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The Team
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Pamela Bennett, FNP-C, Owner
Pamela Bennett, FNP-C, is the visionary owner of Sandhills Functional Medicine, a beacon of personalized, root-cause care in the Whispering Pines community. A Spokane, WA native, she and her husband—an Air Force veteran—built their life and family there before relocating to North Carolina in 2012, where they've raised two incredible children. Hailing from a proud military lineage herself as an Air Force veteran, with her son currently serving, Pam holds a deep passion for honoring service members and their families through exceptional health optimization that recognizes their unique sacrifices.
Pam's journey into functional medicine ignited after earning her Master of Science in Nursing from Georgetown University in 2018. As a dedicated Family Nurse Practitioner, she's since transformed countless lives by delving beyond symptoms to uncover and address underlying imbalances. Her expertise shines in managing chronic effects of traumatic brain injuries, hormone optimization, metabolic balance, weight management, thyroid health, autoimmune conditions, and holistic wellness—always with an emphasis on empowerment and vitality.
A lifelong learner, Pam has pursued advanced credentials including a Fellowship in Anti-Aging, Metabolic, and Functional Medicine (FAAMFM) from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. She's also completed rigorous training through multiple courses at The Institute for Functional Medicine, specialized Traumatic Brain Injury protocols with Dr. Mark Gordon, and the Brain Health Certification by Dr. Daniel Amen, ensuring her practice remains at the cutting edge of integrative care.
In her downtime, Pam treasures family adventures, cherishing the joys of parenthood and the enduring bonds forged in service. Her commitment to balanced living inspires the compassionate, comprehensive approach she brings to every patient, fostering not just healing, but thriving.
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Paige Resor, FNP-C, CNM
Paige Resor, Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C) and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), is excited to join the highly talented team at Sandhills Functional Medicine. Before joining Sandhills Functional Medicine, she worked in OBGYN and primary care. She has incorporated functional medicine with hormones, pellet therapy, thyroid and weight management.
Paige received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Western Carolina University in 2006, her Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner in 2010 from Winston-Salem State University and became a Certified Nurse Midwife in 2013 from East Carolina University. In 2019, she decided to start training in functional medicine and in 2021, she became certified with the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Functional Medicine.
Paige enjoys playing detective in order to get to the root cause of your issues. She is passionate about traumatic brain injuries, thyroid optimization, weight management, hormone optimization, PCOS, endometriosis, and infertility.
Paige is a military spouse and is familiar with all the complexities that military life may bring. She lives with her husband and their 2 fur babies, Petey the Yorkie and Brennan, the Chihuahua-Terrier. When she is not working, she loves to travel, scuba dive, and go hiking!
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Jennifer Reid, DNP, AGNP-C
Jennifer Reid is a native of Moore County and has been living here for the majority of her life. She resides in Vass, NC with her husband and has two sons. Jennifer was an NCAA Division I golfer at Appalachian State University where she received her first Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. She became interested in healthcare when her son’s were young and her husband’s father died of Lung Cancer fueling her passion in preventative medicine and advanced care planning.
Jennifer received her BSN from Appalachian State University and then went on to receive her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She started her advanced practice in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine and worked both outpatient and inpatient care before joining Sandhills Functional Medicine.
Part of her doctoral degree included DNP Capstone Project: A community education session: Increasing awareness, knowledge, and participation in advance care planning.
Jennifer’s areas of focus are hormone optimization, sleep and insomnia care including obstructive sleep apnea, metabolic balance, weight management, sports recovery, sexual health, thyroid optimization, chronic disease management and prevention.
Dr. Shayna Jones
Dr. Shayna Jones, MD, MPH, is a board-certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Obesity Medicine specialist dedicated to empowering women in the Sandhills region with personalized, root-cause medicine. Originally from the New York/New Jersey area, she relocated to North Carolina over a decade ago, bringing her passion for transformative care to our community.
Dr. Jones began her career honing expertise in hormone optimization, which naturally expanded into a holistic pursuit of uncovering and addressing the underlying drivers of health challenges. Through advanced training in functional medicine, she now champions cellular health optimization for every patient. Her integrative approach targets inflammation reduction, endocrine balance, and neurological support, tailoring treatments to individual needs. This includes genetic insights, targeted nutrition, supplementation, hormone replacement therapy, peptide protocols, and judicious use of conventional interventions when essential.
A graduate of the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Dr. Jones earned her medical degree followed by a Master’s in Public Health (with a focus on administration) from Columbia University. Her commitment to lifelong learning shines through prestigious postgraduate fellowships in Obesity Medicine and Anti-Aging, Metabolic, and Functional Medicine (FAAFM) via the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. She has also completed specialized coursework in hormone therapy and health optimization, ensuring her practice stays at the forefront of innovative, evidence-based care.
Beyond the clinic, Dr. Jones cherishes family life with her husband and three energetic children. She's an enthusiastic supporter of her sons' basketball games and her daughter's equestrian adventures, embodying the balance of vitality she promotes in her patients.
Dr. Bryan Stepanenko
Dr. Stepanenko is a board-certified Family Physician and a certified Functional Medicine Practitioner (IFMCP) with a unique and distinguished background as a former Army family physician, firefighter/paramedic, and cancer survivor. With over a decade of experience integrating evidence-based lifestyle and functional medicine into the Military Health System, he now serves as a lifestyle and performance clinician and consultant.
He brings a rare depth and range of experience as well as clear purpose to his mission: helping high performers reclaim their health and optimize performance to amplify their impact and build their legacy. His work centers on translating cutting-edge, systems-based science into actionable strategies that support brain, gut, muscle, hormone, and immune health while optimizing sleep, performance, recovery, metabolic resiliency, and long-term vitality.
Dr. Stepanenko is a core faculty member of the Institute for Functional Medicine and serves as a clinical champion and teaching faculty for the U.S. military’s only functional medicine training program —based at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He trains healthcare and human performance professionals internationally on how to leverage functional medicine concepts to identify and address threats and opportunities for health and performance, both in the military operational environment and in everyday life.
A trusted advisor to special force operators and high-performing professionals navigating complex health challenges in high-stakes environments, Dr. Stepanenko’s clinical expertise spans human performance optimization, brain dysfunction, gut dysfunction, cardiometabolic dysfunction, neuroendocrine dysfunction, chronic pain, sleep disorders, autoimmune conditions, chronic inflammatory conditions, toxin exposures, stealth infections, and allostatic overload (Operator) syndrome.
He combines public health principles with root-cause medicine to deliver an exceptional care experience that is highly personalized, preventive, and proactive. Through his clinical practice, national teaching roles, and consulting work, Dr. Stepanenko continues to redefine what it means to practice medicine—not simply treating disease, but cultivating resilience down to the cellular level, optimizing healthspan, and sustaining mission-ready performance.
Cory Briggs, PA-C
Cory Briggs, PA-C, is a board-certified Physician Assistant with over 13 years of experience delivering exceptional care to high performers, including elite military operators and civilians alike. As a veteran of high-level Special Operations and a current member of the Air National Guard, Cory brings a unique and distinguished perspective shaped by his extensive operational and clinical background. A former captain of the McDaniel College football team, where he dual-majored in Exercise Science and Chemistry, Cory graduated from the Methodist University Physician Assistant program in 2011. His service in the Air Force has spanned diverse roles, including clinic-based care, the Presidential Support Program, and Special Mission Units, providing him with unparalleled insight into the demands of high-stakes environments.
Cory’s mission is to empower high performers to live their most rich and meaningful lives. Drawing on his own experiences with injuries, ailments, and the rigors of operational service, he approaches care with unique empathy, crafting highly personalized plans that deliver outsized results. His expertise lies in exploring root causes of health challenges and collaboratively developing actionable strategies to address them, ensuring patients achieve peak performance and long-term vitality.
Cory’s clinical focus encompasses multiple pathways for human performance optimization. By integrating evidence-based, holistic principles with a deep understanding of the physiological and psychological demands on high performers, he provides care that is proactive, preventive, and tailored to each patient’s unique needs.
Outside of his clinical practice, Cory is a devoted husband and father, proudly raising his three children alongside his wife, Caitlin. He is an avid reader, amateur outdoorsman, and likes to pretend he is still a halfway decent athlete. Cory brings the same passion and discipline to his personal life as he does to his professional mission of transforming lives through resilience and optimized health.
Dr. Robert Deucher, Internal Medicine
Dr. Deucher is an Internal Medicine primary care physician specializing in care for medically complex adult patients and chronic illness. Dr. Deucher is our supervising physician and practices internal medicine out of St. Lukes Medical Practice.
Dr. Deucher graduated with honors and received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine in 1992 and is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has practiced in the Sandhills region of North Carolina for over 25 years.
Dr. Deucher affiliates with FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital and is the hospitalist for his primary care patients.