At Grand Canyon Family Medicine, we are only as strong as our staff and are proud to employ a variety of qualified individuals who bring their own diverse knowledge to the practice in order to ensure you receive the most comprehensive treatment possible. Please take a moment to read more about our individual staff members and learn how they allow our practice to continually be the absolute best at caring for your health needs.
Dr. Robert Tognacci
Dr. Bob Tognacci was born in Boulder, Colorado and moved to Arizona in 1984. He spent most of his childhood here in Chandler and graduated from Chandler High School. After graduating from Northern Arizona University, Dr. T decided to pursue his love of science and commitment to the healthcare of others by becoming a family practice physician. He graduated from Midwestern University in 2003 with a doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency in family practice medicine locally, at Mesa General Hospital. Dr T. opened Grand Canyon Family Medicine in 2007. His mission is to provide caring, quality health care for the people of his community. Dr Tognacci was named Humanitarian of the Year in 2006 by the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association.
Doctor T has been married to his high school sweetheart for 20 years and they have 3 energetic kids! He enjoys attending their many school and sports activities and is a staple on the soccer field sideline. He is a fanatic Denver Broncos fan and an avid hiker. He loves to get out and explore as much as possible.
Dr. Lorretta McCarthy
Dr. Lorretta McCarthy was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She married her high school sweetheart in May of 1996, then a month later in June 1996, graduated from Midwestern University- Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and moved to Phoenix to do her family medicine residency. She enjoyed the warm winters and sunshine so decided to stay in the area. She practiced urgent care medicine for 7 years then returned to family practice in 2006 because she missed the relationship with the patients, which is a vital part of being a primary care physician.
She is board certified in Family Medicine. She is the first and only physician in her family and thinks that her interest in medicine came from her father who was a medic in the army but was unable to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor due to supporting his family. She also attributes her interest in medicine to being intrigued at an early age with the human body and the interest in learning everything about it while helping people.
Her hobbies and interests include hiking, biking, travel, and photography. Her healthcare philosophy focuses on treating the whole patient with compassion, dignity and comprehensive care, including a major emphasis on preventative care. She wants to work with each patient as a team to keep him or her happy and healthy.
Mary A. Quihuis FNP-BC
Mary has lived in Arizona all her life and knew as a young girl that she wanted to become a nurse and care for people.
Mary graduated from the University of Arizona in 1981 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After working many years in the hospital setting, she decided she wanted to put her focus on the preventative end of the health care system.
She attended ASU and received her Master of Science in Nursing in 1998 and became certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the ANCC in 1998.
Mary hope is to educate and provide the tools necessary for each patient to look forward and have positive outcomes with their health and well-being. Much of this attention will be placed on lifestyles that include good nutrition and and exercise.
Mary enjoys hiking, reading, traveling, experimenting with recipes and spending time with family and friends.
Annie Hart, PA-C
Annie graduated from A.T Still University, Mesa Az with a Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. She rotated in multi subspecialities including family medicine, internal medicine, nutrition, behavioral health, pediatrics, OBGYN, surgery and ER.
Annie’s interest in health and wellness helped make her decision to become a Physician Assistant. She is passionate about treating the whole patient, body, mind, and spirit. Family practice encompasses her interest in a variety of medicine, as well as building individual and unique partnerships with each patient.
A native of Arizona, Annie’s interests include spending time with husband, their two daughters and two dogs. Annie loves all animals, spending time outdoors, taking trips to the beach and binge watching good TV shows.
Kristy VanBeek PA-C
Kristy is originally from southwest Michigan and moved to Arizona in the Spring of 2021. Her career in medicine started in 2001, and since that time she has worked in a number of roles in healthcare, from medical assisting, teaching, education direction for healthcare programs and medical office management. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science from Kalamazoo Valley Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Health and Administration from Western Michigan University. In 2017 she graduated from Western Michigan University’s Physician Assistant Program with a Master’s in Medicine. She completed board certification shortly after graduation through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). In practice, she has experience and special interest in neurology (headache/migraine medicine), pediatrics, family medicine, and most recently diabetic care/education and weight loss management.
In her spare time, Kristy enjoys spending time with her husband Matt and son’s Brennan and Hayden. She loves travel, being outdoors (hiking, walking her dogs, running), yoga, singing with her friends in a local band, healthcare podcasts/documentaries, and getting back to Michigan for trips to see family and friends.
Ephraim Temple PA-C
I am a husband and father of five children. I am an Island boy at heart, having lived in Tonga, Australia, Hawaii, and American Samoa, which makes me very adaptable to language, culture, and lifestyles. I am a devoted employee and complete my tasks with no supervision. I love working with people and can get along with just about anybody. I also love teaching and feel as though it is one of my natural skills. I have been told many times that I can take complicated material and make it easy to understand. For this reason, I chose extension work for my profession from 2007-2013. I want to help people understand how to become self-sufficient in all aspects of their lives. Through careful consideration of my interests and national need, I have become a physician assistant. My past work has focused on helping others improve their access to healthy and sustainable food. My current work helps others become self-sufficient by helping them overcome illness, disease, and injury.
