Today we’d like to introduce you to Audrey (McGinnis) Stepka.
Hi Audrey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Audrey (McGinnis) Stepka, and I am a Family Nurse Practitioner with a special interest in functional medicine. I have worked in healthcare for over a decade, beginning my career as a certified nursing assistant in high school before becoming a registered nurse and, ultimately, a nurse practitioner. Even at a young age, I felt drawn to medicine. I was fortunate to spend meaningful time with my great-grandparents and found comfort in watching nurses and medical staff care for them in their final years. I admired the compassion, work ethic, and courage the profession demanded.
By the time I graduated from nurse practitioner school, I had spent nearly seven years working in the hospital. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to grow within nursing, a profession that offers a rare window into so many facets of medicine. Starting as a nurse assistant taught me the importance of teamwork, delegation, and humility. Transitioning into the nursing role only deepened my appreciation for CNAs, something I often emphasized to student nurses, reminding them that CNAs can make or break a shift and should always be met with gratitude and respect.
Throughout my nursing career, I worked in a variety of hospital settings, including a trauma medical-surgical unit, trauma surgical intensive care unit, and perioperative services. My first role as a nurse practitioner was in an internal medicine office as a primary care provider. While I knew my long-term goal was to transition into functional medicine, I intentionally immersed myself in conventional medicine first. I strongly believe there is value in both approaches, and understanding each side was essential to becoming the provider I am today.
Over time, however, I began to see and feel the cracks in the conventional healthcare system. Increasing patient volumes and shortened appointment times made it nearly impossible to adequately address complex, chronic conditions, especially as chronic illness continues to rise. Patients often waited months for appointments or took time off work, only to be given 15 minutes to unpack life-altering concerns. This reality became deeply frustrating, and I knew I could not remain in a system that limited meaningful care. Patients deserved better. While continuing my training in functional medicine, I made the decision to step away from conventional practice and pursue a model of care aligned with my values.
Like many functional medicine providers, my passion is also shaped by personal health challenges. While I would never wish suffering on anyone, I believe these experiences create more empathetic, grounded clinicians. It is easy to become desensitized to pain and illness when you haven’t lived it yourself. Shared experiences can foster trust and give patients hope, especially when feeling unwell becomes isolating and overwhelming. My goal is to create a space where patients feel heard, validated, and supported.
Before I left for college, my mom’s health began to steadily decline. When I returned home after my freshman year, I watched her symptoms continue to pile up. She has always been resilient, positive, and strong, but over time I saw her become anxious, exhausted, and deeply concerned. Despite working with a wonderful primary care provider, answers remained elusive. Specialist after specialist offered little clarity, and some even suggested it was “all in her head.” After years of tireless research, persistence, and self-advocacy, my mom finally uncovered the root causes of her illness: breast implant illness, Lyme disease, and mold exposure. Watching her regain her health and vitality profoundly shaped my desire to help others like her.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I feel incredibly fortunate to have had immense support from my family and friends throughout my journey to becoming a nurse practitioner. Like many functional medicine practitioners, I have faced my own health challenges, so much so that at my lowest point, I seriously considered leaving my NP program altogether. During that time, I was experiencing constant, daily headaches and persistent bladder pain, which significantly impacted my quality of life. With the support of my family and my now-husband, I pushed forward, continued working full time, and ultimately completed my NP program.
Shortly after starting my first job as an NP, my husband’s health began to decline. After countless visits to specialists and being in our home for an extended period of time without answers, I began to feel increasingly unwell myself. It was only after a long period of unexplained symptoms that we started to look more closely at our environment and discovered that the townhome we were living in had significant mold exposure.
Three years later, we are still healing and working through the lasting effects of prolonged mold exposure, both physically and mentally. There were many challenges along the way, especially navigating illness as a couple. At the same time, I was working in an NP role that left me stretched thin, with long hours and little energy to care for myself, let alone my patients or my husband.
It wasn’t easy, but with the unwavering support of my friends and family, we persevered. Today, we continue to heal and grow stronger each day.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Evergreen’s mission is to support and empower patients on their health journey through personalized, root-cause care. We aim created a warm, collaborative environment where individuals feel heard, respected, and deeply cared for by a team of patient centered, integrative providers.
We hope to simplify the healing process by offering a one-stop, whole-person approach that nurtures physical, emotional, and spiritual health. While I see a variety of cases and concerns, my bread and butter are chronic UTI, pelvic pain, Interstitial cystitis, and chronic fatigue. I think the thing that sets me apart from others is my ability to connect and uplift others. Healing is not linear and when discouragement or fear sets in, I’m your girl! I have been there and will help you through the low times and celebrate the wins.
Many of the protocols that I use are ones that I have walked through myself during my own health journey. My ability to set realistic expectations and help patients understand what is next is invaluable. This is a very important part of functional medicine as getting to the root cause never happens overnight. Keeping patients motivated and positive is a vital part of the job.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I owe so much credit to my mom. Funny enough, she isn’t in the medical field, her background is in accounting. After navigating her own health struggles, though, she went back to school and became a health coach. I watched her advocate for herself, research relentlessly, and reclaim her health, and the health of my siblings. I’m still amazed when I think back to how unwell she was physically, yet how she found the strength to educate herself and keep fighting.
So often, clients come in hesitant to admit they’ve read an article or listened to a podcast, afraid of being dismissed or labeled “difficult.” In those moments, I always think of my mom: scared, exhausted, and simply desperate for answers. My goal is to never make someone feel ashamed for taking an interest in their health, but instead to encourage and empower them.
I also cannot go without thanking my husband. His support began early in my nurse practitioner journey, when I was still in school and working full time. I’d come home each night to a cooked dinner. Fast forward to today, and he’s now my daily science experiment, and a very good sport. He has consistently pushed me to become the best nurse practitioner I can be, and when conventional medicine left me feeling unfulfilled, he encouraged me to take the leap into functional medicine.
One of my mentors, and someone I credit deeply with transforming my own health journey, is nurse practitioner Ruth Kriz. She has pioneered research and reshaped the way we think about interstitial cystitis and chronic UTIs. Her passion and life’s work have not only changed my path but have also improved the lives of countless others. I feel incredibly fortunate to learn from her, with the hope of helping to bring healing to patients who are suffering.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge my incredible bosses at Evergreen Functional Collective and the colleagues I work alongside. Healthcare can be a stressful and tense environment but working with these women is a breath of fresh air. I’m grateful to be part of a team that lifts one another up and truly values self-care, connection, and collaboration.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://evergreenfunctional.com/audrey-mcginnis/
- Instagram: healwithaudreyfnp
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-mcginnis-stepka-9967163a8
