Meet the Team

Management

Nicole Long

General Manager

Melissa Chang-Langer

Operations Supervisor

Jason Story

Operations Manager

Medical Director

Barbara Center

Medical Director

Dr. Center is a board certified psychiatrist with subspecialty board certification in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin. She has extensive experience in psychiatric administration, providing psychiatric evaluation and treatment of children, adolescents, adults and geriatric patients in outpatient, partial hospital, and inpatient settings.

The Prest Legacy

Prest & Associates, LLC (Prest) is the oldest and one of the largest independent review organizations specializing in psychiatry, addiction medicine, and behavioral healthcare. Susan R. Prest, M.A., and James Richard Prest, M.D., founded the company in 1991 to apply their vast administrative and clinical experience to improve quality of care and protect patients’ rights through the independent review process.

Chief Medical Officer

james-prest

James Richard Prest, M.D. (1922-2006)

Dr. Prest co-founded Prest & Associates, LLC in 1991. He was board certified in psychiatry with extensive experience in consultation to managed care, psychiatric administration, the treatment of hospitalized adolescents and adults, and private practice in general psychiatry and psychoanalysis.

General Manager

judith-shaffer

Judith C. Shaffer

Judith Shaffer has managed, taught, and trained people in various professional settings for more than 20 years and had the experience of working both in the United States and abroad. She was responsible for company efficiency by directing and coordinating personnel and overseeing the independent review process that now encompasses current Prest & Associates values. 

The Prest Story

The Prest & Associates story: a relative history

The Prest & Associates story: a relative history

In 1991, Dr. James Richard Prest established Prest & Associates with his wife Susan in Madison, Wisconsin. Fast forward to 2020, and the company is the oldest and one of the largest independent review organizations (IROs) specializing in psychiatry, addiction medicine and behavioral health care.

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Accreditations

Prest & Associates is proud to be accredited by URAC.

URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is a well-known leader in promoting healthcare quality through accreditation, education, and measurement programs. Its accreditation program helps ensure that organizations that perform IRO services: are free from conflicts of interest; establish qualifications for physician reviewers; address medical necessity and experimental treatment issues; and have reasonable time periods for standard and expedited reviews and appeals processes. URAC accreditation is a symbol of excellence for organizations to demonstrate their commitment to quality and accountability.