Our Team
North Florida Kidney Care's Doctors are highly-trained, experienced and dedicated to your well being
Melvin Seek, M.D.
Dr. Seek earned his medical degree and performed his residency within the University of North Carolina Department of Medicine at Chapel Hill.
By 1986 he had earned board certifications in both Internal Medicine and Nephrology while practicing at the North Carolina Memorial Hospital.
He joined the Ocala Critical Care and Kidney Group, and has been in private practice in our community since 1987. The National Kidney Association of Florida honored Dr. Seek in 2000 with the Exemplary Practice Award.
He currently serves as the Medical Director for the DaVita Home Division Dialysis Center (Peritoneal Dialysis and Home Hemodialysis programs) here in Ocala, and as a Group Medical Director for DaVita in the Southeast.
Dr. Seek’s work in the community is wide ranging – he has held leadership positions with Munroe Regional Medical Center, the Central Florida YMCA, and other groups, as well as being a visionary for better utilization of communications and technology to improve medical care in Ocala.
He and his wife rode in the 2013 “Tour DaVita” bicycling event in South Carolina.
Timothy Rogers, M.D.
Dr. Rogers’ academic career included medical school at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He completed an Internal Medicine Residency at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA, and a Nephrology fellowship at the University of Miami.
He joined the Ocala Kidney Group in 2003, and in 2007 he was able to become the first partner in the group to train as an Interventional Nephrologist to perform interventional procedures on patient dialysis vascular accesses.
He has been entirely focused on this work since 2008, and performs dialysis access procedures at the Ocala Kidney Group/Dialyisis Access Center in Leesburg, Florida.
Dr. Rogers is nationally recognized as one of the most prolific and successful Nephrologists performing these specialty services in the country. He is Board Certified in Nephrology.
Dr. Rogers, his wife and two children have lived in Ocala since 2003. His extracurricular activities include running and weight training.
Don Henry Esprit, M.D. FASN
Dr. Don Esprit is an Associate Nephrologists at North Florida Kidney Care located in Gainesville, FL. He was born and raised in the Island of Dominica before becoming a US citizen.
He received his medical degree from the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences, Villa Clara, Cuba in 2003 and then returned to his home land where he did an internship at the Princess Margaret Hospital and later worked as a primary care physician in the Castle Bruce Health district of Dominica. In 2012 he completed his Internal Medicine residency at the North Shore Medical Center in Salem, Massachusetts. He then moved to Gainesville, Florida where he completed his nephrology fellowship in June 2017 from University of Florida Shands hospital.
Dr. Esprit is an expert in the management of hypertension, chronic and acute kidney disease, end stage renal disease, all modalities of dialysis, and renal transplantation. He has a special interest in sickle cell nephropathy and an advocate for peritoneal dialysis.
He is currently a member of the American Society of Nephrology.
Dr. Esprit strives to be professional, thorough and compassionate in all his relationships and in all of his work.
Atif A, Siddique, D.O
Dr. Atif Siddique is an associate at NFKC in Gainesville. A Florida native, Dr. Siddique was born and raised in Tampa, FL.
He earned his medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, FL in 2018. Dr. Siddique completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee, IL in 2021. Dr. Siddique then completed a fellowship in Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of South Florida in 2024. He was selected as chief resident and chief fellow during his final year of residency and fellowship respectively.
Dr. Siddique’s clinical interests include evaluating patients with acute and chronic kidney disease, end-stage kidney disease, renal transplantation, and managing glomerular diseases.
Dr. Siddique holds memberships in the American Society of Nephrology, National Kidney Foundation, and Renal Physicians Association. He is committed to providing compassionate, comprehensive care while staying up to date with the latest advancements in nephrology, ensuring his patients receive the most effective and current treatments.
Outside of his professional life, Dr. Siddique enjoys photography, aviation spotting, and watching pro football. He currently lives here in Gainesville, FL with his wife and child.
Ronald Wendt APRN,
FNP-BC
Ron Wendt, APRN, FNP-BC, is a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. He earned his Associate Degree in Nursing in 2009, from the College of Central Florida in Ocala, FL. He went on to obtain his Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree in 2013, from the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. In 2017 he completed his Master of Science in Nursing from South University of Savannah, GA.
Tara Gettings, APRN
Tara Gettins is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and earned her Master's of Science in Nursing Degree from Duquesnse University in 2020. Prior to that she has over 11 years of nursing experience, the majority of those years in critical care.
During that time she worked closely with Dr. Seek and a other Nephrologists with North Florida Kidney Care establishing a professional relationship.
Tara works in collaboration with Dr. Seek seeing patients in our Palatka office and surrounding hospitals as well as local dialysis units.
She is a member of American Association of Nurse Practitioners and Board Certified.
She is compassionate and committed to quality patient care. "I believe communication is the key to providing exceptional patient care."
Tara enjoys spending time with her family, exercising, going to the beach, and traveling.
Ivette Cardenas-Esprit, APRN
Ivette Cardenas-Esprit is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She earned her Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing in 2021, graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Sagrado Corazon, a catholic private university in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2023 she
completed her Master of Sciences of Nursing from South
University of Savannah, Georgia with High Honors.
Before becoming a nurse, Ivette graduated as a Medical Doctor in 2003 from the Highest Institute of Medical Sciences, Villa Clara, Cuba; her country of birth. She worked for several years in Cuba as a Primary Care Physician before moving to the Island of Dominica with her husband where she worked as a hospitalist at Princess Margaret Hospital located in the country's capital, Roseau.
After relocating to the United States with her family, she decided to become a nurse, working for almost 2 years as a dialysis registered nurse. She loved working with patients with kidney problems and realized she could help more by working as a Nurse Practitioner in Nephrology. She can apply her medical and nursing knowledge to take care of patients in a very holistic way.
Ivette is a member of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) where she has published poster presentations, and also a member and board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
When she is not working, she enjoys traveling to the Caribbean with her husband and 3 daughters. She loves going to the beach, hiking, and cooking Cuban food for her family and friends.
Brooke Yanko, APRN
Brooke Yanko is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who earned her Master’s degree in Nursing (MSN) for Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) in 2023, graduating with highest honors from South University.
Her prior nursing career includes over eight years experience in the areas of dialysis, interventional nephrology, and surgical/orthopedics. She also has over 20 years experience in Radiology as an MRI Technologist and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida.
She is Board Certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and is a member of the American Nurses Association and Florida Nurses Association.
Stephanie Bicknell, APRN
Stephanie is a compassionate and dedicated Family Nurse Practitioner with a strong commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered care. With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC), Stephanie brings a wealth of knowledge in clinical practice, disease prevention, and health promotion.
Having recently transitioned into the role of Nurse Practitioner, Stephanie is passionate about positively impacting the health and well-being of individuals across all stages of kidney disease. She is experienced in assessing, diagnosing, and treating a wide range of acute and chronic conditions while emphasizing the importance of holistic care and patient education.
Stephanie believes in fostering strong, trusting relationships with patients, taking the time to listen, and tailoring care plans to meet the unique needs of each individual. She is especially dedicated to empowering patients to take an active role in their health and supporting them in achieving their wellness goals.
When not providing patient care, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her two kids, at the beach, and doing all things sports and outdoors. Stephanie continues to stay current with the latest evidence-based practices through continuing education and professional development.
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