Helping Bay Area people get better  since 1983.

Mark J. Sontag, MD

Dr. Mark J. Sontag has been practicing Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation on the Peninsula since 1983. At age 17 he received an American Cancer Society Award to investigate a novel idea in Cancer Research. He was accepted into Northwestern’s Honors six-year medical program also at age 17, completing Medical School in 1983. Following an internship in Internal Medicine at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Dr. Sontag completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Stanford University Medical Center. He is board certified in both Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. Dr. Sontag is a Qualified Medical Examiner. In 1991 Dr. Sontag founded and served as medical director of the Sequoia Hospital Rehabilitation Unit and the Sequoia Hospital Occupational Health Services. He also founded the ReMedy Medical Group in 2008. 

Dr. Sontag was the team physiatrist for the San Francisco 49ers from 1990 to 1991 and the San Francisco Giants from 1995 through 2001. served as the team spine and pain physician for the San Jose Sharks from 1991 through 2015 and pain consultant to the Oakland Raiders and San Jose Sabercats from 1995 to 2011. He has also provided sports medicine coverage for the Menlo College athletic teams from 1991 to 2000. Dr. Sontag cares for many of the World's elite athletes including Olympians, NFL, NBA, NHL, PGA and National Baseball Players. In 1999 Dr. Sontag again showed his dedication to Peninsula patients in founding SPARCmed, a functional restoration pain management clinic, created to help chronic pain patients improve their quality of life. 

With multiple publications to his credit in sports, spine and pain management, Dr. Sontag focuses his extensive expertise in spine, sports, cumulative trauma, repetitive strain injuries, orthopedic, neurologic disorders and pain management.

Kimeron Hardin, PhD

Kimeron Hardin, PhD ABPP is a licensed clinical psychologist and is board certified in clinical health psychology. He has been instrumental in the development and management of multiple prominent pain programs over the last twenty years. He is originally from North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for his undergraduate degree and the University of Southern Mississippi for his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. 

After completing his internship training at Duke University Medical Center in 1990, Dr. Hardin served as the Director of Behavioral Medicine at the UCSF Mount Zion Pain Management Center, and has previously worked at many of the premier functional restoration programs in the Bay Area since 1995.  

In 1996, Dr. Hardin co-authored one of the first self-help guides for people living with pain, namely, The Chronic Pain Control Workbook (2nd Edition). In 2010, he became board certified in clinical health psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology, and he recently co-founded the Northern California Association of Pain Psychologists, the first organization of it’s kind in the US. At SPARCmed, Dr. Hardin is the clinical director and provides behavioral management service to our clients, including cognitive behavioral and pain coping skills. He also works on program and staff development to keep SPARC on the cutting edge of evidence-based medical practices. 

In addition to his numerous books and articles, he also recorded and released two popular stress management cds, the first of which is entitled Drifting Downstream: Guided Relaxation for Stress Reduction and most recently, Drifting Into Sleep: A Step by Step Guide to Falling Sleep. Both audio cds are available through Amazon.com and as digital downloads through iTunes. 

David Smolins, MD

A Magna Cum Laude graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with degrees in Psychology and Biological Sciences, Dr. Smolins received virtually every top honor in his graduating class. After finishing his Doctor of Medicine at the University of Texas at San Antonio (again with top honors), Dr. Smolins spent a year as an intern at The University of Chicago/Weiss Memorial Hospital. At University of California, San Francisco, Dr Smolins completed his resident training in Anesthesiology, he followed with Fellowship training in Pain Management. In addition, his recent experience includes responsibilities as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at UCSF/Veteran Affairs Medical Center.  Dr Smolins has practiced Pain Management with Remedy Medical Group in Redwood City since 2007 and opened our San Francisco office in 2009.  He is Board Certified in Pain Management.  

Dr Smolins Pain Management experience includes: Fellowship training specializing in the multi-disciplinary management of acute and chronic pain. Techniques include all standard spinal diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, spinal cord stimulation, radiofrequency ablation, sympathetic blocks, discography, and medical management. 

Elaine S. Date, MD

After graduating from Stanford University with a BA in Biology (with honors), Dr. Date completed her Doctor of Medicine degree from The Medical College of Pennsylvania Medical School. A residency program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Stanford University School of Medicine opened Dr. Date's eyes to the intrinsic value of education, and she quickly discovered herself immersed in both the teaching and practicing of medicine. 

Double board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Electro-diagnostic Medicine, Dr. Date's experience is varied and extensive. She was Chief of the Division of Physical Medicine (PM&R) in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Residency Program Director in PM&R at Stanford University School of Medicine from 1989 to 2007. She was also the Chief of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System from 1986 to 2007. Other recent appointments include Medical Director for the VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center and Director of The Stanford PM&n;R Spine Fellowship Program. Additionally, she has completed training in Medical Acupuncture with University of California, Los Angeles. 

As an Associate Professor at the Stanford School of Medicine, Dr. Date was extensively published in scientific peer-reviewed medical literature on topics ranging from electrodiagnosis of neck and low back pain to techniques for low back injections. Dr. Date has also appeared as a guest physician on local television programs. She has lectured nationally and internationally on various topics relating to electrodiagnosis and pain and the medical management of pain including use of botulinum toxin. After joining the ReMeDy Medical Group, she maintains an academic appointment as Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine. 

As an active member of her community, Dr Date has previously volunteered for many different committees and organizations and as the Team Physician for various Stanford athletic teams. 

Christine Hirabayashi, Ph.D., LMFT, ATR-BC

Christine Hirabayashi, Ph.D., LMFT, ATR-BC is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Board Certified Art Therapist and Doctorate of Philosophy in Art Therapy.

She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration from California State University Long Beach, and subsequently her Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with specialization in Art Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University in 2004.  Christine received her Ph.D. in Art Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University in 2018.  Her doctoral research focused on investigating how art therapy increases acceptance in adults that have been diagnosed with chronic pain.

Christine’s early clinical experience includes working in hospice care with terminally ill patients and bereaved family members.  She conducted group and individual therapy for children and adults using talk and art therapy as a compassionate way to process difficult feelings around grief and loss.

Since 2004, Christine has specialized in chronic pain management.  At SPARC, she facilitates art therapy support groups and conducts individual treatment focusing on pain psychology and trauma rehabilitation.

In private practice, she offers psychotherapy and art therapy to adults, teens and children struggling with depression, anxiety, medical conditions, grief/loss, and trauma.

Lauren Denenberg, PT

Lauren Denenberg, PT, completed her degree in Physiotherapy at the University of Toronto. Lauren has practiced as a licensed physical therapist for 25 years and specializes in both chronic and acute orthopedic and neurological disorders. She has expertise in core stabilization and chronic pain management for cumulative trauma, backs and necks with an emphasis on functional restoration and retraining. Her emphasis on restoring function using work-hardening and conditioning exercises is designed to facilitate an injured workers ability to return to work and to maximize their potential for maximal levels of daily activity. 

Devin Davis, CSCS, NKT, CMES

Devin Davis is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Certified Medical Exercise Specialist and Nutritionist with sub-specialties in orthopedic exercise and Neurokinetic Therapy©. He possesses a bachelor's degree in nutritional science with an emphasis in nutrition education from San Jose State University. Devin specializes in managing pain through restoration of human movement and reduction of inflammation. He leads SPARC's English speaking physical training program through effective programming, teaching and integrating the fundamentals of fitness and nutrition. This includes combining principles of body mechanics, mobility, motor control, cardiovascular conditioning, strength training and healthy eating into SPARC’s balanced and proven curriculum. Also a Matheson trained Functional Capacity Evaluator, he evaluates return to work abilities and establishes work hardening goals through Functional Capacity Evaluations.

Devin offers unique personal coaching and instruction to improve:

  • Pain Management

  • Mobility & Motor Control

  • Strength and Conditioning

  • Body Mechanics & Exercise Technique

  • Sport Performance, Fitness & Nutrition

Saira Garcia, exercise specialist     

Saira Garcia has been part of the REMEDY and SPARC team for over 9 years. She is a certified TRX and Zumba trainer and is passionate about health and fitness. At SPARC she works closely with the program exercise specialist and assists the patients with the exercise portion of the FRP program, with an emphasis in body mechanics. Saira has experiencing teaching cardio kickboxing at different educational institutions such as Menlo College and Notre Dame, Belmont. She has been practicing mixed martial arts and boxing at the American Kickboxing Academy for over 3 years and works closely with body builders and trainers. Saira loves kicking butt and wants to pass her enthusiasm on to the patients.

Jonathan Cebula, BS, CPT

Jonathan Cebula is a Certified Personal Trainer through numerous organizations including; NCSF, NASM, APEX, and the YMCA. Jon possesses a bachelor’s of science degree in Exercise Science / Sports Medicine with an Emphasis in Human Performance from California Lutheran University. He also holds additional certifications including; TRX Suspension Training, Monkeybar Gymnasium Certified Natural Trainer Levels 1 & 2, APEX Supplements Expert, and Sprint8 Trainer. Jon is a former collegiate athlete where he played defensive line in football at College of San Mateo and California Lutheran University. As a trainer, Jon has 20-years of training experience as a personal trainer, strength & conditioning coach, class instructor and program director. 

Jon embraces a holistic approach to Health & Fitness deeply rooted in scientific philosophies. Jon has an acute ability for observing and correcting muscular imbalances and postural deviations, as well as an in-depth knowledge of proper modifications and progressions to continually advance patients. 

Areas of expertise include: 

·         Modifications & Progressions

·         Cardiovascular Conditioning 

·         Exercise & Fitness Programming 

·         Sports Performance

·         Youth & Senior Training

Juanita Gomez, PhD

Dr. Gomez is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialties in chronic pain, trauma, and chronic medical conditions. She has extensive experience working with individual adult patients managing various health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and self-esteem/confidence issues. She enjoys leading chronic pain, coping skills, and various other support groups.


Dr. Gomez received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Palo Alto University. Her training has focused on the clinical practice of health psychology and more recently chronic pain.

Dr. Gomez completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Hospital in spinal cord injury and orthopedic trauma. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship training at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in HIV and primary care medicine.

Dr. Marco Morelli, Psy.D

Dr. Marco is a Registered Psychological Assistant who graduated in 2020 with a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. He is currently supervised by Dr. Kimeron Hardin, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Marco has a growing expertise in Pain Psychology and Functional Rehabilitation, working primarily with Spanish-speaking patients who are involved in the Workers Compensation system. He is passionate about empowering patients to transform and thrive from hardship. Dr. Marco integrates social justice, relational, trauma-informed and culturally responsive perspectives in tailoring rehabilitation strategies unique to the individual. He is fluent in Spanish and Italian and is a first generation son of Italian and Syrian immigrants. Dr. Marco loves soccer, music, nutritious food and spending time with his family and friends.

Veronica Gutierrez

As the current program manager for SPARC, Veronica will most likely be the first person you interact with when contacting SPARC. She is a key member part of the team, handling everything from initial referral to authorizations, scheduling and coordination. She has been working with SPARC since 2005.