Meet Our Providers

Sandra Frellsen, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, HMDC
Hospice Medical Director

Dr. Sandra Frellsen has been a hospice clinical physician at Hospice Austin since 2013 before becoming Medical Director in 2021. Board certified in Hospice & Palliative Medicine and Internal Medicine, Dr. Frellsen oversees and directs Hospice Austin’s medical providers who see patients in their homes and at independent, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.

Before joining Hospice Austin, Dr. Frellsen was an Attending Physician at Stroger Hospital of Cook County and a Consultative Attending for the Palliative Care Service. She also served as Assistant Dean of Academic Development at Rush Medical College.

She received her undergraduate degree from Yale University, her medical degree from Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, and completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Veterans Administration Medical Center. Outside of work. Dr. Frellsen enjoys spending time with her family and dogs. Her hobbies include hiking, reading, knitting, and Scouts.

Kate Tindall, MD, FAAHPM
Palliative Care Medical Director

Dr. Kate Tindall is the medical director for Austin Palliative Care, Hospice Austin’s home-based palliative care program for patients who are not eligible for hospice care or who may be undergoing curative treatment. She is dual board-certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She completed her training, including her Palliative Medicine fellowship, at UTSW. Before joining APC, Dr. Tindall was the Assistant Medical Director of the Palliative Care team for Parkland Hospital as well as Assistant Professor at the UTSW Medical School. She brings a passion for providing compassionate, patient-centered care to the seriously ill population.

She and her husband, Mark, who is a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s office, have three children. When not working, Dr. Tindall spends most of her time trying to keep up with her kids and also enjoys being outdoors, reading, cooking and traveling.

Dr. Johnson Wu, DO, MBe
Hospice Clinical Physician

Born and raised in rural Texas, Johnson Wu received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from UT Austin and his medical degree from A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona. He completed his Residency in Family Medicine at University Medical Center Brackenridge – UT Austin and his Fellowship in Hospice & Palliative Medicine at Cleveland Clinic.

Before coming to Hospice Austin, Dr. Wu was a hospice physician providing inpatient and home care in Boston and was the hospice clerkship director for Harvard Medical School’s Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship – servicing Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Boston Children’s Hospital. While working full time as a hospice physician, he attended evening classes at Harvard and earned a Masters in Bioethics. His hobbies include studying philosophy, hiking with his dogs, casual cycling, PC gaming, and spending quality time with his family.

Beverly Anne Butler, ACNS-BC
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse

Anne Butler is a Clinical Nurse Specialist (comparable to a Nurse Practitioner). Born in McAllen, she moved with her family to Lagos, Nigeria, then was raised in Ann Arbor, MI where she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. She made her living as a freelance photographer before going back to school where she was awarded a Masters of Science degree in Nursing degree from UT Austin (with a concentration in Adult Health and Gerontology), then board certification as an Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist.

She joined Hospice Austin as an RN for two years before working as a CNS with Austin Regional Clinic for six years. Anne is married to former KUTX DJ Hayes McCauley. Her hobbies include dance, walking the Town Lake trail, cooking, reading, enjoying the eclectic selection of music her husband plays at home and spending time with friends and family.

Michelle Guillot, APRN, FNP-C
Nurse Practitioner

Michelle Guillot became a nurse in 2008 and worked in Urology and in the Med Surg department in the hospital before finding her home at Hospice Austin in 2014. She worked as an RN Case Manager on the home team for five years until returning to school to become a nurse practitioner. She graduated from UT and came back to Hospice Austin a year later. She feels honored to work for a nonprofit that believes that all people deserve to die with dignity and peace regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. She enjoys being able to take her time getting to know her patients and their families and advocating for their holistic and patient-led care.

Michelle is married to her husband, Brett, and is the mother of a 10-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old daughter. Her hobbies include hiking, spending time in the mountains, loving on dogs, and reading old-fashioned mystery novels.

Brian King, RN, FNP, ACHPN
Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner

Brian King has 20 years’ experience in hospice and palliative care, the past 10 years in the role of Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner. He received his Master’s in Nursing from UT Austin in 1998 and is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse. Brian became interested in nursing after serving in the Peace Corps in Ecuador and later worked in the ER at Brackenridge Hospital.

From the initial visit, Brian places an emphasis on patients’ values, preferences and goals. Patients enjoy Brian’s friendly and personalized approach to care. He encourages questions and takes the time to get to know his patients and thoroughly understand their hopes and concerns.

Brian has worked for Hospice Austin since 1999. Brian and his wife have two sons. He enjoys swimming regularly at Barton Springs and camping in Big Bend National Park.

Justin Bailey Whitley, MSN, APRN, AGNP-C, ACHPN
Nurse Practitioner

 Justin Bailey Whitley is an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Certified Hospice & Palliative Nurse who is certified through both the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the Hospice & Palliative Credentialing Center. He has over a decade of experience in nursing. In 2013, he started his career in the emergency department after completing an emergency nursing residency program. He joined the admissions team of Hospice Austin in 2017 after feeling a strong pull to work specifically with patients facing serious and terminal illness. In 2021, Justin completed his Master of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and started working as a nurse practitioner for an inpatient hospice & palliative care group at a level 1 trauma center. He re-joined Hospice Austin in 2023 as a nurse practitioner and feels incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work with hospice and palliative care patients in their home settings. Justin considers it both a privilege and a calling to work with the population served by Hospice Austin. He places special emphasis on care goal planning, assisting patients with living their lives to the fullest, and creating “more good days” through expert symptom management.

When not working, Justin enjoys reading, traveling the world, spending time with his husband and closest friends, and volunteering with the Austin Boxer Rescue as a family matchmaker.