Our Village
Dr. Dawn Linn and her amazing medical staff are located in Hendersonville, TN. They are available to offer primary care treatment to every member of your family from age 5 and up. Dr. Dawn Linn looks forward to working with you to help you achieve the level of wellness you need and desire.
M. Dawn Linn DO
Dr. Dawn Linn grew up in Hermitage and Mt. Juliet, TN, and always wanted to practice medicine. After completing her medical training from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, she went on to Jackson, TN, to complete a residency in family medicine through the University of Tennessee. She then moved her family back home to Middle Tennessee where they could lay down roots and become part of a community where she could truly care for the entire family. Having practiced in Hendersonville since 2010 and then starting her own practice in 2013, she is proud to be an established and respected member of the local medical community. Dr. Dawn Linn and her husband, Randall, have two boys, Davis and Nathan, and a daughter, Macie. They reside in Hendersonville where Dr. Dawn Linn is a member of the Hendersonville Rotary Club and Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce. She has served on multiple boards including the Hendersonville Rotary Foundation, Hendersonville Young Life, Children are People, and HolidayFest. She is respected as a leader in the community, having graduated Leadership Sumner in 2017 and has been recognized as the Best Physician in Sumner County multiple times, along with several nominations for Women Impacting the Community. She and her husband enjoy family time and travel and the opportunity to be a part of God’s plans.
Julie Phillips Office Manager
Julie Phillips moved from Terre Haute, IN, to TN while in high school. Though having worked several office roles in the healthcare, this is her first lead management position. Julie has been with Dr. Dawn Linn since opening day and has truly enjoyed growing with the company. Her favorite part is getting to know the patients and playing an important role in their experience with Rapha Family Wellness. Just has been married for more than 10 years to her husband, Keith, and has two step-sons and one daughter-in-law. Julie’s dream job would be to have a farm on a large piece of land in order to take in abandoned and neglected animals. (Ask her how many cats she has!)
Kevin Gomez MA
Kevin Gomez, originally from El Salvador, has been a medical assistant since 2014 and enjoys his time being an integral part of the team at Rapha. As Dr. Linn’s “right-hand man,” Kevin takes a personal responsibility in caring for the patients. He is fluent in both Spanish and English and is currently enrolled at Western Kentucky University, taking courses necessary to further his medical career. He enjoys all kinds of music, even learning to appreciate the country genre! He is always eager to learn new things and aspires to travel, experiencing all kinds of people and cultures, so that he may use what he has learned to help the less fortunate.
Sheena Shields MA
Sheena Shields, is a Certified Medical Assistant with 15+ years experience, and the Practice Manager of Impressions Skin Solutions. She is married to Jonathon and is a mother of two, Kambria and Saylor. She is a problem solver and a way maker. You will never hear her say, “that’s not my job” and she truly enjoys getting things accomplished for the sake of both the patients and colleagues. She values her faith, family, and friends, which is evident in her everyday life. She enjoys swimming, walks with her children, creating beautiful landscapes and refinishing furniture. She has been described as strong willed and it has been said, “If there is a will there is a Sheena.”
Lyssa Max APRN
Lyssa Max, APRN has been living in Tennessee for 4 years. She moved to Nashville from Tampa where she received her bachelor’s degree in nursing. She received her Master’s degree in Nursing from Belmont University in 2021. Lyssa loves all things skincare and aesthetics and is certified in several areas of aesthetic medicine including neuromodulators and dermal fillers. She prides herself on making your treatment options understandable through education and her focus is always on patient safety.
Lyssa currently lives in Brentwood, TN with her husband and their 2 year old daughter Isabella, who is the light of their lives. Isabella was born 2 months early and as a result needed to stay in the NICU. Through this experience, Lyssa became a member of Project NICU and together with this organization continues to raise money and awareness for the Hendersonville local NICU that saved her daughter’s life. As a family, they live an active lifestyle and love the outdoors. Outside of work you can find Lyssa at the gym, the park or cooking up new recipes with her husband and daughter!
Why did we name our medical practice Rapha Family Wellness?
The Hebrew word Rapha (pronounced “ra-fah”) means “to heal, make healthful”. It is the key element to the basis of our belief and the name of our clinic. Throughout the Bible, God changes people’s names to speak to the divine purposes for which he plans to use them. Dr. Linn chose the name of her clinic with this same intent. It is a reminder to both herself and her patients to always look to God, the Ultimate Healer, for their guidance in medical care.
The difference is between an M.D. and a D.O.?
Dr. Linn is an Osteopathic Family Physician known as a D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine).
There are two types of physicians in the U.S. who are licensed to practice medicine through the prescription of medications and performing surgical procedures. One is an M.D. (allopathic medicine) and the other is a D.O. (osteopathic medicine). Simply explained both have the same training and required residential hours to receive their degrees and licenses. However, a D.O. has also taken between 300-500 extra hours of classes on the skeletal system and interactions of the body with diseases. D.O.s are also trained to ask questions to gain a comprehensive understanding of a patient’s lifestyle, which can impact their conditions. Dr. Linn likes to say she’s an “M.D. Plus!”
For additional information on D.O.’s you are encouraged to visit The American Osteopathic Association website.
