Breathe Easier

Woman standing on beach with hands in air

Our Practice + Mission

Respiratory Specialists is dedicated to helping our patients breathe easier by providing the highest quality pulmonary service and care in the Tampa area.

Conveniently located in Safety Harbor, Florida (outside of both St. Petersburg and Tampa), our board-certified pulmonologists have countless years of experience in pulmonary and critical care medicine.

Our Office Hours

Monday – 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Tuesday – 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday – 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Thursday – 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Friday – 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Saturday & Sunday: CLOSED

Accepted Insurance

Aetna
Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Cigna
Humana
Medicare
TRICARE
UnitedHealthcare

Please call us to confirm your insurance plan is accepted OR if your insurance plan is not listed. We do accept some other, smaller plans that are not listed above.

Office Policies

Appointments

Appointments can be made by calling our office during normal business hours. Please bring your insurance card as well as a form of photo ID when you arrive for your visit.

For new patients: please download and complete our patient forms and bring them with you to your appointment.

Prescription Renewals

Prescriptions are renewed during normal office hours. An office visit prior to medication renewal may be required in certain cases.

After Hours and Emergency Care

If you are experiencing an emergency, dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For all other issues, please call the office at (727) 725-6128, 24 hours a day.

Financial

All co-pays are due at the time of service. We accept cash, checks, and most major credit cards and debit cards. Please contact our billing office at (813) 890-8004 if you have any financial questions or concerns.

Our Providers

Our Providers Gallery

Jack E. Rashkin, MD FCCP

Dr. Rashkin specializes in Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Diseases. Dr. Rashkin completed his Medical School Training at the Universidad Central Del Este in the Dominican Republic, then completed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Mt. Carmel Mercy Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Subsequently, he completed his fellowship in Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Rashkin is fluent in both English and Spanish. He is a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Pavlo V. Sakhatskyy, MD

Dr. Sakhatskyy specializes in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Sakhatskyy completed his Medical School Training at the Bukovinian Medical School in Ukraine before doing an internship and residency in Internal Medicine/Pulmonology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He then completed a Fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital. He is fluent in English, Russian, and Ukrainian.

Michael A. Yeager II, MD

Dr. Yeager specializes in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Yeager completed his Medical School Training at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He then completed his residency in Internal Medicine/Pulmonology at the University of Illinois in Chicago and his Fellowships in Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland.

Varleda Marku, PA-C, MSPAS

Varleda Marku is a physician assistant who graduated with a Masters Degree from University of Florida in 2014. She worked in Trauma/Surgical ICU at UF Shands in Jacksonville, Florida for a year before joining Respiratory Specialists in October of 2015. She has a total of 6 years experience as a Pulmonary/Critical Care PA.

Kathleen Stagg, MSN, APRN-BC

Kathleen Stagg is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse specializing in family medicine and is a former certified Emergency Department Registered Nurse. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania and her Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing from Chamberlain University, Chicago.

Featured

Stephen T. Brown, MD

Dr. Brown specializes in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine. He is board certified in Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Brown completed his medical school training at Tulane University Medical School in New Orleans. He then went on to complete his internship and residency in Internal Medicine as well as his fellowship in Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine at The University of South Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Brown is a native Floridian living in Tampa with his wife.

Kirk A. Nelson, DO

Dr. Nelson specializes in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Nelson completed his Medical School Training at the University of Health Sciences at Kansas City before doing an internship at Michiana Community Hospital in South Bend, Indiana. He then completed his Residency in Internal Medicine/Pulmonology at Deaconess Hospital - University of Missouri-Kansas City and his Fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at University of Missouri-Kansas City as well as St Johns Mercy Medical Center - St Louis University.

Abdo C. Kataya, MD

Dr. Kataya specializes in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Kataya completed his medical school training at St. George’s University – School of Medicine in Grenada. He then completed his residency in Internal Medicine and his fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital — Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY. He is fluent in English, Arabic, and French.

Heather A. Ramous, MSN, AGACNP-BC

Heather Ramous is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse specializing in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care and is a former Critical Care Registered Nurse. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at St. Petersburg College and her Master of Science in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nursing at the University of South Florida.

Our Location

Respiratory Specialists

1840 Mease Drive, Suite 307
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 725-6128

Our Hours