Dedicated in my service to Mankind, my entire 31-year nursing career has been specialized in Pediatrics, and I have worked in the PICU since 2000 with much float experience in the NICU. After having done extensive personal research since 1994 to find the best wholistic approaches to patient care and education of both my patients and their families, it wasn’t until late 2020 after diving head first into – and experiencing for myself – the whole-food plant-based lifestyle that I felt confident that I had found a truly viable and evidence-based approach: Back to the Basics.

I am a Pediatrician and Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist with practice focus on pediatric brain tumors, survivorship and genetic cancer predisposition.  I am a longtime member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and believe that many lifestyle factors but especially nutrition, has a big impact on cancer development and survivorship.

Dr. Shayla Toombs-Withers grew up in Atlanta, GA.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN in 2003 where she earned a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Dr. Toombs-Withers earned a Doctorate Degree in Osteopathic Medicine from the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine located on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA in 2007.  After completing her formal medical education, Dr. Toombs-Withers continued her medical training at the University of Cincinnati, The Christ Hospital.  She is double board certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine. Over the years, Dr. Toombs-Withers has served as Adjunct Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine with the University of Cincinnati Family Medicine Residency Program and she worked as a Family Physician for a federally qualified health center caring for underserved populations in the Cincinnati area. In 2013 Dr. Toombs-Withers was named as the Medical Director for the All Care Health Center in Council  Bluffs, IA where she continued to practice family medicine and supervised a staff of physicians and nurse practitioners. Dr. Toombs-Withers moved to Chattanooga, TN in 2015 and became a Family Medicine Physician in the UT/Erlanger Primary Care Medical Group at the Pineville Road office.  She earned a certification in Plant Based Nutrition in 2016 and the was board certified in Obesity Medicine in 2018. Dr. Toombs- Withers has practiced a plant based diet for over 15 years and over the past 5 years she has moved to a vegan diet.  She has trained as an endurance athlete and she has completed the New York City Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Ironman Chattanooga 70.3, Ironman Augusta 70.3, Ironman Texas and a host of other endurance races. Dr. Toombs-Withers founded the Essence of Health Wellness Clinic in Chattanooga, TN in 2019 so that  she could combine her deep knowledge of medicine, plant based nutrition, and athletic training to provide comprehensive primary care to her patients using a Concierge Primary Care Model. Outside of work, Dr. Toombs-Withers is a mom for her three sons, wife, and dog wrangler.  She loves Chattanooga and all of the outdoor experiences it has to offer.  She enjoys cycling, hiking, camping, swimming, triathlons and trail running.

Dr Deb Duro is a Program Director for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutritrion and Medical Director of Florida Intestinal Rehabilitation Support and Treatment “FIRST” Program at the Salah Foundation Children Hospital at Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale, US. Dr Duro is a former trainee from Boston Children Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital both affiliated with Harvard Medical School. She is specialized in Nutrition Support and Home Parenteral Nutrition and Intestinal Rehabilitation in Children suffering from Short Bowel Syndrome and Intestinal Failure. She also created a Blenderized Gastrostomy (GT) Feeding Clinic with a multidicisplinary approach using Plantbased recipes for children over 1 year of age. She received her Plantbased Nutrition certification from Cornell University in 2020. She is also a passionate chef and create an @chefdrdebduro to help and educate her patients on healthy life style and whole food plantbased diet where she shares her own recipes.