Sonia Nimtz is a Nurse Practitioner in General Cardiology. She graduated from UTMB with a bachelor's degree in nursing and then worked as an RN in Cardiology. She later went on to obtain certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners after graduating from UTMB with a master's degree in Nursing. Sonia is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, as well as a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She has a passion for cardiology – working with patients to help them achieve maximum cardiovascular health through positive health behaviors and knowledge of their medications and disease process. She loves to garden, cook, and bake. She and her husband love to travel and enjoy spending time with family.

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Alma Chavez began her career as a licensed vocational nurse and worked with the indigent at Harris County Hospital District for 5 years. Striving to advance her skills, she received her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 1999. It was then that she continued to work with the indigent spending eleven years as a specialty trained RN, providing well child exams to children of all ages. Her passion for patient care then drove her to earn her Master's of Science in Nursing from UTMB, specializing in family practice.

Alma is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and joined the family of caregivers at UTMB Health Pediatrics, Texas City in 2012.

Dr. Vaghjiani complete his undergraduate education at Brown University with a Sc.B. in neuroscience. He received his M.D. from Brown University and completed general surgery residency at the Albert Einstein COM/Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. During that time, he also completed a thoracic surgery research fellowship focusing on solid tumor immunology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY. He received subspecialty clinical training in complex general surgical oncology at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY before joining the faculty at UTMB.

His clinical interests include the treatment of a wide variety of cancers including: gastric, esophageal, small bowel, pancreas, bile duct, adrenal, thyroid/parathyroid, sarcoma, melanoma, and breast. He is also well versed in minimally invasive/robotic techniques.

Dr. Vaghjiani is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family (including his dogs Mango and Chutney), camping, and cars.

My name is Nyajuok Wur. I am originally from South Sudan, born in Ethiopia, raised in Minnesota and currently living in Houston, TX. My passion for medicine began at a young age and my desire to help others continues. I chose family medicine because of the variety as well as the opportunity to work with people from all ages and backgrounds.

Hobbies outside of medicine include reading mystery books, international travel, and singing.

Angela Attaway was born in Dallas, TX. She traveled a lot from an early age, because her father was in the military. She initially received her Associate's Degree in Nursing from Alvin Community College in 1998. She received her Bachelor's degree from UTMB in 2003. She graduated in 2007 from UTMB with her Master's Degree in Nursing specializing as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

Angela joined the Community Based Clinics in Alvin in September 2014. She has been an RN for the past 18 years. Her nursing experience includes Neonatal ICU, Pediatric ICU and Pediatric Oncology. Prior to joining the Community Based Clinics in Alvin, Angela was the Child Abuse Nurse Practitioner for Galveston County, and practiced as a primary care provider at Island Pediatrics.

Angela has been Certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board since 2007. In 2011, Angela won a Good Samaritan Excellence in Nursing silver medal.

Angela enjoys spending time with her family. She also loves animals and regularly volunteers at the League City animal shelter. She has two rescue dogs of her own.

Dr. Elizabeth Cloninger was born and raised in Southeast Texas and has been practicing in the ClearLake-League City area since 2013, most recently coming to UTMB from Houston Methodist in Clear Lake, where she saw patients and acted as the medical director from 2017-2019. Her areas of interest include high-risk obstetrics, family planning, well woman care, and management of heavy menstrual cycles.

Dr. Cloninger attended UTMB in Galveston for both medical school and later residency. While in residency, she received awards such as resident of the quarter, physician of the month, and the Golden Apple award for medical student teaching.

Prior to medical school, Dr. Cloninger graduated Cum Laude from Texas A&M University in College Station with a degree in genetics.

Dr. Cloninger is happy to be rejoining the UTMB system that trained her. In her free time, Dr. Cloninger enjoys spending time with her two daughters and husband.

Dr. Tyler's clinical practice focuses on GI cancers, melanoma, and sarcoma. He has pioneered neoadjuvant approaches using chemotherapy and/or radiation to tumors of the stomach and pancreas as well as the application of minimally invasive surgery to tumors of the GI tract. He is an expert in the management of regionally advanced and in-transit melanoma and oversees novel clinical trials to manage this form of disease. Dr. Tyler also has extensive experience managing retroperitoneal and abdominal wall sarcomas.

Carolyn Gregg is a native Texan who joined the UTMB team of Orthopedic Surgery as a certified Physician Assistant in 2024. She graduated early with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. She then obtained her Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX.

Dr. Matthew J. Hay joined UTMB Pediatric Associates in 1997. Board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, Dr. Hay completed his residency in pediatrics and received his doctorate in medicine from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Dr. Hay holds a bachelor's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. He is also the Medical Director of the UTMB Health Primary and Specialty Care Clinic in Texas City.

Dr. Hay has been named the Galveston Daily News Reader's Choice Best Pediatrician of Galveston County in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019. Dr. Hay is currently a member of the Galveston Independent School District Board of Trustees, currently serving in his third three-year term, as well as serving as the President for six of those years. He served on the Texas Youth Commission Advisory Board after being appointed by then Texas Governor Rick Perry. He has developed a special interest in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and other behavioral or school-related problems.

When he isn't seeing patients, Dr. Hay coaches the Texas A&M Galveston Lady Aggies soccer team.

 Provider is LGBTQIA+ Responsive