Our Faculty

Donald R. Yance ~ Mederi Academy Founder, Faculty, and Creator of the Mederi Care Methodology

Donnie Yance is an internationally known master herbalist and nutritionist. He received his herbal training through Sequoia College and is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild. He was trained as a clinical nutritionist through the National Institute of Nutritional Education and holds certification through the National Association of Nutrition Professionals. He is also professed as a Secular Franciscan (SFO), which equips him with the breadth and wisdom to touch on the spiritual aspects of healing. 

Donnie is renowned for his extraordinary knowledge and deep understanding of the healing properties of plants and nutrition, as well as epigenetics, laboratory medicine, oncologic pathology, and molecular oncology. He conducts his clinical practice at the Mederi Center in Ashland, Oregon and teaches at Mederi Academy, a world-class online training program in integrative oncology and health optimization. 

Mederi Academy offers a robust curriculum on the Mederi Care methodology, a unique approach to health and healing developed by Donnie that combines the latest scientific research with the wisdom of ancient healing traditions. Mederi Care (also known as the Eclectic Triphasic™ Medical System or ETMS) consists of a wholistic diagnostic and therapeutic methodology rooted in American Eclectic herbal tradition, constitutional energetics and contemporary clinical nutrition – continuously updated and honed with the latest scientific research at the molecular, cellular and genomic levels.

Donnie has authored two books, Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer and Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism: Elite Herbs and Natural Compounds for Mastering Stress, Aging and Chronic Illness. In addition, he has been involved in authoring and co-authoring dozens of articles that have appeared in major industry publications and national journals. Each year Donnie lectures across the USA at major hospitals and conferences for both patients and health care providers, and is a featured speaker on many radio shows and podcasts. 

Donnie is also the founder and formulator of Natura Health Products, a professional product line of therapeutic-grade botanical and nutritional supplements.

Donnie regularly publishes his research and clinical insights at donnieyance.com.

Jason Miller, DACM, LAc, Dipl. OM (NCCAOM)

Dr. Jason Miller, our Head of Faculty and Content Development, is a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, medical educator, lecturer, writer, formulator, and musician. In 2005, he graduated from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine's "Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine" program, and then in 2018 completed his "Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine" degree at the Pacific College of Health and Science. Post-graduation from OCOM in 2005 he spent two months in Nanjing, China where he completed a clinical internship at Nanjing’s acclaimed “House of Celebrity Doctors.”

For the past 20 years, Dr. Miller has devoted a large part of his time and energy to working closely with patients with cancer and chronic disease, often working collaboratively with his patients and their medical teams. He has developed an integrative approach that bridges the time-honored theory and practice of traditional Chinese medicine with modern biomedical therapies and diagnostic tools. Dr. Miller works closely with a group of distinguished colleagues and cancer experts, including Donnie Yance, CN, RH (AHG), founder of the Mederi Center, and Dr. Dwight McKee, MD, a board-certified hematologist/oncologist who has been working in the field of integrative cancer therapy for over 50 years. 

Dr. Miller has worked with Mederi Center for the past 18 years and he currently serves as Head of Faculty and Content Development for the Mederi Academy. He has also served as Medical Educator for Natura Health Products since 2006, where he hosts monthly webinars and interviews subject matter experts on the role of botanical and nutritional medicine in health and disease through Natura EDU.

Dr. Miller integrates a wide range of therapeutic tools, including bodywork therapy and acupuncture to resolve pain and improve health in his in-clinic patients.

Dwight McKee MD, CNS, ABIHM

Dwight McKee MD, CNS, ABIHM has been in medical practice since 1976, having explored many alternative/complementary approaches to cancer in his practice between 1976 and 1988. He then returned to 6 years of residency and fellowship to train in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology, and subsequently became board certified in all 3 disciples as well as in nutrition and Integrative and Holistic medicine. He practiced Integrative Oncology for 6 years after completing training as an oncologist, and then began to consult for other physicians working with cancer patients from the integrative side. He currently teaches with Mederi Academy, consults for groups interested in research in integrative cancer medicine, and has served as Scientific Director of Life Plus, an international nutraceutical company since 2000 to the present. Dr. McKee also serves on the Board of Directors for the Mederi Foundation and is a Certified Mederi Care Practitioner.

Dr. Susan Saccomanno, ND, MSOM

Dr. Susan Saccomanno, ND, MSOM, Mederi Center's Senior Practitioner, has over sixteen years of experience as a family physician with a specialty in wholistic cancer care and chronic illness.  As a Naturopathic physician and Chinese medicine practitioner, Dr. Susan has a unique skill set that enables her to assess health from both Western and Eastern perspectives.

Dr. Saccomanno received her Naturopathic Doctorate and Master of Oriental Medicine degrees from National University of Natural Medicine in 2006, with a pre-med Bachelor of Arts through Appalachian State University. She is a Certified Mederi Care Practitioner and also completed a 2-year program in 2020 to deepen her knowledge of Chinese herbology.

Dr. Saccomanno’s approach combines cutting edge research and Naturopathic and Chinese traditions along with the Mederi Care/ETMS methodology. She has deep faith in the healing and regenerative powers of natural therapeutics, which plays a central role in her treatment.

Mark Bricca, ND

Dr. Mark Bricca earned degrees in Naturopathic Medicine and Classical Chinese Medicine from the National University of Natural Medicine. A long-time practitioner of Buddhism and a student of Sufism, Mark’s practice of medicine and the work of facilitating healing has become less about patients’ pathology, test results, and “data,” and more about encouraging them to lovingly tend their bodies, as well as helping them find ways to fully open to whatever their life circumstances may be—whether easy or difficult, painful or peaceful.

After launching his private practice Bodhicitta Healing Arts in 2008, Mark worked alongside Donnie Yance at Mederi Center from 2011 to 2014. He also took over Dr. Dwight McKee’s practice when he retired from private medical consulting in 2015. In 2012, Mark joined the Metta Institute’s two-year long training program in spiritually-oriented end-of-life care.

Mark is a Certified Mederi Care Practitioner and maintains his private practice focused in Integrative and Naturopathic Oncology. His clinical work with patients also includes addressing a wide range of complex chronic illnesses.

Nancy Birang BS, MT (ASCP), NC

Nancy Birang is a board certified nutrition consultant with over 20 years of experience in the holistic nutrition field. She is the owner of Four Seasons Nutrition - a private nutrition consulting firm in Los Gatos, CA. Since 2012, she has provided nutrition services for individuals, families, and caretakers at CancerCAREpoint in San Jose, CA. Nancy leads classes for other local nonprofits including Bay Area Cancer Connections in Palo Alto, WomenCare in Santa Cruz, and Wellness Within in Roseville, CA.  As a faculty member of Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts in Berkeley, Nancy led classes in therapeutic nutrition for over 13 years.

Nancy is the co-founder and current board president of Nourishing Generations, a nonprofit that brings chefs, nutritionists, and fitness specialists into schools and community centers to lead classes in hands on cooking, nutrition and fitness.

Nancy has a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from Northeastern University and completed a Clinical Applied Study from The New England Deaconess Hospital.  She is certified in Holistic Nutrition from Bauman College, is Board Certified by the National Association of Nutritional Professionals, and is Certified in Herbal Medicine from The American School of Herbalism.  Nancy is also a Certified Mederi Care Practitioner.

Susan J. Fidler, ND, MS, BS

Dr. Fidler, ND, MS, BS trained at the College of Phytotherapy in the UK, where herbal medicine plays a vital and recognized role in the healthcare system. She has a Doctorate in Naturopathy (ND) and a bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Herbal Medicine as well as a master’s degree (MS) in molecular biology from the University of Maryland and a second BS in Information Science from Leeds Polytechnic Institute. She was admitted to the prestigious College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy following rigorous clinical examinations at the London Clinic of Phytotherapy. Dr. Fidler is also a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild.

Since qualifying, Dr. Fidler has continued her education through regular conferences and training courses in the US and the UK. These specialist courses include care for cancer patients, detoxification, brain chemistry, functional endocrinology, and brain and neurotransmitter function. She is also qualified in Total Body Modification (TBM).

Dr. Fidler founded Riverdell Herbs, LLC in 2002 and has been in full-time practice ever since. Her practice incorporates a wide range of clients, many of whom have struggled with methylation defects, Lyme disease, and gluten intolerance. She still takes time to wild craft some herbs and makes almost all her own tinctures, creams, decoctions, etc., while using high quality supplemental products as needed.

Oscar Sierra, Certified Herbalist, RH (AHG)

Oscar Sierra holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in Nutrition Science and an Anthropology minor in Traditional Medicine. He also earned Board Certifications in both Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture. In addition to his ongoing continued education in Chinese Medicine, Oscar also studies biomedical and systems engineering fields of Functional Medicine and Wholistic Oncology.

Oscar has been practicing as a Certified Mederi Care Practitioner since 2021. He blends Traditional Chinese Medicine with modern Functional Medicine, and practices out of Mederi Center, as well as at Sierra Botanica & Collaborative Medicine in Georgia.

Oscar is a speaker at various herbal and functional/integrative medicine conferences. He is a member of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG), International College of Integrative Medicine (ICIM), National Association of Environmental Medicine, and the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO).