Is anyone tired of the confusing, mixed messages in the media and on social media these days regarding health and well-being?  Tired of consulting Dr. Google and either getting more confused or becoming frightened from what you are reading?  Tired of going to the doctor’s office for answers and having your doctor, NP or PA staring at the computer screen and never laying a hand on you during your visit?  Do you feel that something is missing when you enter into the world of modern “healthcare”?  Do you want open-minded, holistic, science-based healthcare from a doctor who is willing to step outside of the box of the medical algorithm based on “herd medicine”? Do you want to work with someone who will help you work on improving your healthspan and quality of life?

The human genome contains approximately 30,000 genes, and while we all share some basic chromosomal and genetic qualities, every human being is unique. We are also greatly affected by our environment, or epigenetics, which influences how each person expresses the particular genes they carry.  Each day more data is produced demonstrating our incredibly rich diversity, and while we are all human our experiences and needs are different.  Medicine has long been focused on the “average” person’s response to treatment, looking at populations rather than individuals in order to study the potential merits and risks of a new treatment.  In every case, very little attention is paid to the outliers unless the outliers provide some sensational newsworthy responses.  We now know that it is possible to tailor treatment to an individual taking into account each person’s unique genetic and environmental composition.  Unfortunately, many of the tests that can provide such information are not covered by insurances, and physicians must then resort to using the population data to make treatment recommendations.  While our understanding of genetic medicine is in its infancy, there are ways we are able to delve into an individual’s specific genetic code and even into their gut microbes to create a better picture of how we need to adjust that person’s nutrition and physical activity as well as what medications might be more or less harmful for that individual.  That is really exciting!  All of this has implications for prevention of disease and slowing the aging process.  We all want to live longer, healthier lives.  That was the reason I went to medical school: to learn how to help people stay healthy longer.  Unfortunately, we spent very little time on prevention and much time on treatments.

My new practice, Ultra Health & Wellness, was created with one goal: build a practice that uses real world data for prevention, optimum health and healing while remaining open to nontraditional methods of evaluation and treatment.  We will focus on dietary and environmental factors as key elements in achieving better health for our patients.  We will use available technology to help our patients feel better, slow the aging process, and maintain or return to a state of well-being.  After years of study and with continuing medical education focused on these goals, I feel confident that we are ready to enter this area, providing our patients with a high level of knowledge and expertise in hormone management, anti-aging therapies, weight management, and nutritional support.  I will continue to see patients for gynecologic and urogynecologic issues, and will offer them the same top quality care that I have always done.  This practice will allow me to offer all of my patients more than before.  I’m excited and eager to begin.