ABOUT IRIS
THE IRIS TEAM
Dr. Michelle Suber
Naturopathic Physician
Dr. Suber has been practicing in Waimea since 1998, when she moved to Hawai’i to complete a 2-year integrative medicine residency program at North Hawaii Community Hospital. In 1998, she received a doctorate of naturopathic medicine at the National College of Natural Medicine, a four year graduate program; and in 1994, a bachelor of science in biology at Florida State University. She is a broadly-trained naturopathic physician who finds satisfaction in helping her patients discover individualized approaches to both straightforward and complex diseases. With expertise in nutrition and botanical medicine, she has special interests in cardiology, prenatal and hospice medicine, and lifestyle optimization.
Dr. Suber is an ultra runner, HAM radio operator, and founder of Waimea Middle School's MaÌ„la’ai. She taught West Coast Swing dance & ballroom dance for 20 years, and is the mother of two wonderful daughters.
Dr. Aimee Baird
Family Medicine
Dr. Baird attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine’s unique 6-year combined degree program, earning both bachelor’s in biology and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degrees upon graduation in 1996. She completed Family Medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-Shadyside Hospital in 1999. She then returned to her hometown of Kansas City, building a practice valuing whole-person patient-centered care. Dr. Baird has extensive experience in care throughout the lifespan, including pediatrics, gynecology, adult medicine, and many office-based procedures. Although she no longer provides prenatal/obstetrical care, she did so for 23 years and delivered nearly 1000 babies, which will always remain one of the greatest joys of her career. Dr. Baird is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP), a designation earned for commitment to the specialty through teaching and leadership.
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Dr. Baird joined Iris Integrative Health in 2024, allowing her to deepen her commitment to individualized care, prevention, and wellness.
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She and her husband, Mark, have been visiting Hawai’i for nearly 20 years, with a special affinity for Waimea. They enjoy traveling, cooking, and cheering on their Kansas City Chiefs! They welcome your suggestions of places to snorkel and hike and are deeply appreciative of the aloha they have been shown.
Cheryl Chestnut
Cheryl has lived in Hawaii most of her life; it is home.
After working in the design field for many years, she decided it was time to become a more integral part of this small community of Waimea.
Joining the Iris team allowed her to do just that. It has given Cheryl great pleasure over several years getting to know our patients and aid them in their journey towards the special integrative health care that Iris offers.
Cheryl is on the board of Waimea Outdoor Circle, and has volunteered and fostered umpteen times for the Hawai’i Island Humane Society. Gardening and all manner of pets have been her lifelong joy, along with her two very active grandchildren who keep her young at heart.
Jami Milton
Jami joined Iris with a desire to foster health and wellbeing in our community. She values connecting with our patients and providing clear communication to facilitate excellent patient-centered care. She’s trained in neurosciences (PhD in Biology) and has a passion for personal narrative writing.
Jami loves being Mom to two kids, gardening, dancing, and the beauty of Hawai’i Island, where she feels very much at home.
OUR BEGINNINGS
In 2016, under the leadership of Dr. Michelle Suber and Dr. Buzz Hollander, Iris Integrative Health became the first and only direct primary care practice in the state of Hawaii that combines the best of naturopathic and conventional medical philosophies.
In June of 2023, Dr. Buzz took his final breath after enduring several months of cancer treatment followed by medical complications. Buzz will always be remembered for his radiant warmth, sense of humor and intelligence. He was a gifted writer whose critical analysis of medical research informed the lives of his patients and many others.
Dr. Suber, in her commitment to the community and to Iris patients, kept the clinic doors open and began the nationwide search for a new physician to join her practice. The right fit was imperative, and she found that perfect fit in Dr. Baird in the fall of 2023. Dr. Baird already had a long relationship with Hawaii and was ready, after many successful years in a large Kansas City medical practice, to make the leap to the unique DPC model, a more patient- and physician-friendly way of practicing medicine.