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Meet the Functional Medicine Providers in Omaha Who Treat the Whole You

An Integrated Approach to Root-Cause Medicine

At UpStream – Root Cause Medicine, our team is united by a shared belief: the body has an extraordinary capacity to heal when we understand why illness occurs, not just what it is called.

Each member of our multidisciplinary group brings a unique blend of experience, empathy, and expertise — from board-certified physicians and nurse practitioners to IV nurses, health coaches, and patient support specialists. Together, we deliver functional medicine practice that is both deeply personal and rigorously evidence-based.

Our clinicians — Dr. Patricia Ryan, Dr. Jorge Moreno, and Tiffany McDowell — combine decades of experience across osteopathic, allopathic, and integrative medicine. Supported by our nurse Deborah Fugate, our nursing team ensures that each patient interaction is marked by precision, safety, and compassion.

Behind the scenes, Christine Murphy and Orna Hoban provide operational leadership that keeps every system aligned with our mission of whole-person care. Bridget Wilson, our Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, bridges lifestyle and clinical transformation — helping patients turn insight into action. And Allison Weaver, our Patient Coordinator, brings lived experience, warmth, and guidance to each patient’s first steps on their healing journey.

What unites us isn’t just training — it’s a philosophy:

Understand before you intervene. Treat the system, not the symptom. Lead with compassion, grounded in science.

At UpStream, care is collaborative, data-driven, and human by design. We are honored to walk with each patient on the path toward restored energy, balance, and health.

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Patricia Ryan, MD
Jorge L. Moreno, DO​
Tiffany McDowell, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC

About Patricia Ryan, M.D.

  • Board-Certified Physician

Dr. Patricia Ryan is a board-certified physician with over two decades of experience dedicated to uncovering the root causes of illness and restoring health through personalized, integrative care. With a background in both traditional allopathic medicine and advanced functional medicine, Dr. Ryan combines the best of both worlds to help her patients achieve long-term wellness.

From the beginning of her medical career, Dr. Ryan was driven by a deep curiosity—not just to treat symptoms, but to understand the underlying causes of disease. While traditional training taught her how to diagnose and manage illness, it left many questions unanswered about why people become ill in the first place. This inspired her lifelong mission: to dig deeper, seek out root causes, and offer a more comprehensive path to healing.

In the early years of her career, Dr. Ryan founded Family Wellness Center in Papillion, Nebraska, while raising four children. Her clinic quickly grew into a thriving allopathic practice. At the same time, she pursued additional education in areas often overlooked in conventional medicine—nutrition, hormones, detoxification, and cellular health. She earned a degree in Clinical Nutrition, became certified in AntiAging Medicine, and pursued specialized training in Chelation Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and Touch for Health.

In 2004, Dr. Ryan founded Alternatives, one of the first Functional Medicine clinics in Omaha. Here, she introduced patients to innovative, evidence-based treatments aimed at healing the body from within.

Her clinic was among the first in the region to offer therapies like IV nutrient infusions (Mega Myers and High-Dose Vitamin C), chelation, neurofeedback, and comprehensive hormone balancing using Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)—long before these approaches became mainstream. Her work not only helped countless patients feel better without medication or surgery, but also trained other physicians in these cutting-edge therapies.

Today, Dr. Ryan continues to be a leader in integrative and functional medicine, with a current focus on COVID-related conditions, including post-COVID syndrome and vaccine injury. She is an active member of the International Medical Association (IMA), formerly known as the FLCCC, staying at the forefront of research and clinical advancements in this evolving area.

Dr. Ryan’s approach is thorough, compassionate, and rooted in science. She works closely with each patient to develop customized treatment plans that support the body’s natural healing processes. Her extensive training and clinical insight make her a trusted partner in health for individuals and families across the Omaha area and beyond.

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Meet Our Team

Jorge L. Moreno, DO

  • Medical Director
  • Functional Medicine & Osteopathic Physician

Dr. Jorge L. Moreno serves as the Medical Director of UpStream – Root Cause Medicine, bringing more than three decades of experience in osteopathic and functional medicine.

Guided by empathy, curiosity, and faith in the body’s natural intelligence, Dr. Moreno has dedicated his career to uncovering and addressing the root causes of disease — integrating both conventional medical science and advanced functional therapies to restore true balance and health.

An Integrative Journey in Medicine

Dr. Moreno earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology (Magna Cum Laude) from Loyola Marymount University, followed by his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences.

He completed his Family Practice Residency at Downey Community Hospital, serving as Chief Resident, where he deepened his conviction that medicine must treat the person, not just the diagnosis.

Throughout his career, he has practiced with a dual focus: the precision of evidence-based medicine and the art of osteopathic healing — restoring structure and function through gentle, hands-on methods that complement biochemical and metabolic care.

A Functional Medicine Perspective

At UpStream, Dr. Moreno brings his distinctive blend of osteopathic insight and systems biology to help patients uncover why illness develops — not simply what label it carries.

He integrates advanced, evidence-informed therapies to optimize cellular repair, detoxification, and energy metabolism, including:

  • Ozone Therapy
  • Prolotherapy
  • Chelation Therapy
  • Laser Energetic Detoxification
  • Reflex Integration
  • Biopuncture
  • Quantum Reflex Testing (QRT)

Each of these approaches reflects his core belief:

“When the body is given the right information and support, it knows how to heal.”

Philosophy & Approach

Dr. Moreno’s patients describe him as thoughtful, patient, and deeply intuitive — someone who listens not only to their words, but to what their physiology is trying to say.

His method is both art and science: combining objective diagnostics with osteopathic intuition, and always asking whya system has failed before deciding how to intervene.

As Medical Director, he provides oversight and mentorship to the clinical team, ensuring that every UpStream plan embodies the clinic’s mission — understanding before intervening.

Areas of Expertise

  • Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
  • Functional & Integrative Medicine
  • Ozone & Detoxification Therapies
  • Chelation & Regenerative Techniques
  • Biopuncture & Prolotherapy
  • Energy & Reflex-Based Healing
  • Root-Cause Assessment & Systems-Based Diagnosis

Beyond the Clinic

Known for his calm presence and diagnostic depth, Dr. Moreno views healing as both a science and a calling.

Outside of medicine, he finds balance in faith, family, and community — enjoying life with his wife of more than 34 years and their seven children.

He continues to be inspired by the same principle that has guided his entire career:

“Medicine is not about treating disease; it’s about restoring wholeness.”

At UpStream Dr. Moreno’s leadership defines the heart of UpStream’s mission — to bring compassionate, data-driven, and root-cause medicine to Omaha.

Through his guidance, UpStream’s clinical philosophy remains clear: listen deeply, test precisely, and treat upstream.

Education & Credentials

  • Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) — Western University of Health Sciences

  • Bachelor of Science in Biology (Magna Cum Laude) — Loyola Marymount University

  • Family Practice Residency, Chief Resident — Downey Community Hospital

  • Medical Director, UpStream – Root Cause Medicine

  • Certified in Functional & Integrative Modalities: Ozone, Chelation, Prolotherapy, and Bioregulatory Therapies

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Meet Our Team

About Tiffany McDowell, APRN, FNP-BC

  • Family Nurse Practitioner

Tiffany McDowell is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with a deep foundation in functional, integrative, and restorative medicine. She brings more than a decade of hands-on clinical nursing experience and extensive leadership in patient-centered care to her role at UpStream – Root Cause Medicine.

Her clinical background spans a wide range of healthcare settings, including urgent care, pediatrics, family practice, surgical services, functional medicine, and integrative wellness. This diverse experience allows Tiffany to understand both acute medical needs and complex, long-standing health concerns — and to recognize how symptoms often reflect deeper system imbalances.

Tiffany earned her Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Clarkson College, following her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Nebraska Methodist College, where she was recognized on the Dean’s List. Following this, she received her board certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurse Credentialing Center. Her diverse clinical training enables her to bridge conventional medicine with functional, preventative and regenerative approaches in a way that is practical, safe, and patient-focused.

Experience That Shapes Perspective

Throughout her career, Tiffany has cared for patients at every stage of health — from acute illness and injury to chronic conditions that have persisted for years. Many of the individuals she works with arrive feeling frustrated, exhausted, or uncertain after navigating complex symptoms without clear answers.

Her experience across urgent care, integrative therapies, mind-body modalities, and long-term functional health support has reinforced the importance of careful listening, comprehensive evaluation, and treatment plans that reflect the full picture of a patient’s health.

Patients often describe Tiffany as steady, attentive, and thorough. She takes time to explain findings, discuss options, and help patients feel confident in their care decisions.

Clinical Focus and Areas of Expertise

Tiffany specializes in functional, integrative, and preventive care, with an emphasis on identifying root causes and supporting whole-system balance. Her clinical experience includes:

  • Functional laboratory interpretation and personalized treatment planning
  • Hormonal and metabolic evaluation
  • IV nutrient therapy and hydration support
  • Prolozone therapy and Frankenhauser injections
  • PRP joint injections and PRP cosmetic rejuvenation
  • Advanced PRP injections and aesthetic treatments
  • Gut health and detoxification protocols, including colon hydrotherapy
  • NeuroStar TMS for treatment-resistant depression
  • Acute and complex urgent-care assessment
  • Pediatric care and wellness support
  • Surgical services, sterile technique, and procedural safety

This broad scope allows her to thoughtfully combine regenerative therapies, functional medicine principles, and conventional clinical care into a cohesive, patient-centered approach.

A Whole-Person, Root-Cause Philosophy

Tiffany approaches each patient as a complete biological system influenced by lifestyle, stress, environment, hormones, and metabolic function. Rather than focusing solely on symptom management, her goal is to understand why symptoms developed and what is preventing the body from returning to balance.

Patients often describe Tiffany as intuitive, thorough, and genuinely invested in their well-being. She is especially known for:

  • Attentive, unhurried listening
  • Clear explanations without unnecessary medical jargon
  • Practical, step-by-step guidance
  • Compassionate care that respects each patient’s individual journey
  • A calm, reassuring presence that helps patients feel at ease

 

Education & Training

  • Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner — Clarkson College
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing — Nebraska Methodist College (Dean’s List)
  • Associate of Arts — Metropolitan Community College/UNO (Dean’s List)
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center, Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Advanced training in IV therapy, Prolozone therapy, PRP injections, aesthetic treatments, colon hydrotherapy, and regenerative medicine

 

Empathy, Evidence, and Empowerment

Tiffany embodies the UpStream philosophy by blending functional medicine science with genuine human connection. Her mission is to help patients uncover root causes, restore vitality, and reconnect with their body’s innate capacity to heal — moving away from symptom-chasing and toward clarity, resilience, and lasting well-being.

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Meet Our Team