Staff

Dr. McConnell is a graduate of the Siena College and Albany Medical College program in Science, Humanities and Medicine.  He went on to pursue training in Family Medicine at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, FL.  He is board certified in Family Medicine, Sleep Medicine, and Obesity Medicine.  He is one of the original diplomates of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, certifying in the first year of the board's inception.  Dr. McConnell has also achieved the designation of Fellow of the Obesity Medicine Association, a distinction held by only 50 physicians nationwide.  In 2019 he was selected as Clinician of the Year of the Obesity Medicine Association.  He is passionate about increasing awareness of Obesity as a disease, and advocates for improved delivery of healthcare services for people with Obesity.

Rachel is a graduate of the University of Illinois, with a degree in English. She went on to nursing school and did her graduate training in midwifery at Philadelphia University. She spent 13 years as a Certified Nurse Midwife working with women during the childbearing years before returning to school at Frontier Nursing University for her Family Nurse Practioner degree and her doctorate in Nursing. She has advanced certification in obesity medicine from the Obesity Medicine Association and is nationally board certified as a health and wellness coach. Rachel's areas of interest include health optimization and longevity through nutrition, exercise, and stress management. 

Meet Inga Shalmiyeva. She was born in Russia and raised in NYC since the age of 8. She knew from an early age that she wanted to take care of people, but it was a journey to find the best way to fulfill that purpose. She majored in Exercise Science at Skidmore College, after becoming passionate about exercise and nutrition due to her personal weight struggles. After a few interesting detours, including a short stint as a personal trainer and a 3-year-long 'summer job' as a flight attendant traveling the world, she went back to school and received her nursing degree from the University of Miami. She truly enjoyed all the nursing experiences she had, including working in the operating room, as well as inpatient helping women recover from cancer-related surgeries, but she knew she wanted to help people in a different way. Combining her knowledge from both degrees, she pursued certification to become a Health Coach, so that she could empower individuals to take control and improve their health through lifestyle modification and other means. She believes that health is wealth and she is excited to join clients on their journeys to living their best lives. 

I have been practicing as a registered nurse since 1991 in various areas of healthcare, mainly working in the intensive care units specializing in cardiology and trauma. In 2015, I advanced my practice as a board-certified family nurse practitioner and have worked in acute care and family medicine for the last 7 years. I decided to pursue my doctoral degree in 2018 with a special focus on nutrition, diabetes, and weight loss. My family recently moved from Las Vegas Nevada and now we reside in Bradenton, Florida. My husband and I enjoy biking and boating, we have four children and three grandchildren. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, yoga, and being a dog rescue advocate.