Providers

Dr. Doug Briggs comes full circle in joining NeighborHealth as medical director. His family moved to Raleigh in 1981, and he graduated from UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine in 1987. After graduation, Dr. Briggs finished a family medicine residency program at UT Southwestern in Dallas in 1990. While in Dallas, he and his wife attended Dallas Theological Seminary and began planning a career serving in the developing world. From 1990 until 1995, he spent time in private practice in Dallas. He was involved in short-term trips to Guatemala, India and China.

In 1995, Dr. Briggs, his wife, Michaele, and their two small children moved to southwest China where he started a village doctor program and a walk-in clinic while working in a school for disabled adults. From 1998 until 2018 he was involved in training village doctors from the Chinese countryside, seeing patients from the poor villages, and taking part in various public health efforts to control the spread of infectious disease while working to put an end to ostracism of the sick and disabled in mainstream society.

Dr. Briggs’ medical care vision focuses on caring for individuals, families, and communities in a way that integrates all aspects of health with attention to physical, mental, emotional, and societal health. His intent is to combine health restoration, illness prevention, and preservation of personal dignity and autonomy while training patients how to be more involved with their own health. Dr. Doug Briggs comes full circle in joining NeighborHealth as medical director. His family moved to Raleigh in 1981, and he graduated from UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine in 1987. After graduation, Dr. Briggs finished a family medicine residency program at UT Southwestern in Dallas in 1990. While in Dallas, he and his wife attended Dallas Theological Seminary and began planning a career serving in the developing world. From 1990 until 1995, he spent time in private practice in Dallas. He was involved in short-term trips to Guatemala, India and China.

Stacy Boulton, MD, OB/GYN, is a Knoxville native. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee, also attending medical school at UT.  She completed her residency in Ohio in 2004, working in academics at the University of Cincinnati. While there, she directed a Cincinnati clinic for pregnant women affected by substance abuse, then transitioned to  private practice.  

She and her husband, a Raleigh cardiothoracic surgeon, moved from Ohio to Atlanta, where Stacy remained in private practice. The family relocated to Raleigh in 2012, where Stacy has worked as a WakeMed North laborist. Dr Boulton has a passion for ensuring quality prenatal and gynecological care is accessible to all.  The Boulton family regularly travels to a hospital in Kenya where Stacy and her husband provide relief support to missionary & Kenyan physicians, as well as participate in physician training. In her free time she loves to be outside (cycling, hiking, climbing, camping) and spending time with her husband and four sons.

Dr. Ron Halbrooks was born and raised in Texas and received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University. Staying in-state for medical school, he attended The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. After graduation, he went on to the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center for three years of training in Internal Medicine.

After completing his education, Dr. Halbrooks moved to Ethiopia to work with the Ethiopian people in the midst of a famine. While there, he met his future wife, Mary, and they were married in Australia.  After finishing his work in Ethiopia, Dr. Halbrooks and his wife returned to the States, moving to Durham where he worked for Durham Medical Center and later Duke Health Systems. Yet, with a heart to again help those overseas, he with his wife and four daughters moved to China where he worked in a Chinese hospital.

When they came back to the United States six years later, they settled in Durham again and Dr. Halbrooks returned to work at Duke Health Systems in Internal Medicine.  Since returning, he has also continued to work with Chinese hospitals helping them with Primary Care, and has helped the North Carolina Baptist Men in developing dental buses and prevention buses that screen for diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol.

When Dr. Halbrooks joined NeighborHealth Center in the fall of 2021, he said

“Having worked with the underserved in Ethiopia, China and in North Carolina, I was drawn to NeighborHealth to help provide care to this group of people who so often lack adequate, quality health care. I am so glad to be able to work here at this time.”

Betsy Joyner grew up in Nashville, North Carolina and received a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology from North Carolina State University. She attended Elon University where she completed her degree in Physician Assistant Studies. Prior to joining NeighborHealth, she worked in Endocrinology.

Betsy enjoys spending time with her husband and son. She is passionate about ensuring everyone has access to quality health care.

Rachel Lehman is a Nurse Practitioner who joined NeighborHealth Center in 2019. She received her undergraduate degree from Wheaton College. In 1999, she graduated with her Master’s in Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner training from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. While attending Vanderbilt, she was awarded a National Health Service Corps scholarship and went on to serve at a network of rural health clinics in Iowa. Over the last 20 years, Rachel has enjoyed working in a variety of health care settings including family practice, pediatric pulmonology, community health, Health Care for the Homeless, and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Together with her husband and two children, she also spent seven life-changing years in Southeast Asia working to improve access to high-quality medical care.

Rachel strongly values compassion, empathy, teamwork, and holistic care and is passionate about every person having access to affordable, quality health care. In her free time, she loves to hike, read, travel, and run.

Cameron Cobb was born and raised in the Triangle and received his bachelor of science in nursing degree from UNC Charlotte. After moving to Boise, Idaho, he worked as a registered nurse on a medical-surgical unit at the state’s largest hospital. He then attended Idaho State University’s family nurse practitioner program where he received a doctor of nursing practice degree. Cameron joined NeighborHealth Center in 2020. He is passionate about serving underrepresented communities and providing holistic care to patients and their families.

Shannon was born in Providence, Rhode Island and spent most of her childhood in the Ohio Valley. She is a 2010 graduate of Johnston Community College and a 2017 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing. Shannon completed her graduate training at Georgetown University in 2020, earning a Master of Science in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner with honors. She has spent the majority of her nursing career as a critical care nurse providing nursing care for critically ill patients in rural community hospitals. In addition to critical care nursing, she served a nurse leader for several years.

Shannon’s passion as a family nurse practitioner is striving to improve access to high quality healthcare for impoverished, underserved, and historically marginalized populations. Providing culturally competent healthcare is a priority, as she often provides care for refugees from numerous countries. Showing the love of Christ through caring for others has been paramount to her practice.

Shannon and her husband Sascha live in North Raleigh with their fur babies. She has two adult children and is a member of the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral. Shannon enjoys traveling, hiking, bike riding, and visiting family and friends.

Originally from Washington State, Chelsey spent the majority of her childhood years in Virginia and earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Mary Washington in 2004.  After 4 years working in cancer research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she returned to the classroom at East Carolina University and was awarded a Master of Science in Nursing, with a concentration in Midwifery in 2015.  Her nursing career has focused almost exclusively on Maternal/Infant Health, with 10 years spent in Neonatal Intensive Care, Newborn Nursery, and Mother-Baby in the hospital setting, as well as 2 years in out-of-hospital birth.  She was immersed into the world of public healthcare during her first job as a midwife with the local health department prenatal/family planning clinics, and it was there that her passion and desire to serve the underserved really grew.  She joined the NeighborHealth Center team in 2020.

Chelsey appreciates the continuity of care afforded by her practice, as this allows her to build meaningful relationships with her patients.  It is such a reward to support women through life’s journey, from preconception, to pregnancy, postpartum, contraceptive care, and a return to well women visits.  Her professional interests include teen pregnancy, culturally competent prenatal/postpartum education, and breastfeeding support.  In her free time, you can find her enjoying the outdoors with her husband, 3 sons, and 2 doodle pups.

While born and raised in North Texas, the desire to meet new people and explore new places has been consistent all her life. Her college studies took her out of Texas to Cedarville University in Ohio, where she earned a bachelors in nursing. During those college years, she developed a love for different cultures and people through mission trips all over the world. After graduation, she worked as a nurse in a neuro ICU. In 2012, she graduated from Baylor University as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In her free time Allison also enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling on medical mission trips.

Since becoming a nurse practitioner, Allison has thoroughly enjoyed working in family medicine.  She enjoys seeing patients of all ages, children through geriatrics. She delights in hearing each of her patient’s stories. Allison desires to be a partner in her patient’s health, coming alongside to teach, encourage, and address barriers to a healthy lifestyle. Her aim is to provide holistic care, by addressing the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs with dignity and respect to each and every patient. She was thrilled to join Neighborhealth center in the summer of 2022.

Ellie Record is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a Master’s of Science in Nursing. She has joined Neighborhealth after working as a Nurse Practitioner in rural Smithfield, North Carolina. Ellie loves providing care to children of all ages but has special interests in newborn and adolescent medicine. She is also an internationally board-certified lactation consultant and loves to help her patients with feeding difficulties. 

Ellie is passionate about providing well-rounded care to help children grow and lead healthy and happy lives.  She currently lives in Clayton, NC with her husband and her puppy Sebastian. 

As a military kid, Meagan grew up with several hometowns, but she has called North Carolina home for nearly ten years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology: Pre-Counseling in 2014 and went on to get a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from East Carolina University in 2017. Meagan’s work experience includes serving in rural health clinics where she fell in love with integrating behavioral health care in the primary care setting. She is passionate about providing easy access to behavioral health care services and doing so in a way that involves the patient and promotes whole-person health.

In her free time, Meagan enjoys spending time reading at the beach or the mountains with her husband. She joined the NeighborHealth Center team in January 2021.

Kelly was born and raise in eastern North Carolina. She attended NC State and Meredith College for her undergraduate nutrition degree. After getting married and moving to Northwest Ohio, she completed her Master’s in Food and Nutrition and dietetic internship at Bowling Green State University. She worked as a clinical dietitian at a level one trauma hospital in Toledo, Ohio. She got to the chance to move back to Raleigh about 10 years ago and has spent time teaching college nutrition courses, seeing nutrition patients in private practice and volunteering at the Durham Rescue Mission. In her free time, Kelly enjoys running for exercise and spending time with family and friends.

Elise grew up primarily in Kenya, East Africa. She has two adopted children and has lived in/visited several states and countries. She earned her Master of Arts Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from George Fox University in 2004. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in MFT from Virginia Tech in 2008.

Elise’s work experience includes teaching, research and therapy as an associate professor, working in an intgrated care setting, as well as working in child centered therapy clinics. Elise is passionate about providing behavioral health care in a way that promotes hope and whole person health.

In her free time she loves spending time with her family, being outdoors and running.

Dr. Fernando R. Puente, M.D., a native of Guatemala, Central America, moved to Raleigh from New York City at the age of 17 and graduated from Broughton High School in 1971. He is board-certified in dermatology and family practice. 

Dr. Puente established Raleigh Dermatology Associates, P.A., in 1990 and began practicing general and cosmetic dermatology at that time. He received his B.A., Master of Science and M.D. from East Carolina University, then completed a family practice residency at the University of South Florida’s College of Medicine and a dermatology residency at the King-Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he served as chief resident. 

Dr. Puente’s expanding and diversified practice afforded him the opportunity to research and design a skin rejuvenation center during the 1990s. He opened Skin Solutions in the spring of 1995, and later renamed it Skin & Cosmetic Solutions. Dr. Puente continues to enrich his medical education by attending American Academy of Dermatology conferences and meetings, and training other physicians in the Tumescent Liposuction technique. 

Dr. Puente enjoys photography, hiking, cycling, swimming and distance running. Each September he and his wife, Carol, Associate Director of Skin & Cosmetic Solutions, cycle 150 to 200 miles in the MS 150 Bike Tour, a two-day cycling event in New Bern that raises money for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. 

Dr. Puente has been running in marathons since 1976. In 1979 he began competing in the New York City, Los Angeles and Boston Marathons, which he has competed in almost every year since then. Carol completed her first marathon in 2004, and in November 2005 the Puentes finished the New York City Marathon together. Dr. Puente recently added another hobby to his list of interests: triathlons. He has completed eleven full Ironman events, finishing his first full Ironman Triathlon in July 2005 in Lake Placid, New York. He has now completed 92 Marathons, 11 Iron Man Triathlons, and 7 Ultra Marathons. 

The Puentes have been married since 1977 and have three children: Lauren, Eric, and Alex. 

Jim Robinson, is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC). He is a graduate of the UNC School of Nursing earning both a Master’s of Science and a Bachelor’s of Science in nursing.  In addition, he has completed the Neuroscience Institute’s Master of Psychopharmacology program. Prior education-BS degree from NC State University.

He and his wife Anne have lived in the Raleigh community for over thirty years and they have two adult children and five grandchildren.

Jim left a successful twenty-five year banking career to enter nursing school with the goal of making a difference in the lives of people who suffer from chronic health problems. Along these lines, Jim uses a holistic approach which involves assessing the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of clients.

Jim is a Legacy Volunteer Medical Provider at the Open Door Clinic/Urban Ministries in Raleigh.  In addition, he has served at the Mother Teresa clinic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In 2010, he was awarded the Outstanding Direct Care Nurse award by the N.C. Nurses Association.

Jim offers compassionate care in the context of practical steps to improve mental and physical health. As a nurse practitioner, Jim is able to prescribe and manage medications as well as order lab tests and make medical referrals as needed.

Education

• NC State University, Raleigh, NC – BS
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC BSN Nursing &  MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner Program
• Neuroscience Education Institute (NEI) – Master Psychopharmacologist