Our Team

Dr. Beth Frates created PAVING the Path to Wellness Program, a lifestyle medicine education and group intervention, at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in 2012. Her 12 session PAVING Program focused on optimizing health and recovery for stroke survivors but has since been adapted for use with other chronic conditions.


Dr. Amy Comander, launched the PAVING the Path for Wellness for Breast Cancer Survivors at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center at Newton Wellesley in 2019, and has since delivered the program through in-person and virtual formats.


Dr. Michelle Tollefson is an Ob-Gyn, women’s health lifestyle medicine leader, and breast cancer survivor who has partnered with Drs. Frates and Comander to support their work.


Valeria (Val) Tivnan is the Vice-President Population Health Strategy & Well-being at IMA Financial Corp. Val advises many companies on how to bring lifestyle medicine into their culture so employees can optimize health and thrive. With over 25 years of experience, her passion lies particularly in mindfulness & meditation, wellness, lifestyle medicine, disease prevention and population health management. As a meditation instructor, Val’s passion involves the connection of mind and body to optimize health and well-being.

Dr. Beth Frates created PAVING the Path to Wellness Program, a lifestyle medicine education and group intervention, at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in 2012. Her 12 session PAVING Program focused on optimizing health and recovery for stroke survivors but has since been adapted for use with other chronic conditions.


Dr. Amy Comander, launched the PAVING the Path for Wellness for Breast Cancer Survivors at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center at Newton Wellesley in 2019, and has since delivered the program through in-person and virtual formats.

Dr. Michelle Tollefson is an Ob-Gyn, women’s health lifestyle medicine leader, and breast cancer survivor who has partnered with Drs. Frates and Comander to support their work.


Valeria (Val) Tivnan is the Vice-President Population Health Strategy & Well-being at IMA Financial Corp. Val advises many companies on how to bring lifestyle medicine into their culture so employees can optimize health and thrive. With over 25 years of experience, her passion lies particularly in mindfulness & meditation, wellness, lifestyle medicine, disease prevention and population health management. As a meditation instructor, Val’s passion involves the connection of mind and body to optimize health and well-being.

Our Partners

PAVING Directors

A Journey of Collaboration

Drs. Comander, Tollefson and Frates have been collaborators, friends and chosen sisters for many years now.  Dr. Frates met Dr. Comander over a decade ago, and she met Dr. Tollefson about 5 years ago. These two women serve to inspire Dr. Frates. The three spent every Friday morning together during one year of COVID putting together the PAVING the Path to Wellness Workbook: A guide to thriving with a healthy body, peaceful mind, and joyful heart.

The book represents an important holistic approach to wellbeing. They are using the book with patients and providers alike. One goal of the PAVING Program initiatives is to reach underserved areas. This is near and dear to the heart of Dr. Frates whose grandparents immigrated to the USA from Greece. They lived in East Boston for many years.




Drs. Comander, Tollefson and Frates have been collaborators, friends and chosen sisters for many years now.  Dr. Frates met Dr. Comander over a decade ago, and she met Dr. Tollefson about 5 years ago. These two women serve to inspire Dr. Frates. The three spend every Friday morning together during one year of COVID putting together the PAVING the Path to Wellness Workbook: A guide to thriving with a healthy body, peaceful mind, and joyful heart.

The book represents an important holistic approach to wellbeing. They are using the book with patients and providers alike. One goal of the PAVING Program initiatives is to reach underserved areas. This is near and dear to the heart of Dr. Frates whose grandparents immigrated to the USA from Greece. They lived in East Boston for many years.

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