Meet the Team

The people who make the difference. Providers, nurses, and staff across twelve locations who see you every week and know your name.

LEADERSHIP AND LEAD PROVIDERS

The people behind the practice

Mark Dubinski, MD
Supervising Physician · Co-Founder

Dr. Dubinski earned his Doctorate of Medicine from UMDNJ and opened Carolina GI Associates in Henderson in 1992 as a solo gastroenterology and hepatology practice. In 2010, he founded Carolina Weight Loss as a physician-supervised division of that practice, built around real medical and instructional weight loss care.

Outside the office, he spends his time with family and at the beach.

Diane Varnadore, NP-C
Managing Director · Co-Founder

Diane earned her RN in 1985, her BSN from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2004, and her Master's in Nursing from Duke on her way to becoming a nurse practitioner. She spent more than twenty years in public health alongside Dr. Dubinski at Carolina GI.

With a deep passion for health, fitness, and nutrition counseling, she started Carolina Weight Loss in 2010 and has grown it into twelve locations across North Carolina and Virginia, helping thousands of patients reach their goals.

Danielle Nicole Lewis, NP-C
Nurse Practitioner

Nicole is a Board Certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner focused on helping patients feel confident, healthy, and empowered. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from North Carolina Central University in 2014 and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati in 2019. Her weight loss work draws on a strong understanding of how hormones, metabolism, and overall wellness interact, and she builds individualized plans that are safe, sustainable, and tailored to each patient's goals and lifestyle.

She also offers a full range of non-surgical aesthetic treatments. Nicole is certified in skin rejuvenation and tightening, fillers, neurotoxins, a wide range of lasers, microneedling, and chemical peels, with a reputation for natural-looking results and careful attention to patient education and safety. She stays at the forefront of both weight loss and aesthetic medicine through ongoing training, believing true wellness comes from a balance of internal health and outward confidence.

Paula Elias, NP-C, AGNP-C
Nurse Practitioner

Paula is a Nurse Practitioner with more than seventeen years of healthcare experience and a focus on medical weight management, wellness, nutrition guidance, and aesthetic medicine. She builds individualized, evidence-based plans that may include GLP-1 weight loss therapies, lifestyle counseling, and preventive care, and she is trained in neurotoxin injections and wellness-focused IV infusion therapy.

Known for a compassionate, education-first approach, Paula is committed to safe, ethical, high-quality care and to keeping current with the latest advances in obesity medicine, wellness, and aesthetics.

WEIGHT LOSS PROVIDERS

The team near you

Sharon Derbyshire, RN

Rocky Mount

Sharon is a Registered Nurse with more than twenty years of experience, beginning in home health and OB-GYN before joining our team in 2013. She is passionate about helping clients in Rocky Mount reach their goals and serves as the location's Nursing Manager.

Sandy Reese, RN

Henderson

Sandy graduated from Watts School of Nursing in 1999 and trained at the International Academy of Aesthetic Arts in 2004. With a passion for health and beauty, she has worked in surgical services at Maria Parham Hospital and in plastic surgery, and has been with Carolina Weight Loss since 2010.

Brittany Oberby

Henderson and South Hill

Brittany has been with Carolina Weight Loss since 2019 and brings prior healthcare experience to her work as a provider. Seeing her patients succeed is a real joy, and she encourages everyone to find a favorite daily activity that gets their heart rate up.

Charity Norwood

Warrenton and Roanoke Rapids

Charity joined the practice in March 2021 after twenty-four years in the medical field, and she is also a certified Emergency Medical Technician. She loves helping patients reach their goals and watching their progress. Off the clock, she spends time with her husband and her dog, Crook.

Megan Owen

South Hill, Henderson and Oxford

Megan began in healthcare in 2019 as a certified nursing assistant and went on to ultrasound school, studying the abdominal organs in depth. She believes the key to success is understanding how each body is different. Outside of work, she rarely misses a lake day, with wake surfing and softball at the top of her list.

Kara King

Rocky Mount, Goldsboro and Wilson

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Lynsey Strickland, LPN

Rocky Mount

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Cristin Watson, RN

Raleigh

Cristen is a Registered Nurse with 26 years of nursing experience. Throughout her career, she has provided compassionate care to patients in Neurology, Oncology, Women’s Health, Postpartum, Newborn Nursery, Mental Health, and Patient Education. She also has experience in nursing education, where she has trained and prepared Certified Nursing Assistants for licensure.

Cristen is passionate about building meaningful relationships with her patients and believes that the best care comes from working together as a team. She is committed to listening, educating, and encouraging her patients, helping them feel supported and empowered throughout their journey.

Outside of work, Cristen enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. As a family, they love water sports, snow skiing, golfing, fishing, traveling, and embracing new adventures together.

Eileen Phillips, RN

Wendell

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Emma Dubniski, RN

Burgaw

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Morgan Abbott

Henderson

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Elizabeth Wilkerson

Henderson and Oxford

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Nicole Short

Henderson

Hi, I’m Nicole, a registered nurse here with Carolina Weight Loss. I graduated from East Carolina University and have experience working in the emergency department. I’m excited to use my healthcare experience to build meaningful relationships with my patients while supporting them on their health and wellness journey.

OPERATIONAL AND SUPPORT STAFF