About ORIGEN
In 2012, with his right leg effectively useless, Dr. Tait landed back in his practice on a Monday morning to confront reality – that he may need a third surgery on his back. The injury was the result of a 30+ mile, single-day hike for a great cause (and, also from a very stubborn “athlete mind”).
This injury, and the path he found to lead his body back to full strength, without surgery, he believes happened for him, not to him. Without it he would not have discovered the collective power of Functional, Integrative, and Regenerative Medicine to rejuvenate the body and heal the root cause of pain and injuries. His journey became the origin of a philosophic shift in the way he treats orthopedic injuries and pain. This became the launching point for his new practice, Rejuv Medical Southwest.
Almost a decade later, we continue to refine our unique, regenerative and integrative orthopedic procedures. Our proprietary process combines ancient, timeless health best practices with modern, leading-edge technology and lab diagnostics to optimize health effectively and treat the root cause of orthopedic injuries without surgery.
Our company now evolves as ORIGEN Orthopedics + Optimal Health.
We join you on a shared journey to restore, rebuild, and continuously strive for the best version of our health.
What is your ORIGEN story?
Where will the path lead you?
Our Team
Dr. John Tait - Founder
Chief Health Strategist
Originally from Michigan, since 2010 Dr. Tait has called Tucson home, with his wife Lisa and their two young boys. A pivotal injury in 2012 changed his personal path and his entire practice philosophy. From one of managing pain to a comprehensive approach to create freedom from pain, so that he could return to an active lifestyle. That experience focused his future training and ongoing mentorship in the growing fields of Regenerative Medicine, Integrative Orthopedics, and Functional Medicine. Beyond the practice, Dr. Tait has authored three books and has created two courses on his Integrative Regenerative approach to Orthopedic care and optimal health.
Education:
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine Residency, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan
Fellowship, Interventional Spine and Pain Management, Rehabilitation Physicians, P.C., Novi, Michigan
Fellowship, Sports Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
Certifications:
Board Certified, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Board Certified, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Board Certified, Sports Medicine, American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Level 1
Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA), Level 1
Certification in Plant-Based Nutrition
Hobbies/Interests:
(when not parenting his two young boys with his wife Lisa)
Hiking, biking, cooking, traveling, scuba diving, amateur skiing, and buying more books than I can read
-
Best Sandwich: Cubano
-
Scariest animal: Stonefish (in the water); pigeons (on land)
-
Flat or sparkling: Sparkling
-
Favorite Movie: Caddyshack
-
Apples or oranges: Apples
Dawn Lauer
Clinical Operations Director
Dawn is originally from Pennsylvania, however moved to Arizona in 2012 after a few years in the Carolina's. Her background is in Athletic Training/Sports Medicine and spent several years in traditional athletic training, working in the high school and college setting. In 2015, she joined us (Rejuv Medical Southwest) as a Medical Care Coordinator and worked in that role for 5 years until stepping away to try medical sales. After being away for 2.5 years, she is now back in a new role as our Clinical Operations Director.
Hobbies/Interests:
Running, camping, hiking, backpacking, swimming, listening to books
-
Best Sandwich: Jimmy John's #6
-
Scariest animal: Mountain lion, they will kill you
-
Flat or sparkling: Flat
-
Favorite Movie: Into the Wild
-
Apples or oranges: Apples
Denisha Palacios, MPH
Client and Community Relations Manager
Denisha is another Midwesterner, originally from Indiana, who joined our team in January of 2020.
She started her college career attending University of Indianapolis. After 1 year of studies and running track, she then transferred to Indiana University. She completed her sophomore through senior year there, focusing on athletics, and diving into schoolwork. She received her Bachelor of Science majoring in Health Sciences with a concentration in Health Promotion.
Upon graduating she found her way to Arizona in September of 2018. Since making Tucson her new home, she has gotten married, had twin boys, and completed her Masters of Public Health at Grand Canyon University.
Hobbies/Interests:
Traveling, kickboxing / boxing, hiking, running, water sports, going to museums.
-
Best Sandwich: peanut butter and jelly
-
Scariest animal: Tarantulas
-
Flat or sparkling: Flat
-
Favorite Movie: “She’s the Man”
-
Apples or oranges: Oranges
Danielle Gonzalez
Clinical Care Coordinator
Originally from Florida, Danielle and her family moved to Tucson when she was just three years old. After graduating from a local high school, Danielle started her college education at Pima Medical Institute, where she received her Veterinary Assistant Certification in 2014. She has since received her Phlebotomy Certification and is continuing her education in the health field at the University of Arizona starting in the fall.
Hobbies/Interests:
Reading, writing, traveling, yoga, trying new foods and spending time with her family.
-
Best Sandwich: A toasted peanut butter jelly with chunky peanut butter
-
Scariest animal: Spiders!
-
Flat or sparkling: Sparkling
-
Favorite Movie: Harry Potter (specifically Half-Blood Prince)
-
Apples or oranges: Oranges
Chelsea DelVecchio
Clinical Care Coordinator
Born and raised in Tucson, Chelsea graduated from Mountain View High School in 2009. Chelsea spent a few years close to home working in the family business of Estate Sales. She then went back to school and received her Medical Assistant Certificate in 2016. Working in a few different environments and offices- spanning from Cardiology to Labor and Delivery at the Women’s Center at Northwest Hospital – she joined us in 2021 to bolster our medical care coordination team.
Hobbies/Interests:
Shopping for antiques, furniture rehab, wood working, jewelry making, concerts, horseback riding and traveling
-
Best Sandwich: Italian sub from Potbelly
-
Scariest animal: Spiders!
-
Flat or sparkling: Sparkling
-
Favorite Movie: Cinderella
-
Apples or oranges: Apples
Terri Erin, MPH
Director of Business Development and Innovation
Terri has consulted with us for the past 2 years and has now joined our team.Terri brings a diverse and comprehensive skill set with a 16-year tenure at Canyon Ranch, where she managed a multitude of projects in her Executive, Corporate, and Development roles. Following her role at Canyon Ranch, Terri has consulted with a multitude of world class companies on pre-opening and opening projects, standards, policies and procedures, re-engineering guest engagement processes, designing associate engagement programs, program and menu development, quality assurance, developing world class hospitality programs, and ongoing client support.
Hobbies/Interests:
Hiking, music, dancing, swimming, walking, Book Club, going to the beach, spending time with family and friends
-
Best Sandwich: Smokey Mountain (from Dilly's Deli)
-
Scariest animal: Snake
-
Flat or sparkling: Flat
-
Favorite Movie: Life is Beautiful
-
Apples or oranges: If I can't have both then Apples