Dr. Bethany Summers, DNP
Meet Dr. Bethany Summers, DNP
Bethany Summers, DNP, FNP-BC
Clinical Director of thriveMD | Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
About Dr. Summers, DNP, FNP-BC
Board-certified in family practice, Dr. Summers brings more than twenty-five years of clinical experience spanning primary care, hormone management, oncology, allergy and immunology, and emergency medicine. That breadth shapes how she practices now: she takes the time to listen, understand each patient’s goals, and build a plan around the person, not just the diagnosis.
“Everything we do here at thriveMD has a reason behind it. It’s grounded in reputable clinical studies and literature. That means every recommendation is deliberate, and every care plan is built specifically for the patient in front of me.”
Her Approach to Care
Dr. Summers views each patient relationship as an individualized partnership built on trust, education, and shared decision-making. She meets patients where they are: a gentler approach for those who need extra support, and a more clinical conversation for those who want to dig into the data. “My job is to educate and guide you, but it’s your path, your life, and your health,” she says. “I’ll walk alongside you and give you the knowledge and tools you need to make the best decision for yourself.”
Dr. Summers’ Specialties Include
- Concierge Longevity Medicine
- Age Management
- Acute Patient Management
- Medication Management
- Bioidentical Hormone Replacement
- Hyperbaric Chamber Therapy
- Therapeutic Plasma Exchange
- IV Nutrients
While Dr. Summers excels across the thriveMD care spectrum, she is especially passionate about hormone replacement therapy and longevity medicine, a practice she considered to be unique in the realm of medicine, in part due to its lack of insurance coverage. “Longevity medicine has really taken off over the course of the last decade, and we’re starting to see it in even more conventional practices,” she says. “This is such an exciting time in medicine. Whereas before we were focused on how to treat a disease, now we’re able to go even further to figure out how prevent it from developing in the first place, in addition to treating it if and when it does.”
Dr. Summers’ Approach to Care
Dr. Summers views her patient relationships as individualized partnerships built on trust, education, and shared decision-making. She meets patients where they are, offering a gentler approach for those who may need a little extra support or a more clinical line for patients who want to dig into the data and understand the numbers. No matter the style, she takes time to listen first, to understand what each patient is going through before making recommendations and to ensure they understand every aspect of their care plan and how it will help them achieve their goals.
“I love seeing my patients’ growth and evolution,” she reflects. “Patients come to see me feeling tired, with no energy, who feel like they’re missing out on life because they work so hard yet can’t enjoy it because they feel bad. Seeing their progression over the course of our appointments, adjusting care as needed, and helping them reach that endpoint of getting to be who they want to become, is so rewarding.”
Rather than presenting a single solution, Dr. Summers lays out multiple pathways so patients can make informed choices that align with their lives and personal health goals. She considers full history, age, health risks, and prior treatments to build a care plan that is truly comprehensive, not a blanket approach or one dictated by what insurance allows. After all, she believes, there’s no reason why people shouldn’t be getting blood scans to check for hundreds of cancers or heart scans to determine serious concerns.
“At the end of the day, my job is to educate and guide you, but it’s your path, life, and health. I’ll walk hand in hand with you along your journey and give you the knowledge and tools to make the best decision for yourself.”
It’s an approach that resonates deeply with her patients, many of whom tell her, “I can’t believe I waited so long to do this.”
Education
Dr. Summers holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and earned her doctorate in 2017. She’s been part of the medical field in some capacity since the age of 18, beginning her professional career as a nurse and building a broad clinical foundation across more than 25 years of practice. Her experience spans pain management, primary care and internal medicine, women’s health, men’s health, hormone management, oncology, allergy and immunology, and emergency medicine – giving her a uniquely well-rounded perspective when caring for complex patients.
She currently serves as Clinical Director of thriveMD. “I discovered my passion for longevity medicine along the way,” Dr. Summers says of her multi-faceted career path. Her move to thriveMD allowed her to use this wide range of expertise, from conventional patient care to specialty focuses in hormone therapy and HBOT. “It’s important to be comfortable stepping outside the box of what we’re taught,” she adds, “while knowing there’s a place for both conventional and non-conventional medicine.”
At her core, Dr. Summers is driven by a profound sense of purpose. She entered medicine to serve, to be a steady guide for those who are struggling or who simply don’t yet have the knowledge to help themselves. That calling continues to shape everything she does.
Personal Interests
Outside the office, Dr. Summers is kept happily on her toes by her daughter, and enjoys every minute she gets to spend with her family. She also finds balance and restoration in the outdoors, whether hiking through nature trails or soaking up the sun on a beach. In fact, she makes it a personal goal to see a palm tree at least once a year!