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Staff

Providers

Meet other caregivers at REX Bariatric Specialists who help patients like you achieve their weight-loss goals.
Tricia Burns, PA-C

Tricia Burns, PA-C Physician Assistant

Joining the practice in 2013 Tricia is now the Advanced Practice Provider team lead for NC surgery. She is originally from Upstate New York and moved to Raleigh with her family in 2007. She completed the Physician Assistant Graduate Program with a surgical focus at Cornell University Weill Medical College in New York City. A seasoned provider, Tricia is happiest in the operating room, in addition to bariatric surgery she has experience in plastic surgery as well as neurosurgery. She spends her time outside of work, biking, hiking and training for Rex Sprint Triathlons.


Erica Mckearney, PA-C

Erica Mckearney, PA-C Physician Assistant

Erica McKearney, an Oregon native, earned her undergraduate degree from Oregon State University. She earned a masters degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Methodist University in 2011. She worked as a Physician Assistant in urgent care and family practice for five years before joining REX Bariatric Specialists in 2016. She enjoys reading, hiking, walking her dog, and spending time with her friends and family.


Hannah Garehan, PA

Hannah Garehan, PA Physician Assistant

Hannah, a Louisiana native, initially joined the Rex Bariatrics team as a dietitian in 2017. She then completed her master’s degree in physician assistant studies at Campbell University. Hannah began her career in Gastroenterology, evaluating and treating patients in a busy clinic for a year before rejoining Rex Bariatrics in 2022. She enjoys spending time with her cats and her family.

Afton Carducci, M.M.S., P.A.-C. Physician Assistant

Afton received her Master of Medical Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies at Lincoln Memorial University – DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed additional surgery specific training at the WakeMed Surgical Physician Assistant Residency Program in trauma, gastrointestinal surgery, intensive care and orthopaedics. After residency she worked in a surgical practice focused on colorectal and general surgery prior to joining REX Bariatric Specialists in 2018.


Abbey Wrobleski, PA Physician Assistant

Abbey Wrobleski, a Michigan native, earned her undergraduate degree from Connecticut College. She earned a masters degree in Physician Assistant Studies from South College in 2019. She worked as a Physician Assistant in primary care for 2 years before joining REX Bariatric Specialists in 2022. She enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants around Raleigh, and playing board games.

Mary Gray Hixson, MPH, RD, CSOWM, LDN

Mary Gray Hixson, MPH, RD, CSOWM, LDN Nutrition Services

Mary Gray Hixson, MPH, RD, CSOWM, LDN is a graduate of NC State University where she studied food science and nutrition. She then received her Masters of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has been providing nutrition therapy and education in the Raleigh area since 2008, in private practice and at UNC Rex. She has been working with weight loss surgery patients for most of her career. She has a passion for facilitating group classes, grocery store tours and cooking demonstrations and loves building relationships with her patients in order to help them achieve their long-term health goals. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family by the water.


Margaret Bova, MS, RD, CSOWM, LDN

Margaret Bova, MS, RD, CSOWM, LDN Nutrition Services

Margaret received her Bachelor and Masters of Nutrition from University of Pittsburgh. She has provided nutrition counseling within a variety of environments, including weight loss surgery, cardiac rehabilitation, and a dialysis clinic. She enjoys seeing the positive ways nutrition can impact a person’s life, and she always enjoys asking about non-scale victories. In her free time, Margaret loves to read and travel. She moved to Raleigh with her husband, cat, and dog to escape the cold Pittsburgh winters.


Liz Langston

Liz Langston, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., C.D.C.E.S

Liz graduated with her bachelors and masters of nutrition from East Carolina University. Since 2004, she has been providing medical nutrition therapy, in a variety of settings, across NC, specializing in diabetes care and education. Liz has a passion for helping patients build confidence as they develop healthy habits. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband to see The Avett Brothers, entertaining friends and family, and chasing her daughter and dog.

Andrea Allen

Andrea J. Allen MPH RD LDN CDCES

Andrea J. Allen MPH RD LDN CDCES is a graduate of Meredith College in Raleigh, NC where she received a BS degree in Nutrition with a minor in Biology. She completed her graduate studies at the University of NC at Chapel Hill in 1993 with a Masters of Public Health and a Nutrition Concentration. Andrea has been working in the field of Nutrition and Public Health providing medical nutrition therapy across central and eastern NC in a variety of settings including hospitals, health departments, primary care, community health centers, and long term care since 1993. She has been working with patients at UNC Rex Bariatrics since 2021. She has spent the bigger part of her career specializing in diabetes care and education along with the management of other chronic diseases. She has a passion for meeting people “where they are” and developing a long-standing partnership with her patients in order to assist them in reaching their health and nutrition goals. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, reading books, gardening, walking her dog Rosie, and doing heated power yoga.

Lauren Hawley

Lauren Hawley, MR, RD, LDN

Lauren graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Food Science from Clemson University, and is currently enrolled at North Carolina State University for her Master’s degree in Nutrition. She has provided nutrition counseling for patients in a variety of settings, including weight surgery, obesity management, and general nutrition education. She has a passion for helping patients become their best selves with realistic and attainable goals to develop lifelong healthy habits. In her free time, she enjoys reading thriller novels, spending time with her boyfriend and dog, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.

Hannah Hicks

Hannah Hicks, MPH, RD, LDN

Hannah graduated with her Bachelor’s in Food Science from North Carolina State University in 2019, where she further fell in love with finding ways to bring nutritious food to life. She went on to receive her Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2022. She has worked as a nutrition counselor and culinary nutritionist, helping those with special dietary needs by preparing weekly meals to accommodate their specific needs. She has a unique perspective in nutrition coming from a public health background and prides herself on working with patients where they are and helping them achieve their unique goals. In her free time, she is an avid reader, loves spending time with her two cats, and, of course, cooking delicious food for her and her boyfriend.


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