Martha E. Shepherd, DO, MPH, FAAFP, FACLM is a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health. She is triple board-certified in family medicine, integrative medicine, and lifestyle medicine and holds a Master of Public Health from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
Dr. Shepherd earned her medical degree from Kansas City University, completed a family medicine internship at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, residency at the University of Tennessee, and a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona. She joined the Vanderbilt faculty following her service as a physician in the United States Navy. She is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Dr. Shepherd is the Medical Director for Vanderbilt Health at Metro Nashville Public Schools, a network of five award-winning, employer-based clinics providing whole-person care to employees of Nashville’s school district through an interdisciplinary team approach. She is active in the corporate health and wellness sector, serving on the Board of Directors for the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), the Cigna Mid-South Physician Advisory Council, and the Medical Director Council for the National Association of Worksite Health Centers (NAWHC).
In addition, Dr. Shepherd co-chairs the Tennessee Medical Association Education Committee and serves on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Academy of Family Physicians, where she advocates for medical education at both state and national levels. She is a certified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through the Mindfulness Center at Brown University School of Public Health, a certified yoga instructor, and serves on the Medical Fitness Association (MFA) Physician Advisory Council.
Dr. Shepherd’s research focuses on employer health, health plan design, and best practices in population health. Her work emphasizes the importance of effective health communication and including patients in their care plan using shared decision-making tools, evidence-based clinical care pathways, and patient advisory group feedback. She is particularly interested in leveraging technology to enhance care quality and improve the experiences of both patients and providers.
She has been an invited speaker at academic institutions, corporate health events and scientific meetings locally, nationally, and internationally. In 2024, she was named to the American Journal of Health Promotion’s “Best of 2024 List” of Health Promotion Researchers.
Kristin Lee, MSN, FNP-BC, serves as director of the MNPS Health Care Centers. She earned her BSN in 1997 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She then worked on a cardiac critical care unit as a staff nurse, charge nurse and discharge coordinator. She earned her MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2003 from UNMC.
She has worked as a family practice provider and served in leadership roles in family practice, community health, urgent care and telemedicine settings.
Kristin has lived in Nashville since 2008. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, reading, traveling and church activities.
Dana Manning, MSN, FNP-C, is a family nurse practitioner with a background in biological sciences, and she attended Vanderbilt University for both her bachelor's and master's degrees. Before coming to the MNPS Health Care Centers, she worked at a private practice outside of Nashville and the Vanderbilt Primary Care clinics.
Dana enjoys forming relationships with her patients and getting to know them personally in order to best meet their health needs. She is originally from the Cincinnati area but has lived in Nashville for most of her adult life. She and her husband enjoy traveling, trying new restaurants, and seeing shows and concerts around town.
Jennifer Hall has more than 35 years’ experience in health care, specializing in managerial operations. She has been with the MNPS Health Care Centers since 2010.
Jennifer enjoys living in the country with her husband Mike. She’s the proud mother of Kayla, Paige and Courtney and a very proud Grammy to Ares, Kinsley and Luxlee. She’s an avid dog lover and Alabama football supporter. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, and enjoys camping, fishing and family time at the beach.
Jennifer Scruggs, PACE, CHL, is the administrative manager for the MNPS Health Care Centers, where she has worked since 2013. She holds the Professional Administrative Certification of Excellence (PACE) from The American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP) and was designated a Certified Healthcare Leader (CHL) by Healthcare Business Insights.
Jennifer is a graduate of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Leader Experience Pathway (LEP) program, demonstrating a deep commitment to continuous improvement. Driven by a passion for serving others, Jennifer began her career in administrative management in 2003. She greets each new challenge with a smile and a MacBook, and thrives with large, long-term tasks that include an abundance of detail.
Jennifer is a Nashville native and proud mom of two. She enjoys off-road cycling, meditation and cheering on her favorite sports teams — the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chicago Cubs.
Laura Vanderpool, BS, MS, BSN, serves as Nurse Manager for the MNPS Health Care Centers. She joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 1998 and has served across multiple departments. Her job assignments have been multi-faceted and included time with the cardiovascular surgical step-down unit, postpartum women’s health, and the Kim Dayani Center. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in fitness management from Mississippi State University, a master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion from Middle Tennessee State University, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Belmont University.
Laura is certified in basic life support and advanced life support. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Johnny. In her free time, she enjoys attending Tennessee Titans football games and other sporting events. She is an avid fan of Mississippi State athletics and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
Johnsie Holt, MS, CWP, is the Director of Employee Wellness for Metro Nashville Public Schools. She has worked in MNPS since 2010. Prior to her current role, Johnsie worked with the MNPS Coordinated School Health program focusing on student wellness initiatives for more than six years. She attended Austin Peay State University, earning her bachelor of science in health with a specialization in wellness promotion and her master of science in health with a specialization in health care administration. She is a Certified Wellness Practitioner with the National Wellness Institute. She is also a certified CPR Instructor with the American Heart Association.
Johnsie enjoys gardening, working out, DIY projects and going on adventures with her husband and young son. And on Sundays you can guarantee she is cheering on the Tennessee Titans!
Kellye Addison serves as a senior administrative assistant supporting the Director of Clinical Operations at the MNPS Health Care Centers. She previously worked at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as a licensed Chiropractic Therapy Assistant. Before that, she managed a medical weight loss facility and has also worked as a pharmacy call center supervisor and a Certified Pharmacy Technician.
Kellye enjoys spending time on her farm in Kentucky with her husband, George, and her daughter, Laney Jane. She is also actively involved in a ministry that holds great importance in her life.
Gia Tanksley serves as administrative assistant supporting the Medical Director at the MNPS Health Care Centers. She earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education (biology/chemistry) from the University of Pittsburgh and her master’s degree in education from Murray State University.
Gia previously served as a training instructor, a classroom educator and, most recently, in procurement and inventory management. In her free time, she enjoys home improvement projects and gardening.
