Meet Our Team
Joseph Skelton, MD
Director
Dr. Skelton is a member of the gastroenterology team at Brenner Children’s Hospital. He is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Wake Forest School of Medicine, and is Co-Director of the Kohl’s Family Collaborative, a partnership between the YWCA of Winston-Salem and Brenner Children’s Hospital. Prior to coming to Brenner Children’s Hospital, he was director of one of the nation’s largest pediatric weight management programs.
A native of East Tennessee, Dr. Skelton received his undergraduate degree from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. He received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee, Memphis, and completed his training in Pediatrics and Pediatric Gastroenterology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He is active in community outreach, and researches better ways to reach families interested in improving their health. He is the father of 2 young boys.
Gail Cohen, MD, MS
Physician
Dr. Cohen is one of the physicians with Brenner FIT, and is a general pediatrician at Brenner Children’s Hospital and the Downtown Health Plaza, a part of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. She is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She is a native of Southern California, received her undergraduate degree at University of California, Berkeley, and received her medical degree at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Cohen completed her training in Pediatrics and Fellowship in clinical research at Virginia Commonwealth University. She participates in a diverse set of research initiatives and teaching. She enjoys reading and traveling, and is the mother of 2 young girls.
Stacy Kolbash, MS, RD, LDN, CDE
Dietitian
Stacy Kolbash is one of the dietitians with Brenner FIT. She works closely with families to improve their nutritional habits. She is also involved with Six Sigma Quality Improvement, Spanish-language outreach, and our FIT Meals program (quick and healthy cooking classes). She received both her undergraduate (BS in Dietetics) and graduate (MS in Food and Nutrition) degrees from Ohio University. Stacy’s personal interests include any outdoor activities, such as hiking, running with her dog, biking, camping, as well as watching collegiate sports (especially ACC basketball) and spending time with family and friends. She likes to support the Slow Food Movement, local retailers, farmers, and farmer’s markets. She is the new mother of a baby girl.
Katie Boles, RD, LDN
Dietitian
Katie Boles, one of our dietitians, works closely with families looking to improve their health and nutrition behaviors. She is involved in Brenner FIT's telemedicine program, various cooking classes and grocery store tours. She received her BS degree at Appalachian State University and completed her dietetic internship through Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. Outside of the clinic setting, Katie is also a Zumba and Zumbatomic (Zumba for kids) instructor. She enjoys scrapbooking, dancing, attending ASU football games (Go Mountaineers!) and spending time with friends and family.
Dara Garner-Edwards, MSW, LCSW
Family Counselor
Dara Garner-Edwards helps families change unhealthy habits into healthy ones. Dara's BS in Psychology and her MSW in Social Work are both from UNC at Chapel Hill. As a native of North Carolina, she enjoys the beach almost as much as the mountains of the state. Dara is also a working mother of two (and what mother isn't working!?). Her primary focus at home is keeping up with her children and spouse.
Christine Jordan, EdS, LMFT
Family Counselor
Christine Jordan’s role with Brenner FIT is to help families find the habits they would like to change and provide support as they create healthier lifestyles. She received her graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Christine is married and has a school-aged daughter and college-aged stepson. At home, she enjoys playing with her daughter, listening to her stepson play guitar, knitting, and reading.
Sherry Frino, PT
Physical Therapist
Shery Frino encourages families to add more movement and play into their daily lives. She also helps children overcome problems with exercise, such as pain and injuries. Sherry received her BA in Physical Education from the UNC at Chapel Hill (Go Heels!) and BS in Physical Therapy from Winston-Salem State University (Go Rams!). Sherry enjoys distance running and working outside in her yard. At home, her active kindergartener and interest in photography keep her busy.
Megan Irby, MS
Exercise Specialist
Megan serves as the Exercise Specialist for Brenner FIT, and spends a great deal of her time conducting research studies with families in the Winston-Salem community and beyond. Megan has a BS in Health and Exercise Science from Wake Forest University, an MS in Exercise Physiology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and is currently completing a MS in Clinical Population and Translational Science at Wake Forest University. As a true kid at heart, Megan loves working with children, helping thme to live healthier, happier lives. She is passionate about educating families and promoting positive health behaviors within the entire family unit. Outside of the clinic setting, Megan is a violinist who also enjoys the great outdoors, college sports, and spending time with her husband and two dogs.
Angélica Guzman
Spanish-language Health Educator
Angélica Guzman is the Spanish-language Health Educator with Brenner FIT, working with Spanish-speaking families in clinic and the community. She is also involved with community-based research projects. She was born in Santiago, Chile, where she obtained her degree in Family Therapy. In January of 2004 she moved to Winston Salem, North Carolina, with her husband and four children. Spanish is her native language and her passion is working with Latino families. Nutrition and Parenting Education are her preferred subjects. She enjoys spending time with her kids and husband; especially watching her sons’ soccer games.
Angélica Guzman es la Educadora de Salud del programa Brenner FIT. Ella trabaja con familias que hablan español en la clinica de Brenner FIT y la comunidad. Ella también trabaja con proyectos de investigación en la comunidad. Angélica nació en Santiago, Chile, donde obtuvo su título de Terapeuta Familiar. En Enero del 2004, ella se mudó a Winston Salem, North Carolina, con su esposo y cuatro hijos. Su lengua nativa es el Español y su pasión es trabajar con familias Latinas. Nutrición y Educación para Padres son sus temas favoritos. Ella disfruta el tiempo con sus niños y esposo, especialmente asistiendo a los juegos de soccer de sus hijos.
Lorri Busby, MSW
Family Support Specialist
Lorri Busby supports families in Brenner FIT even before they step foot in clinic by providing phone coaching to get them started. Through the phone coaching process, Lorri helps families to identify community resources that will help them as they make changes. She received her MS in Social Work from New York University in New York. Lorri is married and has seven grown children and one grandson. For fun, she enjoys thrift store treasure hunting, reading, and getting together with her family.
Sara Ebbers, MSW
Program Coordinator, Kohl’s Family Collaborative
Sara Ebbers coordinates the innovative partnership between the YWCA of Winston-Salem and Brenner Children’s Hospital: the Kohl’s Family Collaborative, which is a community-based approach to the obesity epidemic. Sara has experience working in churches and hospitals, focusing on families and their well-being. Sara received her BA in English and Philosophy/Religion from James Madison University, and her MSW from Boston College. In her spare time, she enjoys snowboarding and backpacking. She also works with the National Ski Patrol in the mountains of North Carolina.
Deborah Pratt
Administrative Assistant
Deborah serves as the primary contact for our families. She is here to help families and physicians process referrals, schedule appointments, and answer your questions about Brenner FIT. At home she loves to read, exercise, and spend time with her daughters.