Our Team

Nature’s Own Doctor was formed by a group of passionate professionals who have spent decades researching and are committed to providing solutions to health issues using what nature intended, not chemically generated.

Our Visionary Executive Team:

Thomas A. Gionis, M.D., J.D.

Dr. Gionis is Physician and Attorney. He has 42 years as an active practicing Physician and Surgeon.

Dr. Gionis is:

A United States Fulbright Scholar in Law,
former United States Fulbright PEER Review Committee Member (Global-Public Health),
A two-time recipient as UCLA Visiting Scholar in Public Health, Division of Healthcare Management and Policy, UCLA School of Public Health.
President and Chairman of the Fulbright Academy of Law, Peace and Public Health, and its Institutional Review Board (Fulbrightacademylaw.org)
President and Chairman of the American Board of Medical Marijuana Physicians (ABMMP.com), the only national organization in the United States to recognize and certify physicians having knowledge and expertise in the field of cannabinoid and medical marijuana therapy.
a Master in Public Health (M.P.H., University of California, Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.);
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A., Pepperdine University);
Master in Healthcare Administration (M.H.A., Seton Hall University, Center for Public Service); and Master in Law (LL.M. St. Thomas University School of Law).
Licensed to practice medicine in California, Florida and New York.

Additional credits:

Dr. Gionis founded the American University of Sovereign Nations which represented the creation of the First-ever Medical School and First-ever Master of Public Health program to be developed and offered on Native American Sovereign Tribal Land – which was dedicated to improving the education, safety, health and welfare of Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples worldwide.

Dr. Gionis has been a frequent invited Lecturer, for over a decade, in Bioethics, Health Law, Global and Public Health, Human Subject Protections, and International Law, at numerous international United Nations UNESCO seminars worldwide.

Thomas A. Gionis, M.D., J.D.

Dr. Gionis is Physician and Attorney. He has 42 years as an active practicing Physician and Surgeon.

Dr. Gionis is:

A United States Fulbright Scholar in Law,
former United States Fulbright PEER Review Committee Member (Global-Public Health),
A two-time recipient as UCLA Visiting Scholar in Public Health, Division of Healthcare Management and Policy, UCLA School of Public Health.
President and Chairman of the Fulbright Academy of Law, Peace and Public Health, and its Institutional Review Board (Fulbrightacademylaw.org)
President and Chairman of the American Board of Medical Marijuana Physicians (ABMMP.com), the only national organization in the United States to recognize and certify physicians having knowledge and expertise in the field of cannabinoid and medical marijuana therapy.
a Master in Public Health (M.P.H., University of California, Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.);
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A., Pepperdine University);
Master in Healthcare Administration (M.H.A., Seton Hall University, Center for Public Service); and Master in Law (LL.M. St. Thomas University School of Law).
Licensed to practice medicine in California, Florida and New York.

Dr. Gionis is a former:

Member of the Board of Directors, American Board of Disaster Medicine,
Physician Board Examiner for the American Board of Disaster Medicine.
He has been recognized as being the youngest individual in the United States to be awarded the M.D. degree at 21 years of age.

Dr. Gionis completed his General Surgical Residency (5 Years) and Cardiovascular Surgery Fellowship (2 Years) at Tulane Medical Center-Charity Hospital (New Orleans) and his Research Fellowship in Emergency Medicine at Harvard University-Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Department of Emergency Medicine Research (Boston).

He taught Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) at Harvard-MGH for over a decade and received his ATLS Instructor Certificate from both Harvard-MGH and the Yale School of Medicine.

In addition, Dr. Gionis has well over 28 years of direct senior-level hospital, healthcare, and physician practice management, and a diverse experience throughout all fields of Medicine, Surgery and Healthcare Administration. He has served at all levels of senior healthcare management, with his expertise being primarily in the fields of healthcare quality assurance, outcomes management, and professional PEER Review analysis.

Dr. Gionis developed the largest stem cell transplant private medical practice in the United States, where he served as both a Principal Investigator and Surgeon-in-Chief.

Nia M. Smyrniotis, MD MS

Medical doctor, surgeon, and Master of Science.

Medical Director & President of the Florida Medical Specialty Group.

Certified by the States of Florida, New York and California, to prescribe and recommend Cannabinoids (CBD) and Medical Marijuana.

Vice-President of the American Board of Medical Marijuana Physicians (www.ABMMP.com). The ABMMP is the only official certifying body in the United States which provides Board Certification to physicians with expertise in the medical therapeutics and use of cannabinoids and medical marijuana.

Graduated from Indiana University with Bachelor of Science degrees in both Chemistry and Biology. Medical Degree, and Master’s Degree in Science and Physiology, University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School.

Post-graduate residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Vincent’s Hospital, New York.

Trained in stem cell procedures, protocols, and treatment, California Stem Cell Treatment Center, Cell Surgical Network, at Rancho Mirage, California.

Certified in Functional Medicine and Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Special interest in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy and integrative medicine.

Advanced Fellowship training in Functional Medicine.

Former Professor of Biomedical Sciences and Human Physiology, and Chairwoman, Department of Integrative Medicine, American University of Sovereign Nations School of Medicine.

Clinical Positions
Former: Medical Director & Surgeon
Manhattan Regenerative Medicine Medical Group
90 Park Avenue, 17th Floor
Manhattan, NY 10016
Consulting Physician & Surgeon
Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center
20072 S.W. Birch St., Suite 170
Newport Beach, California 92660
Medical Director & Surgeon
Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center
1515 No. Federal Highway, Suite 105
Boca Raton, Florida 33432

Education
Undergraduate Indiana University Bloomington, IN
Bachelor of Arts, Chemistry and Biology 1977-1982
Graduate School University of Health Sciences /
The Chicago Medical School
Dept. of Physiology
Master of Science (M.S.) 1983-1985
Medical School: The Chicago Medical School
Chicago, IL 1984-1988

Research Master’s Thesis: Subcellular Localization of
Dipeptidase Activity in the Renal Proximal Tubule Cell
D.R. Peterson, PhD
University of Health Sciences
The Chicago Medical School
Post Graduate: Ob/Gyn Residency
St. Vincent’s Hospital New York, NY 1988-1990

Teaching
Tutor: Anatomy, Histology, Biochemistry
University of Health Sciences/ The Chicago
Medical School 1983-1988
Professor of Biomedical Sciences and Human
Physiology,
American University of Sovereign Nations
School of Medicine
Scottsdale, Arizona 04/13- 11/15
Chairwoman Department of Integrative Medicine
American University of Sovereign Nations
School of Medicine
Scottsdale, Arizona 04/13- 11/15

Licensure / Certification
Medical License: State of Florida 1996; Current
State of New York 1989; Current
State of California 2013; Current

Diplomat Anti-aging Medicine Society 2009

Anti-Aging Preceptorship: 2010

Preceptor: Sangeeta Pati, MD
A4M Board Certified Functional Medicine 2011

Advanced Training
Liposuction and Stem Cell Transplant Therapy
Cell Surgical Network, Rancho Mirage, California 2013
Permanent Make-Up 1999
American Academy of Permanent Make Up Specialists
Botox and Collagen
Postgraduate services Beginner Training 1999
Advanced Training 2000
Sclerotherapy 2000
Preceptor: Donna Tozzi of Guylaine Lanctot
Clinics Boca Raton, FL
Laser Training 2001
Vein and Hair Removal
Light Sheer Diode Laser Training
Coherent Medical
Sculptra Certification 2005
Radiesse Training & Certification 2009
Gentleman Certification of Training 2010

Prior Professional Association
Dr. Jorge Perez, Plastic Surgeon 1999-2001
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Women’s Healthcare Partners/ The Medical Aesthetics Center at Woman’s Healthcare
Boca Raton, FL 33431

Rejuvnir Vitality Institute
Boca Raton, FL 33487 2001-2011

Symphonized Medicine 01/12- 05/13
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

MDR Advanced Medical Associates 08/12 – 2014
Boynton Beach, FL 33426 08/12-2015

Community Service
Visiting Lecturer, Cardiovascular System, Musculoskeletal System

Lake County Unified School District
Volunteer: Lake County Hypertension Screening Program

Chicago Heart Association
Member: Beaux Arts for the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art; 1994-1998
Co-Chair: Healthy Mother’s/Healthy Babies Fundraiser for

Holy Cross Hospital, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; 1995
Auxiliary Member SOS Children’s Village
Coconut Creek. FL: 2000-present

Extracurricular Interests
Anything that involves my children, SCUBA, Snow skiing, traveling, cooking, theatre,
weight training, water skiing, boating

Robert Snyder, Esq.

is a practicing attorney and holds a Master’s degree in Public Health Management.

He formed MedCo Marketing & Development, Inc. that provided solutions for doctors and attorneys in the proper medical handling of personal injury matters.

Subsequently, he developed Pain Relief Network, Inc. and AllCare, Inc. both companies owned and operated Ambulatory Surgery Centers across the country. He spent 15 years building the company to annual revenues in excess of $100 million per year.

He sold the company and toured nationally as a motivational speaker working Break Through, a motivational speaking company. He is certified in and taught Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP).

He is presently working as a principal with a marketing and advertising enterprise called Sonic Seven Communications, Inc. in the area of business strategy and corporate compliance.

Mr. Snyder also serves as General Counsel to Viaduct International, located in Philadelphia, PA.

Mr. Snyder is a top level advisor for Nature’s Own Doctor in the area of business strategy and compliance. He works closely with Dr. Gionis with whom he has enjoyed a business relationship for over 30 years.

COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Mr. Snyder:

Ran for Massachusetts State Representative in 1974
Ran for Newton, MA School Committee in 1975.
Serves his local community of the Village of Heritage Ranch in Paso Robles, California as former Administrative Hearing Officer,
Member of the Executive Finance Committee,
Member of the Reserve Subcommittee of the Finance Committee,
Member of the Documents Committee.

HROA is the largest homeowners association in California covering over 10,000 acres of land approximately 2100 residences. It has a budget of over $2,500,000.00.

He served the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts as an Administrative Judge in the their specially formed Rent Control Housing Administrative System shortly after graduating in 1971. He later went on to form his own law firm and specialized in trial work for that firm for several years.

He attended Boston University School of Taxation to study Tax Law for 1 year and then formed a tax practice in 1980 specializing in taxation matter for the motion picture business.

Mr. Snyder also spent several years in the position as “Of Counsel” for the Beverly Hills law firm of Philip M. Rohlin & Associates specializing in Tort Law.

Sheila Stewart

earned her BS degree in Business Administration from the University of Denver and holds an MS in Marketing from the University of Colorado at Denver. Ms. Stewart began her career as a Market Feasibility Analyst for one of the largest hotel management companies in the world. She worked with the business development team on the aggressive hotel management expansion plans when the company was purchased by Hong Kong based Regal Hotels. Her early work involved developing marketing campaigns in the hospitality industry. She worked for the Doubletree Hotels, Hard Rock Café, House of Blues, Warner Bros.

Ms. Stewart was recruited by a national advertising agency to build their global hospitality division. Having the entrepreneurial sense to create useful marketing measurements, she not only built the division, but also created and implemented a series of metrics and tools to help the agency’s clients understand their advertising return on investment (AROI).

In 1999, Ms. Stewart with ten years of experience, launched her own full-service international advertising agency. She led her team in creating effective marketing B2B and B2C campaigns for product launches in southeast Asia, Europe, Canada and throughout the U.S.

She built the company to award-winning status, with over 140 team members around the world. She was named Top 40 under 40 (Denver Business Journal) and one of the Top 5 Fastest Growing Companies in Colorado (CO Biz Magazine). Her clients included Doubletree Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Parke Davis Prozak, TeleMatrix and Signator John Hancock.

She sold the company in 2005 and became an author. She wrote and published a series of 24 books that created a marketing system geared specifically for entrepreneurs. For the next five years, she went on a speaking tour throughout the U.S. and Canada. During that time, Ms. Stewart authored two additional books: Backwards in High Heels – A Woman’s Guide to Succeeding in Business (foreword by Dr. John Gray, author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus) and 99 Killer Business Ideas.

Ms. Stewart is currently the CEO and founder of Sonic Seven Communications, Inc. which she formed with the mission of building strategic marketing campaigns designed around specifically intended results. The company provides its clients with both campaign specific marketing, measurable results, and a cohesive business strategy that guaranties success.

She has spent over a decade personally researching and practicing holistic health solutions as a preferred alternative. When she was introduced to Dr. Tom Gionis by her business partner, it was a natural fit for he to be involved in developing and launching an all-natural solution for those suffering from pain. She has been part of the team creating and launching Nature’s Own Doctor, a medically formulated naturally better CBD Oil line of products.

Over the years, Ms. Stewart has appeared on a number of major television networks: ABC, NBC, Fox and the Word Network. She has also appeared on nationally syndicated radio and in various print publications.

She enjoys running in high heels, organic cooking, hosting parties on her property with a 360 degree view of rolling hills and vineyards, wine tastings with friends, and working. She is presently writing a business novel due to be completed in 2019.