Meet our Team & How We Can Help

Dr. Erin Mateer, is a board certified OBGYN passionate about women's health and practices.  She is an independent practitioner with privileges to care for patients as well deliver babies at Tampa General Hospital Spring Hill in Hernando County, FL.  Her practice includes preventive care, obstetrics, birth control, fertility, weight loss and obesity, and gynecologic services. 

Dr. Erin Mateer is an alumni of Virginia Commonwealth Medical School.  Dr. Mateer was a medical resident at Medstar Georgetown from 2013-2017. Additionally, she served the greater Washington, D.C. area, including Washington Hospital Center, for her medical residency. During residency, she provided individualized care to a large number of high risk obstetric and gynecologic patients, including many underserved women, and she continues to do so to this day.  Dr. Erin Mateer is also an alumni of George Washington University, where she majored in Philosophy and Women's Health, and Howard Law School, where she graduated near the top of her law school class.

Dr. Erin Mateer is happily married with three wonderful daughters, and family pets who all believe they also should be counted as children. She enjoys spending time with her family, trips to the beach, gardening and oil painting. 

Elizabeth Ballester is a ANCC certified Family Nurse Practitioner who was born and raised in South Shore, Massachusetts. She holds a Master’s in Science in Nursing from South University in Tampa. Prior to joining to our team, she worked as an Emergency Room Charge Nurse at Oak Hill Hospital and as a Staff Nurse at Pediatric Neuro-oncology at Boston Children’s Hospital. In 2010-2011 she spent time in Haiti working with Mercy Ships after an earthquake. She is passionate about women’s health and practices. She likes to relax at home with her three children and enjoys spending time in nature and by the ocean. Elizabeth is excited to join our team! 

 Cristina Palermiti, MSN, FNP-BC was born and raised in Miami, FL, with a proud Cuban background. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she is passionate about empowering women through compassionate, evidence-based care. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Barry University and later pursued a post-graduate certificate in Nurse-Midwifery at Frontier Nursing University to further specialize in women’s health.

Cristina began her career as a Nurse Practitioner in pediatric neurology, where she worked for three years. While she gained invaluable experience in that field, her true passion has always been in women’s health. Now, she is dedicated to supporting women at every stage of life, ensuring they feel heard, educated, and cared for.

Outside of work, Cristina enjoys traveling with her husband and son, spending quality time with her family, and getting lost in a good book. She deeply values her Cuban roots and the sense of family, tradition, and community that shape both her personal life and approach to patient care.

Hope is an AANP certified Family Nurse Practitioner.  She was born and raised outside of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. She earned her undergraduate degrees from Pasco Hernando Community College and the University of South Florida.  She completed her Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Texas Woman’s University.  Before she became a nurse practitioner, she was a labor and delivery nurse for 23 years at surrounding local hospitals.  Prior to joining Gaia, Hope worked in retail health and private family practice.  

Board-certified as an FNP-C and holding the RNC-OB certification, Hope has a strong background in pregnancy, childbirth, and comprehensive women’s health. She is passionate about fostering open, patient-centered care, ensuring that every woman she treats feels heard, respected, and empowered to make informed decisions about her health.  

Beyond her clinical work, Hope is actively involved in the special needs community, advocating for inclusive healthcare and resources. She is a devoted wife and mother of three adult children and shares her home with two lively Labrador Retrievers. In her free time, she enjoys cruising—especially with Buddy Cruise, a nonprofit organization supporting individuals with special needs and their families.  

Hope is honored to be part of a team that prioritizes exceptional women’s healthcare. She looks forward to continuing to build lasting relationships with her patients while providing compassionate and expert care.