Our Team
Here is who we are, and why we’re here.
Hi! I just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself, and give you a glimpse into my why!
I was born and raised in Iowa, I went to school to be a physical therapist assistant, where I loved working with and helping people. I worked as a PTA for almost two decades before staying home with my 4 wonderful children…yes 4! And you can imagine how crazy and loud our household is everyday. My own personal journey, and struggles in life, would lead me to my next passion, and fuel my desire to begin Balanced Hormone Health!
I was fortunate to partner with an amazing nurse practitioner, Angela, who saw my drive, the need for this Telehealth company, and what HRT has done for me and my husband! Our nurse practitioner has always been passionate about hormone replacement, and she is so excited to help more people as well. Thank you to Derek (my husband and our male consultant) for all his support and help, to make this a reality.
My Why: I had a partial hysterectomy in my late 30s, shortly afterwards I started feeling terrible. I would wake up just exhausted, my joints ached, I was weak, flabby, I wasn’t sleeping much, and packing on the pounds. I literally felt like I was 90. And no matter what I did to lose the weight it just wasn’t coming off. I’m like “I’m too young to feel this old!” So, my journey began..”what is wrong with me?” I went from doctor to doctor seeing everyone from my primary to endocrinologist. I remember even seeing a local OB/GYN who was a “hormone specialist,” he said if you just workout and lose some weight…that will help you, and said I can give you some cream (his standard mix) that would probably help with some of the signs and symptoms. I was furious…he didn’t address my concerns, didn’t offer to check my labs. And the endocrinologist (I presented her with my labs) told me it was just “part of getting older.” WHAT!! I was not going to settle…I was only in my late 30s, this is ridiculous!
Then, I was finally able to find a knowledgeable provider that helped me. She addressed all my concerns, via Telehealth, and got my hormones balanced! Now, I’m not going to tell you it was a flip of a switch to get balanced, throughout my hormone journey with all my different clinics, I tried ALL different delivery methods from old school Premarin, creams, patches, I was on two different brands of pellets (a year on each brand of pellets), and finally on to INJECTIONS, which would be my favorite, and finally I reached
OPTIMAL LEVELS → WAS BALANCED → FELT MY BEST! Finally, I lost weight (31 pounds), was sleeping great, had WAY more energy, and got my muscle tone and strength back! And all my other (long list) of symptoms were GONE too! WOOHOO!!
Later, I added in Semaglutide and lost an additional 23lbs for a total of 54 pounds lost! But, BHH is here for more than just weight loss, we are here to help get you feeling your BEST!! More energy, weight loss….that is just an added bonus. IT. SHOULDN’T. BE. THIS. HARD. Everyone deserves to feel their BEST! That is why I started BHH, to use my personal journey (6 years of trial and error), to utilize our specialty training/education on BHRT and injectable therapy to help you! I wanted to be a knowledgeable clinic that truly listens to what their patients need and want. A clinic that specializes in BHRT of different forms, and especially injectable hormone replacement. I wanted BHH to be affordable and accessible to BOTH women and men. If I can encourage you to do one thing, it would be get your hormones checked! I wish I would’ve had mine checked in my 20s, or even 30s before my surgery! Between the ages of 30-35, most men and women will have significant drops in their hormone levels. It would be so good to know what levels you do feel good at, what YOUR NORMAL feel-good level is!
Wishing you all good health!
Jill Petry
Founder/Co-Owner
Balanced Hormone Health
Cell: 515.587.8649
Our Practitioners
ANGELA CHRISTNER, ARNP-C
PRACTITIONER / PARTNER
Angela is a lifelong resident of Iowa and an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP). She holds a Masters Degree in Nursing from Graceland University and national certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Along with partnering to form Balanced Hormone Health and Wellness, Angela is the owner and founder of Walnut Street Health & Wellness family medical clinic.
My why? I love my work! It is a passion of mine to meet and treat patients. I’ve focused my practice on a patient-centric model of healthcare management and wellness. I believe healing requires a multi-faceted approach that is as much art as it is science.
I am excited to partner with Jill and Derek to help people get back to feeling their best. I’ve studied bio-identical hormones since 1998, and have been helping patients achieve a better quality of life and performance with BHRT since 2010.
“The real essence of healing, as with any fine art, lies in the mechanical details of execution!” Jean Watson
NADIA CLARK SHARP, ARNP
Practitioner
Nadia is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP). She has a Masters Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Purdue University and a Masters Degree in Nursing Education from Walden University. She has a national certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Along with working for Balanced Hormone Health, Nadia works in Geriatrics and Hospice.
My why? I started gaining weight in my mid 20’s. I was working out 6 days a week and counting macros. I was exhausted all the time and could not lose weight. It took three different doctors and two years before I was finally diagnosed with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOS) which was causing my hormones to be off and insulin resistance which was causing my fatigue and weight gain. After finally being started on the correct medication, my life was completely different. I felt like me again!
I started working with Balanced Hormone Health because I want to be able to help our patients reach their health and weight goals without all the struggles I went through.
Brooke Knop, ARNP
Practitioner
Brooke is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM). She has her Masters Degree in Midwifery. She has her national certification from The American Midwifery Certification Board.
Along with working for Balanced Hormone Health, Brooke works as a Midwife providing women of all ages healthcare through their lifespan.
My why?
Caring for others is my passion. When I went back to college full time to pursue my midwifery degree I was also working as a full-time nurse and being a mother to 4 young children, which did not leave time to be as active as I had been. During those years and the time following I gained a significant amount of weight causing me to be unhealthy and feeling terrible.
Meeting Jill and Derek, through our children, has been nothing short of amazing. I started their program and joined their team so I could share my excitement and use my education to empower others who want to be in control of their weight loss journey!
Ashlee Morman, ARNP
Practitioner
Ashlee is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP). She holds a Masters Degree in nursing from Purdue University and national certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Along with Balanced Hormone Health she also works as a family practice nurse practitioner caring for people throughout the lifespan.
My Why?
I love to care for the whole patient down to their overall wellness and weight is a common complaint I hear from people. I too have struggled with my own weight journey dealing with infertility and gaining weight through fertility treatments and pregnancy. I understand the importance of not only feeling good, but being confident in your own skin. I love that through partnering with Balanced Hormone Health I am able to help people through their journey and have success with weight loss.
Administration
DEREK PETRY, PhD, MBA
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER + MALE CONSULTANT
Dr. Petry received his Bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University before earning his MS and PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with an emphasis on quantitative and molecular genetics (minor in statistics). He also received his MBA from the University of Nebraska and an MS in Food Science from Kansas State University. He has served as an adjunct professor for Missouri Western State University for 10 years teaching Business Statistics I and II.
Over his career working in the animal ag sector he had several roles. As Director, Swine and Aqua Research & Technical Service at Diamond V, Dr. Petry was responsible for the company’s global research program, working with Diamond V field teams and advancing the company’s presence in markets worldwide. He also drove the design and execution of a range of Diamond V R&D projects globally, including health, immunity, and food safety initiatives.
Prior to joining Diamond V, Dr. Petry worked at Genesus Inc. as Chief Development Officer. His career also includes work as a geneticist for Monsanto Choice Genetics, AVP of Research and Food Quality/Safety for Triumph Foods, and as CEO and Global Director of R&D at Choice Genetics USA.
My why?
I am use to spending hours working on complicated math equations and complex biological pathways as I have spent my career doing this. However, as I got into my 40’s I started noticing that my mind wasn’t as crisp and started developing brain fog. I also noticed that it was hard for me to exercise, build muscle, and recover from that exercise. Like my wife, I felt like I was 90! As I learned from Jill hormones have a tremendous impact in those areas. I went and got my testosterone tested and I was 275 (normal range is 300-1000). Wow! I really am an old man as my levels were consistent with someone between 70-90. One of the things I have learned in this journey is that there is no specific target number on what you feel best at. Meaning, if someone is at 300 who is 40 is more than likely not optimal. In that, trying to achieve 1500 or 2000 is just as bad as being too low. Many symptoms occur when people are too high. There is a balance of where that range is for you to be your best.
My journey
My journey began when I finally stepped on the scale and saw I was almost 300lbs!?! I decided I needed to make a change and focus on getting healthy. It took me about 2 years but dropped 85lbs (even lost 10” in my waist), however in this process I noticed how tired I was, brain fog was horrible, and never had the energy to exercise. After seeing what my wife went through to figure out her optimal hormone levels I thought I wonder what my levels are? So I went and got tested. I then started Testosterone Replacement Therapy (April 2021) and within weeks I was like a new person. The brain fog cleared and I was able to exercise regularly. My levels went up to 1000 after 1 month! I have now been on TRT for about 2 years and feel great. (Even my body fat percentage went down by 8% over the first year) I remember when I first started exercising and couldn’t even do 5 pushups (how embarrassing). Today, I can do 500 3-4 times a week. Honestly, I have never done that many ever in my life. My exercise routine is a bit unique in that I like the “old school” methods I grew up on. I like flipping tractor tires, beating that tire with a 30lb sledge hammer, farmers walk with 110lb dumbells, kettle swings with a 70-90lb kettlebell, battle ropes, dragging a sled, pushing a sled, and so on.
So I decided to join Jill and Angela to help other men like me feel their best! I was shocked to learn that most men and women between the ages of 30-35 will start declining in hormone production quickly. Some of us that decline is even more! My hope is take what I have learned and help other people!
