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 pain and medical conditions. Integrative medicine has the unique advantage of leveraging diverse medical options to provide the most appropriate care for the individual patient.
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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 once monthly, as a root-cause diagnosis is established and you receive the support and guidance needed to make true physiologic shifts. For many patients, weekly acupuncture may also be recommended (especially for fertility patients).
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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 and acupuncture-only appointments.
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Please note, that although Jessica is trained in general medicine, and can prescribe, order labs, and order imaging, it is recommended to have an additional primary care provider for regular health screenings (such as pap smears) and basic preventative care. 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, but Jessica does not directly bill insurance companies. Jessica has chosen to offer direct patient care with transparent fees, all available on the booking page.​
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 acupuncture and 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. 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 medications that often only manage, rather than reverse, disease. Most importantly, this is someone willing to change their diet and lifestyle, and commit to radical self-care.
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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
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