Frequently ASKED qUESTIONS

The FM process is a research-based investigation into your unique biology. Through advanced, comprehensive testing, questioning, and personal attention, we aim to understand and relieve the underlying drivers of your health issues.

FM is for anyone looking for a different way of addressing their health issues. We specialize in: GI Issues, Hormone Issues, Fatigue, Sleep Issues, Chronic Health Issues, Autoimmune Diseases, Health Optimization, and Wellness and Preventative Medicine.

FM's goal is to understand your biology and find the best solutions for your health. This starts with diet, lifestyle, nutraceutical, and natural therapies but also embraces pharmaceutical and surgical solutions and referrals out to appropriate specialists when appropriate for each person.

FM is personalized medicine. We take a lot more time with you: the first appointment is 2 hours, and follow-ups are generally an hour. It is more than just figuring out what is going on in your body; it is also supporting you and finding ways to get through the healing process that work for you. 

Yes. Our membership is a combo cash-insurance system. We accept insurance for what it can cover: appointments with the nurse practitioner and some labs.

The membership covers all that insurance doesn’t cover: all the time and extra expertise to give you the best Functional and Integrative medicine experience possible.

You can also use your HSA or Flex Spending account for appointments, testing and many treatments.

We will continue to work over the years and decades to acquire greater insurance coverage for services like these.

It takes about 2 weeks for the Functional medicine labs to get us the reports once they have received your testing kit at the lab. LabCorp is usually a 2-7 day turn around before they get us the lab results. Some more specialized labs (IgeneX, DNA, QuickSilver Scientific) may take longer. Our fabulous admin assistant is great at getting patients their labs within a day or two of our receiving them.

After the first visit, you usually will have labs to complete. We have the first follow up once we get lab results back. If these are done in a timely manner, this is usually about a month after the first appointment.

In between appointments, you will be completing labs and enacting any protocols recommended. Please take notes on any response to protocols for us to go over at your follow up appointment.

No, but they are very helpful.

Our goal is to make the FM process as accessible as possible. This process is geared at both understanding what the underlying drivers of your health problems are and finding the solutions that work for you.

The way we try to figure out the underlying causes is through “differential diagnosis.” If you are familiar with the TV show “House,” you may be familiar with this term. It uses lab testing and analysis of your life and medical history as well as your response to therapies to try and understand what is going on in your body that is leading to your symptoms. (We are a LOT more gentle than House!)

Labs give us important pieces of the puzzle. That being said, we can always do our best through analyzing both your past as well as your response to therapies to try and figure the underlying drivers of your health issues. Without labs, this process may just take longer and have more trial and error, so we would just ask for your patience and willingness to trial therapies.

Two ways, if it is urgent, please call the front desk at 804-288-1111.

You can always reach us through email messaging in your patient portal.

Note: we are not an urgent care facility. We always attempt to answer calls and emails within the next business day. If you haven’t received a response in a timely manner, please do give the front desk a call.

As our clinic grows, we look forward to being able to provide 24-7 answering services in the future. When in doubt, go to urgent care or the emergency room.

If you have a more significant issue that is beyond the ability to answer succinctly in an email or call, you may be asked to schedule an appointment in order to allow Tressa to give you the proper attention and thought in answering you.

Any supplements recommended will be made available to you along with dosing prescriptions through the online patient supplement pharmacies we use: FULLSCRIPT (most come from here) and WELLEVATE, unless otherwise noted. Once your chart is signed, these prescriptions will be sent to you through an email from FullScript (or Wellevate).

We do use a number of outside specialty supplement and herbal companies that may require us to drop-ship or for you to set up a separate account to order (eg: Byron White, Xymogen, Researched Nutritionals). You will be provided with this information in your appointment summary.

As with any health provider, the choice is always yours. Your health providers are your expert consultants in helping you make the most informed decisions around your health. We will do our best to help you prioritize testing and protocols and to support you in incorporating all the information from your health practitioners in making these decisions.

We hope that this info helps you get the most out of our work together here at InHealthRVA! We were founded on the belief that every human should have the health they need in order to live their life to their fullest wishes. It is truly our honor to be on this health journey together.