In a nutshell, it is getting to the root cause rather than prescribing medications to cover up the symptoms. Read more…
FAQs
- If you have insurance, it may cover or at least offset the cost of certain lab tests, and we will help you with that. For in-office visits, insurance is not accepted. We understand this is frustrating and disappointing for some.
- The fact is, your insurance company does not care how sick you are or how crummy or lousy or “off” you feel. They will not listen to you or hear your true concerns, or care how much treatment you really need to get better. The good news is, WE DO!
- We focus on finding the cause, not dispensing meds to cover up symptoms. This takes time and dedication, and insurance will not cover it.
- Insurance can be great for emergency and acute care. For those who want true health care and a higher quality of life, insurance won’t help. This is frustrating for us too. Hopefully there will be changes in the near future, because we all want them.
We spend several hours outside of the office visit reviewing and researching your labs, your intake form, notes we took during your visit, and studying YOU. It’s important that you feel valued and heard. We don’t want you to feel like you are visiting a factory and you are just another body to push through. We also expect you to invest in your health, because you deserve it! We want you to feel great, and to experience happiness and joy in your life. You will be held accountable and be supported along the way as you journey toward greater health.
- A complete review of your history, what has helped and what has not, where you are now, and where you want to be. This may include a timeline of your life, starting from before you were born. The purpose is to understand significant events that may impact your health and behavior and help guide us in a personalized approach for you. Completing the intake form and questionnaire (s) ahead of time will allow for a smoother flow and better understanding before you even come in. This also helps us prioritize diet, lifestyle, supplement and lab recommendations and to begin a plan for you.
- A basic understanding of where you are with diet, physical movement, sleep, relaxation, environment, and connections with a brief discussion of what you would like to improve. There are many facets to what we embrace as health. It takes time to work on them all and achieve balance!
- Labs
- Based on our discussion during your visit and a review of your intake and questionnaires and most recent previous labs, we will decide on which functional test(s) and/or blood work may be most beneficial for you. The tests help us gain a better understanding of your hormone function, digestive system and gut/ infections, nutrition and genetics, methylation, and/or a metabolic snapshot of your overall health. For bloodwork, we use Quest Diagnostics or CPL. All other tests are completed at home (urine, saliva, or stool).
Megan is happy to answer questions via email or through the patient portal; however, for something that requires an extensive answer, she may ask you to schedule an in-person or phone appointment.
My “Doctor” is a “Nurse Practitioner”!
I was at my friend Suzie’s house and her mom was visiting from out of town. Suzie was telling her mom about me and that I am a nurse practitioner. Her mom asked, “what is a nurse practitioner?” I explained to her about my education and what my role is in healthcare. Her eyes became wide and she looked up and said, “My doctor is a Nurse Practitioner! I love her!”
Everyone seems to understand what a Medical Doctor (MD) is, and what they are authorized to do – such as diagnose, treat and manage acute and chronic conditions, order and interpret labs and diagnostic tests, and prescribe medications and supplements. What people don’t always understand, is that Nurse Practitioners (NPs) do the same!
We know that MDs go to medical school and are board-certified in a specialty. NPs are required to obtain a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) – even if a previous bachelors degree in a different subject was obtained- and a Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN), become board-certified as an NP and to maintain both licenses (RN and NP). The highest level of education as an nurse is a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP). While there are different requirements in education, one difference between MDs and NPs is that MDs study diseases and how to fix or “cure” them or the symptoms, while NPs study people and how to heal them. NPs are known for a wellness approach that emphasizes health education, risk identification and reduction, and preventive care through lifestyle modification.
I respect MDs and their education and experience, and do not compare myself to them. I just think that the general public’s understanding of the role of an NP is a bit muddy and could use some clarity. I believe in collaboration with an entire healthcare team and working together toward the same goal – to maintain and improve the health of our patients. I will personally never tell you “there’s nothing else we can do.” I will listen to you and be your partner in your journey toward a healthy lifestyle.
The following words are from Dr. Stephen Ferrera…
How does the NP approach differ from that of traditional doctors?
“We meld nursing and medicine into this hybrid of a profession. A lot of what we do as nurses, first, is patient advocacy and patient empowerment. We focus on health education and health literacy. As advanced-practice nurses, we bring that to the next level.
It’s partnering with the patient to set realistic expectations, and it’s taking a holistic approach — whole body and mind. We’re not just focusing on a disease process or one particular organ; we’re looking at the person as an individual but also as part of a family and seeing what psychosocial aspects come into play. That complicates things that might otherwise seem easy.”
How do NPs feel about traditional physicians?
“When it comes to nurse practitioners and physicians, we don’t practice ‘us vs. them.’ Some of the media will make it seem like we have this contentious relationship, but we really don’t. We do our best to [take] care of the needs of every patient. And [if that means] referring them to a physician, or physical therapist, or any other specialist, that’s what we’ll do and what we want any provider to do at the end of the day. We have a unique set of skills and education, and all we want to do is be able to care for the patient the way in which we were prepared to do so.”
Occasionally discounts or promotions will be offered. Specific discounts are generally allotted for first responders.
Fit Logic Functional Medicine is not a primary care clinic. We ask that you have a separate primary care provider. If you would like recommendations, we are happy to help.
