Doug Stone, DPA, DNP, FNP, PMHNP, brings a rare combination of clinical expertise, military leadership, and deep human compassion to rural healthcare. A retired U.S. Marine Corps General, his distinguished service, marked by close collaboration with medical systems in combat and peacetime, earned him international recognition for advancing ethical treatment protocols for foreign combatants.

Doug holds doctoral degrees in public administration from the University of Southern California, nursing practice from the University of Missouri, and advanced degrees in business and human resources management from Stanford and Pepperdine Universities. He is dual-certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, equipping him to provide integrated, whole-person care.

After his military career, Doug served as CEO of innovative healthcare software companies, taught psychology and nursing at a national nursing school, and practiced extensively in emergency medicine and behavioral health. Today, as founder and lead provider at Vital Health Medical Group in Penn Valley, California, he delivers comprehensive lifespan care to underserved rural populations with a mission-driven focus on accessibility, dignity, and compassion.

Through his writing, Doug shares his professional expertise and a personal calling to bring hope, resilience, and healing to individuals and communities alike.