Kennedy U. Onori, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC

Growing up in Nigeria, I witnessed first-hand how lack of access to health care led to preventable health complications and poor health outcomes. This problem is not unique to developing countries, but also present in rural communities across North Carolina. I think this is unacceptable and is a motivating factor in my becoming an advanced health care provider. I enjoy working with patients across the socioeconomic spectrum, but especially with patients in underserved and rural communities where access to healthcare is not only a challenge but often consequential.

I view my relationship with my patients as a partnership. It is a partnership because the patient and I must work together to identify their health issues and find solutions that gets them to desired health outcome.
To this end, I employ a holistic approach in my interaction with my patients. I feel it is not enough to simply tell a patient to take medications to control their high blood pressure, their diabetes, or their depression. I feel it is important we examine these health issues in the context of the multitude of factors (stressors) potentially at play and contributory to the patient’s current health state. And if we can mitigate these stressors and achieve a desired outcome without a medication prescription, then even better.

I am married to my wonderful wife and together, we have a daughter in college. When not at work, I enjoy traveling with my family, gardening, and fishing.