I am a licensed naturopathic physician in Arizona, California, and Vermont. I received my doctorate of naturopathic medicine from Sonoran University of Health Sciences, formerly SCNM. Born and raised in Arizona, I received a bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences from University of Arizona in 2010. Upon graduation from Sonoran University in 2014, I completed three years of residency; two years in naturopathic family practice at Sonoran University Medical Center, followed by a one-year, highly competitive specialty residency in homeopathic medicine. After completing my residencies, I served as adjunct faculty at Sonoran University until 2021, and am now a guest lecturer there. In 2022, I earned my diplomate status in Hahnemannian homeopathy (DHANP). I also serve on the boards of the American Board of Homeopathic Medicine (ABHM) and the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians (HANP).

My passion lies in empowering patients to help them become the best possible version of themselves. I have a special interest in working with adults who are struggling with thyroid disorders, metabolic syndrome, anxiety, depression, and digestive disorders. I prioritize an individualized and patient-centered approach to treatment and emphasize natural therapies that stimulate the body’s innate ability to heal. I believe that this gentle, yet profound approach allows for recovery, along with a lowered predisposition to future illness. I maintain a private practice at Nourish Natural Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ, and look forward to working with you.

As the second generation owner of O’Brien Pharmacy and the Kansas City Holistic Centre in Mission, Kansas, Lisa grew up in pharmacy and healthcare, yet was dubbed the “un-pharmacist” for helping patients attain healthier lives through lifestyle changes, such as adopting a plant-based diet, versus popping pills. She uses her almost 50 years of experience as a clinical pharmacist and 30-some years as a certified clinical nutritionist to help people achieve the reversal of disease and the reclamation of their health. In her private consultation practice, she focuses on outcome-based holistic patient care and education. Her work incorporates the principles of biochemically-based clinical nutrition, spirituality, physiology, and pharmacology.

Lisa is the President of the International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists, a member on the Government Affairs Committee for the Kansas Pharmacists Association, and is on the Foundation Board of Directors for the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding. She served on the Professional Affairs committee for the Kansas Pharmacists Association and the Education Committee for the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding. She has fellowships in the American College of Apothecaries and the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding. Lisa was on the Midwest Internal Review Board for 10 years, overseeing more than 950 studies for the Food and Drug Administration, and served on the board of trustees for the American Holistic Medical Association. Lisa formulated the antioxidant supplement Body & Vision, and the multi-vitamin/mineral Optimal Daily Allowance which won the NutriSearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements Five Star Award in 2014. Recently, Lisa authored a textbook to benefit both practitioners and patients titled Learning to Thrive in a Toxic World and the Impact of Clinical Endocrinology and BHRT, and is working on a follow-up book for practitioners. Lisa is currently seeking her diplomate in constitutional homeopathy as a student of The Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine.

Christine A. Degnon, MD, MPH (she/hers) is triple-boarded, with board certifications in Family Medicine, Obesity Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine. “Dr. Chris” graduated from Bucknell University with degrees in Biology and Religion, then spent over two years serving as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya. She obtained her Medical Degree from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania and then completed the Family Medicine Residency Program at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, South Carolina. She also earned a Master in Public Health degree at Boston University. Since opening Coastal Direct Primary Care in January of 2018, Dr. Chris has been partnering with patients to make health a priority. She believes in patient-centered care and shared decision making, which means she will listen to you and work with you to develop your health and wellness goals, as well as a strategy to meet them.

Dr. Kotlerman started her clinical career as a diagnostic, nutritional therapist specializing in mental imbalance and nutritional deficiencies. Although Dr. Kotlerman was running a successful practice in nutrition, it was obvious that there was a missing piece, as many clients needed more. It was at this time that Dr. Kotlerman walked the El Camino de Santiago, in Europe, and had a life-changing experience that showed her that she needed to commit to the process of being a chiropractor. Four days after returning to the United States, she was enrolled in Life West Chiropractic College in San Francisco, CA.

She graduated Life West Chiropractic College with Emerald clinical honors and as a recipient of the Carl Dieter Philosophy Scholarship. Dr. Kotlerman received education and certification in: Thompson drop table, toggle, diversified Gonstead, activator, DNFT, pediatric, pregnancy, and SOT Chiropractic techniques.

Dr. Kotlerman has since specialized in Averio FNT, a tonal, low-force chiropractic technique that uses sustained contact in specific areas in order to change spinal alignment and function.

Dr. Kotlerman is a published author with two books. Her clinical results book, “Exceptional Health: You Can Have It!” and her personal memoir, “Seeing Magic“. In addition to her books, she has published 6 international case studies in collaboration with the Australian Spinal Research Foundation and the Pan-Asian Chiropractic Journal.

Marc Debay, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Family Medicine for the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.

Debay received his M.D. from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté de Médecine (Free University of Brussels), Belgium and a master’s and a Ph.D. in public health from The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. He completed residencies in family medicine at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center and in preventive medicine at Loma Linda University. He is board certified in both family medicine and preventive medicine.

Debay was previously an associate professor in the School of Medicine and in the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University and director of the Primary Care Physicians Services Project, a partnership between the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health and the Loma Linda Faculty Medical Group. He served as an attending physician in the departments of preventive medicine and family medicine and as a physician in the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System. He also focused on training physicians and other health professionals for primary care research and global health service.

His extensive international public health expertise includes reproductive, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, behavior change communication, and health systems strengthening. He has broad experience in program design, implementation, and evaluation at the community, district, national and international levels with a variety of government, academic and private organizations. He has served in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Among his many volunteer activities, he served as faculty advisor and supervisor to the Loma Linda University Street Medicine Outreach, a student-run volunteer medical group providing transitional care to the homeless of San Bernardino. He has also worked with a multitude of international aid organizations such as World Vision International and Doctors Without Borders.

He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Preventive Medicine and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.

He is fluent in both English and French and also speaks Spanish.

His interests include comprehensive patient-centered primary care, program evaluation and quality improvement, and global health education of physicians and other health professionals.

My name is Dr. Joseph Thomas and I am a trained family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician. I grew up health conscious as a vegetarian but after starting residency I learned of the healing power a plant-based diet possessed. I was able to lead a reversing diabetes course during residency and saw several people go from limited mobility to walking around the room. I was able to see peoples weight go down, happiness increase and true healing occur. This set me on a path to find other ways to heal people. After residency I started working in the hospital where I tried to help those in need obtain better help; realizing that the majority of chronic diseases started with the diet. I have since left the hospital and started up my own company (Simpliwell LLC) with my wife (nutrition counsellor in training) so that we could work with people earlier in the disease process to keep them out of the hospital and in a better state of health. It has been a pleasure joining up with the Plantrician Project to help the world achieve better health. 

Dr. Olsen graduated from ISU Family Medicine Residency in 2012 and has been practicing with InterMountain Medical Clinic since then. He attended medical school at Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in the Phoenix area. He enjoys camping, traveling, running, woodworking and backpacking. Dr. Olsen is currently accepting new, qualified patients.

Samantha Salmon is the founder of RawFoodMealPlanner.com, a health coaching and training service that specializes in brain health, weight loss, type 2 diabetes, menstrual health, raw foods, and energy. As a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and Brain Health Licensed Trainer, Samantha educates her clients on natural healing modalities such as nutrition and lifestyle to support their overall health and well-being. With a background in raw foods and plant-based nutrition, and a personal connection to diabetes through her grandmother’s death, Samantha is passionate about helping her clients achieve optimal health through dietary and lifestyle changes. She is also the former owner of Earth’s Healing Café in Chicago, Illinois, who has fed celebrities like Zoe Kravitz, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and fitness star Koya Webb. She is the creator of the Raw Food Health Empowerment Podcast and author of the book, “You Can Afford to Be Healthy”.
After getting a degree in economics from New York University and opening a raw vegan organic restaurant in Chicago, she went on to receive her health coach certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where she learned about more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. 
Samantha is active in the health equity space in an effort to achieve her mission of eradicating type 2 diabetes in this country. She is a member of the Good Food Economy and Good Food Purchasing Policy Working Groups for LA Food Policy Council, one of the largest food policy councils in the country.

Dr. Marianela Lavena is a seasoned medical professional with over two decades of experience, dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional and integrative medicine. Graduating from medical school 20 years ago, she embarked on a journey of exploration and discovery to unearth the most effective ways to guide her patients towards holistic healing. Driven by her belief in nurturing the interconnectedness of mental, spiritual, and physical well-being, she has cultivated a unique approach that harmoniously blends ancient practices with her extensive knowledge in Allopathic, Functional, and Mind-Body medicine.
Dr. Lavena is committed to providing a sanctuary for healing, community, and growth, and her adoption of a membership model at Inner Healing Medical ensures that each patient receives personalized care and attention. With a strong conviction that food is medicine and that true healing originates from within, Dr. Lavena emphasizes the importance of removing toxins and chronic infections while also fostering the body’s innate healing potential. Her holistic approach extends beyond the physical realm, advocating self-kindness, self-compassion, and the pursuit of purpose. Dr. Lavena’s mission is not only to guide patients on a path to optimal health but also to empower them to discover their inner motivation, embrace their unique life purpose, and lead lives imbued with happiness, strength, and resilience.

I am a board certified family nurse practitioner in family and lifestyle medicine in Georgetown, TX. Over the course of my 23-year career in medicine I have worked in both adult cardiac and pulmonary focused intensive care units, home health, hospice and inpatient rehab, as well as assisted living and memory care.  My career has allowed me to practice the full spectrum of adult medicine.  While I believe pharmaceuticals have their place in medicine, my passion is to show my patients how to live a life without them In 2016, my career took an unexpected turn following a health crisis and an eventual autoimmune disease diagnosis.  While researching and reading everything I could get my hands on about autoimmune diseases, I discovered the connection between diet and disease.  Three years after my diagnosis I had reversed my autoimmune illness, was off all my medication, and had almost undetectable antibodies.  I had a new vision for the way I wanted to practice medicine.  I returned to The University of Texas at Austin and completed my Doctorate in Nursing Practice focusing on Lifestyle medicine.

Dr. Rob McNab is a practicing Internist in Joplin, MO. He is double-boarded in Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. He has a passion for medical education and Lifestyle Medicine interventions. Dr. McNab is a 2002 graduate of the Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience. He holds fellowships from both the ACOI and the ACP. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.
 
Dr. McNab created McNab Wellness – a Foundational Care clinic in 2022.  With a firmly held belief that healthy lifestyles are the foundations of good health, this practice collaborates with clients to optimize their health habits to attain their maximal health span and lifespan!

Dr. Winnie Suen is a graduate of John A. Burns School of Medicine. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, Palliative Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine. She has experience working at multiple health systems in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Hawaii caring for older adults in the home, clinic, assisted living, hospital, and nursing home settings.  She is passionate about helping seniors and caregivers discover and achieve their goals to live their best quality of life using available evidence-based medicine and technology with moderation and balance in mind.   

I have been a Physician Associate since 2005, and currently work in Family Medicine. I found Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine on my own when I found that my own health was going downhill. While I was improving my own health, I started using Lifestyle Medicine to improve the health of my patients and family. I have also been teaching free Nutrition/Lifestyle Medicine classes in my community since 2018. I enjoy walking, riding bicycles, traveling, watching sports, and spending time with my wife and family. 

Direct Primary Care allows me the opportunity to be the educator and teammate in care.
Throughout my almost 15 years of practice in our traditional healthcare delivery system, the idea of providing an excellent provider to patient relationship has been sold to patients by insurance companies and healthcare systems over and over again. In reality, that level of communication, trust and understanding is rarely attainable when the expectation is to see even 25 patients in one day, let alone the 30 or 40 patients that are being evaluated by one practitioner in some settings.

As the time we have for patients has decreased, the time required to be reimbursed by the insurer has increased. Insurance has dictated what good medical care is by deconstructing the patient-provider relationship and turning it into checkboxes. Clicking boxes is robotic, teaches us not to think for ourselves and generally does not in any way contribute to a functional relationship between patients and providers.

Direct Primary Care is the ladder I’m climbing to get out of those boxes so that I can truly help people. In this model I will be free to practice medicine in its most effective form. Instead of having 5 minutes to talk to my patient about what is really important to them, I will have 45-60 minutes to listen, gather information, educate and participate in shared decision making. In comparison to the almost 2000 patients I had as an employed outpatient primary care provider, my goal is a maximum of 500. My patients will have access to me without having to wait for 3 weeks and without having to explain their needs to several people before ever seeing me.

By making home visits and utilizing technologies such as secured messaging and virtual interaction, I can truly be the trusted resource, teammate, cheerleader, consoler and advocate that I’ve always wanted to be.

Dr. Rakesh Jotwani, aka Dr. Rak (“rock”), became passionate about helping others make lifestyle changes after his own health dramatically improved with lifestyle changes. Dr. Rak completed his undergraduate degree in neuroscience at Duke University, his medical degree from the University of Chicago, and his internal medicine residency training at the University of California in San Francisco.He is dual board certified in Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. He has worked in direct patient care for over a decade, first as a hospital physician, then as a primary care physician. He previously served as the Director of Lifestyle Medicine for a large community hospital in San Francisco.  
Dr. Rak has an avid interest in how we can effectively change our habits, and regularly speaks about this subject to other healthcare providers across the United States.Dr. Rak is also an active member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s subgroup HEAL (Health Equity Achieved Through Lifestyle). Dr. Rak is married and has three kids.  Outside of work, he enjoys spending time cooking and enjoying plant-based meals, hiking, and strength training.