Frequently Asked Questions
Your Questions, Answered
What is Integrative and Functional Medicine?
Integrative Medicine describes the synthesis of multiple approaches to patient care. In this case, as a PA, Jessica utilizes cutting edge modern diagnostics, and prescribes medications for treatment of disease. With a background in acupuncture and herbalism, she provides her patients with additional options for treatment of women's health conditions. Integrative medicine has the unique advantage of leveraging diverse medical options to provide the most appropriate care for the individual patient.
The foundation of Functional Medicine is rooted in the understanding that body is a complex ecosystem that has capacity to heal itself given appropriate inputs. Functional medicine leverages comprehensive labs to uncover disease processes. For most people, a Functional Medicine treatment plan requires specific dietary and lifestyle interventions.. For others, it may also require additional supplements or medications, or the removal of medications that no longer serve you.
What does a healing relationship with Jessica look like?
Expect to have a partner and advocate as you determine what optimal health looks like for you. Jessica's goal is to help you reconnect with and trust your body, discover underlying causes of disease, and learn how to best care for your body in a way that supports your own personal version of vitality.
In the beginning, appointments will be scheduled at least every 3-8 weeks, as a root-cause diagnosis is established and you receive the support and guidance needed to make true physiologic shifts.
New patient appointments generally take 75-90 minutes to gather all information and create a concrete plan. In general, reserve 45-60 minutes for all return-patient appointments.
A typical cadence of appointments might look like:
New Patient Appointment: History is discussed, including prior labs and treatments tried. We come together in creating the next steps. This almost always include ordering standard labs (to Quest or Labcorp so you can use your insurance for these labs, or to an affordable cash lab). It may also include functional medicine lab panels (which are not covered by insurance- for these, the pros/cons are discussed in detail prior to ordering so you can decide if it is an excellent fit). We will also likely get started with dietary and lifestyle changes, and possibly a supplement or two to begin foundational healing.
Return Patient Appointment: Scheduled 3-4 weeks after your new patient appointment. At this time, we formulate a solid plan using the evidence we've gathered from labs. This plan will include dietary and lifestyle changes, supplements to support your body in rebalancing, and in some cases, medications or hormone replacement therapy.
Appointments Moving Forward: At this point, the appointments are typically spaced out to every 6-12 weeks depending on what we your health goals are, and how long you have been struggling with imbalances.
A patient may work with Jessica for an expedited course of 3-4 appointments to better understand root causes of current symptoms. For symptoms that have persisted for more than 1 year before your first appointment with Jessica, it will likely take more time to help the body rebalance. Some patients also choose Jessica as a touchpoint on their ongoing journey for their version of optimal wellbeing and graceful aging.
Women in menopause specifically seeking hormone replacement therapy typically have appointments every 6 months once the initial 2-3 appointments have been completed, and the body has regulated itself.
Communication Between Appointments: Jessica maintains a HIPAA compliant patient portal for all communication between appointments. Her practice is not a membership model, so she sets the expectation that it may take 3-4 days to receive responses (since she is not available over the weekend, and practices her own radical self care of unplugging). If a patient is experiencing new symptoms, or needs more support than can be clarified in 2-3 messages between appointments, Jessica will likely recommend meeting for a telemedicine appointment in order to gather the information required to provide expert medical advice.
Please note, that although Jessica is trained in general medicine, and can prescribe, order labs, and order imaging, it is strongly recommended to have an additional primary care provider for regular health screenings (such as pap smears), urgent and acute health matters, and basic preventative care. Jessica does not replace the role of a PCP for her patients. This way, appointments with Jessica can focus more on inquiry, investigation, coaching, and Chinese medicine therapies.
Do You Bill Insurance?
Superbills are available for you to submit to your own insurance if you have out-of-network benefits, but Jessica does not directly bill insurance companies. Jessica has chosen to offer direct patient care with transparent fees to allow for extended visits (60-90 minute appointment times).
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New Patient Appointments, up to 90 minutes in length: $425
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Return Patient Appointments, up to 60 minutes in length: $300
Labs and insurance: If labs are ordered to Quest or Labcorp, they will bill your insurance, and coverage is determined by your insurance benefits. If you have an HMO insurance plan, I have access to cash labs through Evexia. A typical individual lab ordered through Evexia and prepayed is about $12, so a full panel is often <$150. Labs commonly ordered to a standard lab company include:
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Micronutrients (iron, B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin D...)
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Serum Hormones (estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA...)
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Inflammatory and Autoimmune Markers (CRP, ESR, ANA, RF...)
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Fasting Insulin, Blood Sugar labs, Lipids, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel...
Functional medicine labs are ordered through Rupa Health. Labs are never marked up, and are sold at wholesale cost. Comprehensive functional lab panels typically cost between $150 and $325 depending on the lab. Very rarely does insurance cover functional labs. Common functional medicine lab panels include:
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DUTCH Testing for Comprehensive Sex and Stress Hormone Investigation
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Salivary Cortisol Panels
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GI Map or GI Effects Stool Microbiome Testing
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Food Sensitivity Testing
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Organic Acid Testing (OAT)
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Heavy Metals, Toxin, and Mycotoxin Panels
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Comprehensive Micronutrient Testing
What should I expect from my first session?
Jessica believes in quality over quantity. New patients should be advised to reserve up to 90 minutes for an appointment. Please bring all prior medical records, labs, imaging, and medications, herbs, and supplements to this appointment. It is also helpful if you keep a food journal the week before your first appointment. Jessica will take the time to thoroughly review your medical history, discover your personal health goals, and come up with a plan for you to step into your own healing, with education to help you understand why she has made these recommendations. This plan often involves initial dietary and lifestyle interventions, a panel of basic labs, 1 or 2 functional medicine labs, adjustments to current supplement or medication regimen, and sometimes Chinese herbal therapy.
How do I know I would benefit from care with Jessica?
The ideal patient for Jessica is someone who want a provider who collaborates with them on care to create a true wellness team, empowering and teaching them to heal themselves. Someone seeking a provider who looks for the root causes of illness, leveraging the best diagnostics from modern medicine with the more subtle findings of traditional practices, to come to a holistic understanding of the state of the body. Someone who trusts, or who is willing to try, natural herbal therapies, supplements, and traditional treatments- and medications when necessary. Someone who wants a provider with a broad integrative medicine toolbox to draw from with the goal of optimal wellbeing, rather than relying strictly on algorithmic medical care. Most importantly, this is someone willing to change their diet and lifestyle, and commit to radical self-care.
Please note, that while Jessica is trained in functional medicine, she is not an expert in Tickborn Disease or Mold Toxicity. If metabolic imbalances reveal themselves to be related to these, Jessica can begin initial treatment, and support in finding a more qualified provider to continue effective treatment of these toxicities. Jessica is especially effective in supporting hormonal imbalances (sex hormones, cortisol, thyroid, insulin), as well as gut dysfunction.
Established Patient Information:
Already booked an appointment and have questions about next steps? Take a peek on this page for appointment-specific FAQ:
https://www.integrativewomenshealthsf.com/appointment-information