PHNTX - Uptown Physicians Group

Dr. Hays grew up in Iowa and then relocated to Arkansas with his family while he was in high school. He later attended the University of Arkansas for his undergraduate studies and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with an emphasis in Athletic Training. He is currently Board Certified in Athletic Training and also licensed in the State of Texas as an Athletic Trainer. He attended California University of Pennsylvania and received a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Performance Enhancement and is certified as a Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Dr. Hays attended Medical School at Ross University School of Medicine and completed his residency training in Family Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Programs in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is an avid HOGS fan, and his interests include HIV Medicine, Sports Medicine, along with Wellness and Primary Care Medicine.

Dr. Graneto works to keep Dallas healthy–one patient at a time–by creating individual health plans customized to each patient’s unique needs. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine before moving to Dallas. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. His areas of interest include preventive medicine, general primary care, HIV treatment, health information technology and optimizing management of chronic medical conditions.

Dr. Nathan Luke is a family medicine physician who provides comprehensive primary care. Born and raised in Maryland, he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. He was awarded his medical degree from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. Then, he completed his Family Medicine Residency at LewisGale Medical Center in Roanoke, Virginia, where he was selected to be Chief Resident during his final year of training. Dr. Luke enjoys seeing patients for both acute and chronic conditions. He is passionate about connecting with patients and providing patient-centered care. He also enjoys traveling, spending time with family, cooking, and trying new foods.

Since his freshman year of high school, Dan Nguyen dreamed of becoming a physician who cares for, understands, and serves as a role model for the LGBTQ+ community. As a resident intern, he volunteered at a local STI clinic in Austin, Texas, on his days off. He continued to volunteer there and eventually worked full-time. It was in this setting that he cultivated a sex-positive attitude toward health and wellness, as well as an understanding of providing care to people living with HIV/AIDS.

In addition, he has experience with curative treatments for Hepatitis and Buprenorphine for Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT).

A Dallas native, Dan moved back from Austin to join UPG, continue his career in HIV medicine, sign with the Turtle Creek Chorale, and spend more time with his nieces and nephews—an easy decision.

Fun facts: His bachelor’s degree is in computer science, making him a huge technology enthusiast. He enjoys reading tech blogs, MotorTrend car reviews, playing pickleball, and jogging. In 2021, he ran his first half marathon—and finished in a cute pair of pink stilettos!

Elizabeth Race is a medical doctor at Prism Health North Texas.

Rasha Ghurani is a doctor at Prism Health North Texas.

Vanessa Bludau, FNP-C was born and raised in Texas. She attended Texas Tech University where she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing with honors (Sigma Theta Tau). She graduated in 2012 with her Master’s of Science as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Texas Woman’s University with a GPA of 3.9. Vanessa is certified through American Association of Nurse Practitioners and is licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys working out and spending time with her yellow lab, Marley.

Richard Ornberg is passionate about providing inclusive, patient-centered, holistic primary care to his patients. He completed nursing school at the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He worked as a nurse in the emergency department at multiple Level I trauma centers. Rick then earned his Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Texas Wesleyan University. His doctoral project studied alternative, mindfulness-based, and holistic interventions to manage chronic pain. After graduation, he worked as a primary care provider in an addiction and recovery facility. He is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners as well as credentialed by the American Academy of HIV Medicine as an HIV Specialist ^TM.

Rick grew up in Chicago before relocating to Dallas where he has lived for over 30 years. He enjoys traveling and spending time with his family and three pups in his free time.

Natalie Smith-Low is a licensed psychotherapist, clinical social worker supervisor, registered yoga teacher, and Behavioral Health Counselor at Uptown Physicians Group. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington. Natalie began her clinical career working with children, adolescents, and families in a hospital setting and later developed an adolescent psychiatric intensive outpatient program for a major Texas hospital system.

In addition to her work with younger populations, Natalie is passionate about supporting adults through individual therapy, relationship therapy (poly-friendly), and group therapy. She specializes in addressing the unique challenges of the LGBTQIA+ community and incorporates therapeutic yoga into sessions upon request. Her approach to therapy is gentle, patient, and affirming, aiming to create a space that is validating, approachable, and collaborative. Clients often describe her as easy to talk to, open-minded, and goal-oriented, with “excellent comedic timing” when appropriate.

Natalie has received formal training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), play therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She also holds advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) from the Beck Institute and is Gottman Level I & II trained, Gender Asset trained, and a Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional (CSTIP). Additionally, Natalie completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Dallas Yoga Center in 2022 and furthered her yoga education in Bali, Indonesia.

Outside of work, Natalie enjoys spending time with her wife and their three fur babies—Lucy, Bentley, and Grace. They live in the Oak Lawn area and enjoy traveling, exploring new restaurants, participating in community events, and practicing yoga.