October Newsletter

Shayla Hines

Shayla Hines, Patient Care Coordinator, joined the practice in 2025 and quickly became a beloved member and the heart of the team. With a versatile career background and expertise spanning across a broad range of sectors; her leadership experience includes her work as a social worker and fraud escalation supervisor.

Shayla is the first point of contact for patients, and she is committed to ensuring that every visit is a positive experience. Her empathetic approach and smile help put patients at ease from the moment they arrive. She has set a new precedent as the only Patient Care Coordinator to have the privilege of working with Advanced Vitality, our affiliating practice; ACSLC. The unique experience managing dual roles has profoundly inspired Shayla, igniting a passion for further education with peptides.

Shayla is passionate about office efficiencies to enhance patient satisfaction making every visit at Advanced Vitality feel personal and every patient feel well cared for.

In her free time outside of the office, she delights in spending her leisure time decorating her newly built home and enjoys being a recent empty nester with her husband who is her best friend. Shayla is the mother of three amazing children and being their mom is her greatest joy.

Rebecca Williams

Background:
Rebecca has lived in Cincinnati, OH her whole life. She graduated from Northern Kentucky University with her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. After that she graduated from University of Cincinnati Blue Ash with her Associates of Science.

Favorite part of the job:
Rebecca has been working in veterinary medicine for the past 5 years. Although she loves working with animals, she wanted to try something different. She always enjoyed being able to help animals. Now she is able to help people with their personal health goals. In her short time at Advanced Vitality, Rebecca has enjoyed being able to learn about health and well-being, as well as assist patients with anything they need!

Outside the office:
When not assisting patients at Advanced Vitality, Rebecca enjoys finding new parks to explore, trying different coffee shops/restaurants, as well as spending time with friends and family. Rebecca is grateful for the opportunity to become a part of Advanced Vitality’s team and is excited to be able to work with a great group of people!

Jennie Knopf

Jennie has spent most of her life in the Cincinnati, OH area. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northern Kentucky University with her Bachelors of Science in Finance. She helped her husband build and run their own business for the last 5 years and previously worked with Fifth Third Bank before wanting to find something of her own again.

Jennie’s love for fitness and lifting began in high school when she did track and field. After high school she became a personal trainer at a local gym and loved helping people achieve their own personal goals. When she finished her first competition she began dealing with health issues and autoimmune diseases. This began her almost 10 year journey into functional medicine and finding the root cause of issues. Jennie was actually a patient of AVH before joining the team as a Patient Care Coordinator.

When not helping patients at AVH Jennie is a wife and mother to 3 boys. She homeschools all her children and they play multiple sports, so her life is always on the go. When not at some field they enjoy hiking with their German Shepherd, spending time with family and going to church.

Jennie is thankful to be working with a company who puts patients first, but also values their employees and appreciates all the different ideas everyone has to offer. It is truly a blessing to be a patient and an employee.

Mariah Doll

Mariah went to Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois to graduate with her degree in Respiratory Therapy in 2019. She has worked as a respiratory therapist on night shift since 2018, working for Mercy Health in Rockford, Illinois for her whole career thus far. During her career she worked all over the hospital in all departments including the emergency room, pediatrics, Adult Critical Care, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. As of 2022 she also became part of the Neonatal Transport Team.

While she loves her job as a respiratory therapist, she decided that even though she loves helping people, and being part of the team to heal patients; the hospital atmosphere is not where she wants to be every day. Becoming part of the Advanced Vitality team is something she is very passionate about because she is able to still help people achieve their personal health goals, all while having a more personable business to work for rather than a large hospital.
Mariah currently lives in Rockton, Illinois on a farm with her husband and two children.

She tries to spend a lot of time outside caring for the animals, riding their horses, and just exploring their land with her kids. Most days are spent at home, or doing something new outside somewhere when the weather is nice. That is why she feels Advanced Vitality was a great fit for her because it allows her more time with her family and allows for a more normal schedule all while doing what she loves- helping others.

Dawn Hudson

Dawn Hudson is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 15 years of experience in the medical field focusing on emergency and aesthetic medicine. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing in nursing education from Walden University and received her post-master’s Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Purdue University.

Her mission is to establish professional partnerships with her patients, while empowering them through education, research, and evidence to make informed decision that allow them to live their best life. She believes a coordinated, collaborative, and an organized team approach is essential to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

Through her own health and wellness journey, Dawn has developed a passion for functional medicine allowing her to help others get to the root cause of their problems. She is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest advancements in the field and providing the highest quality care in a safe, individualized, and welcoming environment.

In her downtime, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, boating, traveling, sipping bourbon, golfing and anything adventurous. Her life motto is “Life is too short to be boring”.

Kristin Patchell

Kristin Patchell, APRN, is a native of Northern Kentucky. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northern Kentucky University in 2009 and went on to graduate with honors from Maryville University with her Master of Science in Nursing.

She is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner with more than 14 years experience in the medical field. She is passionate about whole body wellness, preventative care, and has a desire to provide a safe and open space to build relationships with patients and provide holistic based care.

Kristin loves living in beautiful East Tennessee with her husband and children. In her downtime she enjoys photography, reading a great novel, hot yoga, and anything outdoors with her husband and three children.

Troy Scott

Prior to founding Advanced Vitality HRT Troy spent over 15 years working in the Multifamily industry; beginning his career with a predictive modeling start-up developing scoring models that enabled apartment operators to make more accurate leasing decisions. In 2007, Troy co-founded one of the largest and most successful Renters Insurance companies in the industry. It was Nationally recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the country. Troy oversaw all aspects of operations from 2007 to 2020 through aggressive periods of growth into a National footprint, multiple recapitalizations, and several strategic acquisitions.

Since 2015, Troy has successfully completed multiple investments in tech start-ups operating within the multifamily housing space, purchased or invested in over 600k square feet of commercial office/industrial space, and has passively invested in over 2,500 apartment units across the Southeast and Texas markets before taking a more active role in acquiring and repositioning multifamily properties with his company SW Capital.

Troy has also been entrenched in the fitness and nutrition community over the last 20 years. Previously owning a large fitness center for 10 years, being a competitive bodybuilder, as well as coaching fitness, figure, and bodybuilding competitors Troy has acquired a wealth of knowledge in the space. Troy began researching hormones and HRT as his own journey to find a knowledgeable practitioner proved difficult. After years of being left unsatisfied with the options available for his own treatment Troy is beyond excited to partner with Jason and Dr. Mendelsohn at Advanced Vitality HRT to bring the best care and advice to clients across the country.

Jason Theobald

Jason M. Theobald graduated law school in 2004, he worked as general counsel to a company local to Cincinnati for 15 years. During this time Jason honed his knowledge of business and creating businesses. In 2017 Jason left his legal job and devoted his full time to his Nutrition Consulting Company called ScoobyHealth. He has grown it to a 7 figure business with 13 coaches.

Jason’s next venture was launching NuEthix Formulations a supplement company found on principles of honesty and integrity. He recognized what the industry was missing, the idea that what is on the label is in the bottle, and thus NuEthix was born.

Jason has 25 years experience working with athletes and weekend warriors who want to OPTIMIZE their bodies. Jason has read thousands of labs and consulted with many regarding their hormonal health. Jason has a Nutrition Consultant license from the AFPA and has studied under Dr. Charles Sefcik a functional medicine practitioner. Due to Jason’s vast experience working with those who have hormonal deficiencies, opening a TRT clinic was a natural progression for him. Jason has been quoted saying, “When you see thousands of labs of those on HRT, you start to notice patterns, and see where mistakes are being made in the administration of these meds. I wanted to bring my experience to the table so people can experience the true benefits HRT has to offer both men and women.” Jason is also 47 years old and uses HRT therapies in his daily life.

Diana Barberena

Background:
With a background rooted in one of the leading HRT clinics in the Southwest, I have dedicated my career to supporting patients through every step of their health and wellness journey.

Favorite part of the job:
At Advanced Vitality, I value being a trusted point of contact, ensuring patients feel heard, informed, and confident in their care.

Outside the office:
I’m passionate about optimizing my own health and creating meaningful memories with my family.

Kelly Kneflin

Background:
I have 20+ years of experience working in healthcare in many capacities such as customer
service, public relations and human resources. I have a degree a BA in Marketing and
Journalism from NKU.

Favorite part of the job:
I really enjoy talking with our patients and being able to help them quickly accomplish a task,
such a scheduling or rescheduling an appointment or connect them with their provider to ask a
question. I also really enjoy sharing our practice details with prospective patients; listening to
the relief in their voices when they realize all that we offer and what it might mean for their
health journey.

Outside the office:
I live in Cincinnati with my husband and 4 children – we keep busy with lots of school activities
and sports. I have a passion for learning about functional health including nutrition,
homeopathy and fitness.

Kay Edwards

Background:
8 year experience in healthcare operations. Specialize in patient experience optimization, healthcare regulations, and team development.

Favorite part of the job:
Being able to support patients on their journey to a healthier lifestyle. I enjoy building relationships and being the point of contact for all of our patient’s needs outside of treatment.

Outside the office:
I am a mom to an incredible 10 year old gymnast, and a busy toddler. A great cook! My hobbies change often but currently I am into crochet and interior design.

Kati Vincent

Education and Background:
BS in Microbiology and BA in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University
BSN, MSN and Post Masters FNP from University of Cincinnati
Over 10 years experience in medicine, started my career in Women’s Health, Neonatal ICU & as a Lactation counselor. Transitioned to Aesthetics & Concierge infusions, then Functional Medicine/BHRT

Why you chose functional medicine:
I found functional medicine through my own health journey. When traditional medicine had no answers for my chronic pain, dysautonomia, and gut issues, I found a functional medicine provider who spent the time to get to the root cause and help me completely change my life. This journey inspired me to learn as much as I could about this approach to medicine & pursue a career that more closely aligns with my values.

Favorite part of the job:
Connecting my patients with their inner wisdom and ability to heal themselves.

Personal wellness routine:
AM Routine: Meditation/Breathwork, Morning sunlight, Qi Gong, Lymphatic self massage & Skincare
PM Routine: Sauna, Red Light therapy, breathwork, facial cupping/gua sha, skincare
Peptides I swear by: Glutathione, NAD+, GHK-Cu & Selank

Your philosophy in one line:
Prioritize joy & bliss, and the universe will open doors that align

Outside the office:
I love hiking, hot pilates, aerial yoga, dancing, paddleboarding/anything on the water, and traveling the world.

Memorable patient wins:
I had a patient who had been dismissed by multiple physicians who was experiencing extreme histamine response to menopausal shifts (pain, skin changes, major sleep and mood disturbances) and was in a deep depressive state as a result of CPTSD. Through a multifactorial approach including nervous system regulation, lifestyle support, supplements, and slowly titrated BHRT, we were able to eliminate her pain, get her sleeping regularly & stabilize her mood. Soon after, other areas of her life began to open doors, and she was able to shift her career to something more aligned with her new state of being.

Brooke Berg

Background:
I began my career as a respiratory therapist, working for 5 years in ICU, NICU, and Emergency Care. In 2023, I joined Advanced Vitality as Patient Coordinator, where I’ve been able to combine my clinical background with my passion for health and wellness to support patients nationwide.

Favorite part of the job:
Hearing the success stories from patients and seeing how much their quality of life has improved. Being part of their journey toward better health is both inspiring and rewarding.

Outside the office:
I enjoy an active lifestyle with my husband and our young son. From summers on the water wake surfing, to exploring Northern Wisconsin, to family powersports adventures, I love making memories with my boys while staying active and embracing new experiences together.

Loraine Dragwo

Education and Background:
Chamberlain University – MSN for Family Nurse Practitioner

Why you chose functional medicine:
I found functional medicine through my own health concerns of GI symptoms, adrenal fatigue and early menopause. It took me years for a provider to really listen to me and figure out what was going on. It was that moment that I knew I wanted to get into functional medicine and hopefully prevent another patient from going through the frustration that I went through.

Favorite part of the job:
Picking just one is tough! I enjoy getting to know my patients and hearing their stories; figuring out the pieces to the puzzle to help patients optimize their health so that they have the energy to do the things they enjoy; and that I’m constantly learning.

Personal wellness routine:
Workout Routine: weight lifting 3-4 days a week; some sort of cardio for at least 10 min
Supplements: Vit D3; Magnesium Glycinate; Zinc; Hair Growth by Primal Harvest
Peptides: Glutathione; NAD+
BHRT: Estradiol; Progesterone; and Testosterone.

Philosophy in one line:
Curiosity

Outside the office, enjoys:
Spending time with family and friends; exploring new places, trying new restaurants; getting out in nature; spending time at the beach and near the water, hiking, and skiing.

Memorable patient wins:
Improve GI symptoms for patients that have struggled with symptoms for years!
Figuring out route causes for patient symptoms that were previously dismissed and having them feel like themselves again.

Garrett Peed

Education/Background
Earned a Master of Science in Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner degree from the
University of Southern California.
Spent 8 years at Johns Hopkins Hospital working as a Nurse in the Cardiovascular
Surgical Intensive Care Unit.
Trained in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, peptide therapies, functional
nutrition, and integrative pain management using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem-
cell–based treatments.
Certified through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) and the Institute
for Functional Medicine (IFM).

Why I Chose Functional Medicine
Drawn to root-cause medicine after seeing gaps in traditional care, especially around
patient education and lifestyle change.
Functional medicine allows for deeper connection and understanding of the “why”
behind illness.
Provides the time and structure to help patients achieve optimal health through
education, nutrition, and lifestyle alignment.

Favorite Part of the Job
Listening to patients’ stories and understanding their health goals.
Watching small, consistent changes compound over time helping patients feel more
energetic, youthful, and empowered.

Personal Wellness Routine
Begins each day with a morning workout and a few minutes of sun exposure while
enjoying coffee.
Prioritizes quality time with his children each morning before the work day begins.
Practices mindfulness and meditation for 7–10 minutes daily.
Takes ice baths 3–5 times per week and maintains a consistent evening sleep routine.
Supplements include magnesium, creatine, and omega-3s.
Favorite peptides: NAD+ and glutathione; uses methylene blue for cognitive support.

Philosophy in One Line
“Optimal health comes from consistent daily habits, but I live by the 80/20 rule: stay
disciplined 80% of the time and enjoy life the other 20%.”

Outside the Office
Enjoys the outdoors with his wife and two children, long walks, beach trips, and
backyard adventures.
Passionate about exercise, cooking nutritious meals with family, and gardening.

Memorable Patient Win
Helped a 50-year-old woman regain her vitality after years of fatigue and medication
dependence.
Through hormone balancing, stress management, and lifestyle optimization, she
regained her energy and confidence.
Her gratitude: “Thank you for giving me my life back”, remains one of my most
meaningful professional moments.

Monica Skonieczny

Education and Background:
Endocrinology specialty certificate from Duke University
MSN Family Nurse Practitioner from University of Alabama at Birmingham
BSN University of Miami
BA Anthropology Northern Illinois University

Why you chose functional medicine:
I chose to work in functional medicine because it allows me to identify and address the root causes of illness rather than just treating symptoms. This approach lets me combine evidence-based medicine with personalized care to help patients achieve lasting health and vitality.

Favorite part of the job:
My favorite part of working at AV is empowering my patients to improve their lives and helping them to reach their goals.

Personal wellness routine:
My personal wellness routine depends on what my current goals are at the time- right now while pregnant I focus on keeping my lifestyle as intentionally focused on health as possible with weight training, daily steps, and a Lily Nichols’ inspired diet. When not pregnant, I add in testosterone replacement and peptides to support my goals of improving body composition and focusing on longevity/anti-aging!

Philosophy in one line:
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

Outside the office, enjoys:
Outside of the office, you can find me working out at the gym, baking sourdough, or spending time with my husband and daughter.

Memorable patient wins:
Some of my most memorable patient wins include supporting women on their journey to conceive and helping women regain healthy menstrual cycles after years of imbalance. I’ve also had the privilege of helping postmenopausal women feel like themselves again through thoughtful hormone optimization, and guiding patients toward sustainable weight loss and lasting lifestyle changes. One particularly rewarding case involved identifying a pituitary adenoma that had gone undiagnosed by endocrinology for years—finally giving her answers after a long journey of feeling unheard.

Jeanie Taggart

Education and Background:
I am Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, graduated from the University of Cincinnati. My background and training is in functional endocrinology.

Why you chose functional medicine:
I was a nurse for 8 years, worked as a travel nurse for 3 and traveled all over the country caring for patients and the #1 questions I was always wanting to figure out is why is our health care model reactive and not proactive? When I completed my Masters degree my mission has always been to help individuals reverse and prevent disease. Functional medicine allows me to do exactly that.

Favorite part of the job:
Changing the quality of someone’s life and helping them walk through the hardest seasons of their life with a plan to come out better than they started

Personal wellness routine:
My mornings start best with prayer/quiet time and lots of sunshine when the midwest weather allows for it. I am a former athlete that now has a passion for strength training and a little Lagree.

Your philosophy in one line:
“If God didn’t make it, don’t eat it”

Outside the office:
My family is the most important thing to me. I love to be studying/reading, cooking, boating or traveling. My niece and nephew are my favorite humans on the planet so more than likely you can find me running around with one of them when I have free time.

Memorable patient wins:
Honestly, I simply love what I do… theres so many patient wins. But the most rewarding thing to hear is a patient report that they feel “heard” for the first time in their health journey.

Kennedy Salerno

Education and Background
Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, Medical University of South Carolina
Bachelors of Science in Human Biology, University of Albany
Post Grad – Continuing Education:
Completion of Worldlink Medical BHRT Certification Course
Attendance and Completion of: A4M Empowering the Menopause Journey Conference, 10/2025
Attendance and Completion of: A4M Longevity Fest,12/2025

Why you chose functional medicine:
I have a strong passion for addressing the root cause of illness, focusing on treating the entire body as one system, and not treating symptoms with a “band aid”. I prefer to prioritize healing from the inside, out with my main focus in optimizing lifestyle and adding in supplements, medications and peptides where needed.

Favorite part of the job:
Being able to provide solutions that are specific to each individual patient case and witnessing the transformation when patients regain confidence, health and vitality.

Personal wellness routine:
Daily non-negotiables:
Drinking a full 1L bottle of water and taking my dogs for a walk right when I wake up in the morning
Reading/Journaling before I go to sleep at night
Favorite Peptide: NAD+, every other day.
This has helped me regain energy, focus and productivity throughout my day.

Philosophy in one line:
Self discipline is the foundation of everything you desire; how you speak to yourself and the standards you hold yourself to, directly shape the trajectory of your life. Lasting
change comes from consistent daily choices and showing up, even on the days you don’t feel like it. You can apply this to your health, career, relationships and more.

Outside the office, enjoys:
Strength training (bodybuilding and powerlifting)
Spending time with my family and german shepherd pups
Being in nature – specifically the beach when the UV is 10 (with SPF of course!)

Memorable patient wins:
Assisting a patient with Hashimoto’s in reclaiming her energy, balancing hormones, and achieving sustainable weight loss; helping her feel like she “got her life back.”

Donna Abdelnour

Education and Background
Master’s Degree as an Acute Care NP University of Cincinnati
Post-Master’s Degree in Family Practice NP from the University of Cincinnati

Why you chose functional medicine:
I am passionate about integrating holistic approaches to treatment options such as peptide therapy, natural supplements, and regenerative medicine. Partnering with patients while blending advanced diagnostic insight with a whole-person approach to uncover and address the root causes of imbalance. My patients appreciate my ability to truly listen, understand their unique health issues, and meet them where they are to tailor evidence-based treatment plans that align with their goals.

Favorite part of the job:
Helping every patient feel their best – from the inside out.

Personal wellness routine:
Running, yoga, and getting into nature

Philosophy in one line:
Deeply rooted in treating the whole person through integrative medicine, blending western medicine with a holistic approach in nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle modification to optimize health down to the cellular level. I feel grateful for the opportunity to inspire health and positivity in patients and earn their trust to partner with them in their health journey.

Outside the office, enjoys:
I love spending time with my four almost-grown children. I find balance through travel and practicing healthy living with yoga, running, and immersing myself in nature whenever possible.

Dr. Jon Mendelsohn

Mendelsohn is proud to be board-certified by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology.  Discover how the experience, skill, and sensitivity of Dr. Mendelsohn combine to help empower patients and enhance their lives. What separates Dr. Mendelsohn from many other Medical Directors is that he uses Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Jon has said, “I have seen better focus and stamina in the Operating Room since starting my own HRT therapy.” Once he witnessed this, he knew he had to bring these types of services to his patients and beyond, and thus Advanced Vitality HRT was born.

On top of his directorship with Advanced Vitality HRT, Dr. Mendolsohn also is the Medical Director of Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center in Rookwood Office Tower, now celebrating its 22nd year. A renowned specialist in Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. Mendelsohn is double board-certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and also the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and has performed more than 4,000 facelifts and 10,000 procedures in his career.

Mendelsohn appears on a regular basis in the Cincinnati media and has also been featured in the national media – including USAToday, The Washington Post, Becker’s Hospital Review, CNNNew Day, as well as The Doctors TV Show.

Recent Newsletters

Recent Comments

Shayla Hines

Rebecca Williams

Jennie Knopf

Mariah Doll

Dawn Hudson

Kristin Patchell

Troy Scott

Jason Theobald

Diana Barberena

Kelly Kneflin

Kay Edwards

Kati Vincent

Brooke Berg

Loraine Dragwo

Garrett Peed

Monica Skonieczny

Jeanie Taggart

Kennedy Salerno

Donna Abdelnour

Dr. Jon Mendelsohn

NEWSLETTER

October 1st, 2025 / Volume 22

Stacked for Success:

Peptides That Redefine Wellness

From Hiding to Healing:

How Root-Cause Testing Helped Heidi Regain Her Confidence

Welcome to Advanced Vitality – Where Strength Meets Science

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