadership are instrumental in shaping the company's approach to holistic healthcare, ensuring that mental health is a central focus in their medical services and policies.

Dr. Les Cole has over 45 years as a passionate practitioner in the field of mental health, spirituality and psychology. He has historically divided his time between organizational development, clinical practice, training, clinical supervision and consulting. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Licensed Professional Counselors Association in 2021 and is the author of the soon to be released, "The Ketamine Effect." He earned his Bachelor's degree from Texas Tech; Masters from Phillips University and Doctorate from Columbia Theological Seminary in conjunction with Emory University. Les and his wife Debi have 6 adult children, 4 granddaughters and live in Marietta, Georgia.

Jason has a 20-year history as an Entrepreneur and CEO. Prior to Ascend, he founded Well Street Urgent Care - a leading national provider that has partnered with many of the leading health systems and now a $1B+ company. A father of 6 kids, Jason is a passionate musician and traveler, but most of time outside of work, he is just 'Dad'! Jason earned his MBA from Columbia Business School.

A British transplant, Tom joined Ascend as its President in August 2023. A healthcare strategy and innovation leader, Tom built the Digital Health Office at Baylor Scott & White where he also created the Enterprise Analytics team and Transformation Team. Tom then led Digital Health & Transformation at Optum Health with a focus in Texas. Tom earned his MBA from Columbia Business School and his MA in Mathematics from Oxford University. Tom lives with his wife and 3 kids in Dallas and is an avid Arsenal fan.