Your best health is your most valuable asset. What are you waiting for?
"Have you lost faith in conventional medicine? Do you have unanswered questions about your health that no one has been able to answer? Are you "getting older" and not liking the way you feel? If your quality of life is affected by symptoms that keep you from fully participating in your life, you owe it to yourself to find out why.
Several years ago I was in the same boat. I felt like I was losing control of my health and didn't know why. My workdays were full of patients with the same issues I had: unexplained fatigue, mood swings, aches and pains, and generally just not enjoying life anymore. I was too young to feel like that! So were they. I tried, but at that time I didn't have the tools I needed to help them, or even help myself!
I sought answers from trusted colleagues, met some new mentors along the way, and eventually learned a different way of practicing medicine. What I needed was a whole new toolbox, and that's what I found in functional medicine. I now have a much deeper understanding of health and how to regain and maintain it. I feel better today than I ever have. I'm happier and more fulfilled. Most importantly, I feel like I can really help my patients."
Functional medicine is an evolution of the practice of medicine that better responds to the healthcare needs of the 21st century. Focused on addressing the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms, functional medicine incorporates the latest information and understanding about how environmental and lifestyle factors, genetics, nutrition, and individual physiology influence health and wellness.
Each patient is an individual with a different background, life stressors, medical history and daily symptoms. As an MD, Dr. K takes the time to learn about and partner with each patient to provide more personalized and comprehensive health care using the best of what conventional Western medicine has to offer combined with her functional and integrative medical training.
Use of advanced laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques as well as prescribed combinations of medications, hormones, nutritional supplements and botanical medicines allow the patient to feel better, live with more vitality, age more slowly, and even prevent disease.
Her areas of focus are metabolic health and weight control, mid-life hormone management, gut & digestive health, and age management.
Dr. K realized that in order to achieve lasting solutions, she needed more time than a traditional medical model allowed to investigate and understand the various underlying causes of her patient’s symptoms. Her current practice, OptimalSelf MD, reflects a personalized and comprehensive care model emphasizing the partnership between doctor and patient and allowing time for comprehensive testing and investigation, as well as a closer relationship with her patients.
Her patients come to her with a variety of conditions, and some of those are listed below:
- Health optimization & healthy aging
- Menopause / Andropause
- Sexual dysfunction
- Thyroid disorders
- HPA Axis Dysfunction
- Insomnia
- Stress-related disorders
- Autoimmune disease
- Gastrointestinal dysfunction
- Food sensitivities
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Hormone imbalances
- Fatigue and energy issues
- Metabolic syndrome
- Inflammation
- Toxin-related illness
- Cognitive decline
She uses a variety of healing and treatment modalities some of which are listed here:
- Hormone balancing and restoration
- Bio-identical hormones
- Regenerative therapies
- Medical grade supplements
- Compounded medications
- Peptide therapy
- IV vitamin therapy
- Dietary changes
- Detoxification
- Botanical antimicrobials
- Prescription antibiotics and antifungals
- Lifestyle modifications
- Exercise
- Bodywork
- Light therapy
- Environmental modifications
What you can expect from Dr. Katherine:
- She is an experienced, licensed, board-certified medical doctor having trained and board certified in Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, and has over 15 years of experience in conventional medicine. She got her functional medicine training and certification through the Institute for Functional Medicine and has also trained in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement therapy, Peptide therapy, IV Nutrient therapy, Age Management Medicine and Balance Protocol. She has studied with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, the Age Management Medicine Group, the International Peptide Society, International IV Nutritional Therapy, Specialty Med Training, and many other organizations and notable individuals, and continues to actively learn and apply new ways of thinking about health.
- Her practice is small and she accepts a limited number of new patients per month in order to maintain a personalized experience and the highest quality of care. Dr. Katherine gets the best results with patients who are willing to maintain a close working relationship with her and her team, provide frequent feedback, and check in often. She works for her patients, not for the pharmaceutical industry or insurance companies.
- Dr. Katherine prefers to treat you as a whole person instead of focusing on a specific illness or disease, and takes into consideration all of the systems of the body and how they are inter-related. Your workup and treatment plan is designed to balance your body at a cellular level in order to reach and maintain your goals.
What she expects from you:
- Dr. Katherine asks that those interested in her functional medicine and wellness programs complete the application for consultation and book a call with her before she sees you as a patient.
- She requires that you have a primary care doctor for routine health needs. She serves as a specialty consultant and cannot take the place of your regular doctor when it comes to acute illnesses, injuries, and routine health maintenance like mammograms, pelvic exams, prostate exams, cardiac stress testing, and colonoscopies.
- She asks that you always be open, honest, and thorough in providing the required information. Dr. Katherine also asks that you be patient and willing to implement healing strategies that may take 3 to 6 months and sometimes longer for complex issues.
What she does not treat specifically, but addresses as part of a whole-person approach:
- Mental illness and psychiatric disorders
- Alzheimer's disease
- Parkinson's, ALS, or other neurodegenerative diseases
- Lyme disease
- Mold toxicity
- Cancer
- Chronic Pain
Dr. Katherine offers her services to those interested in a more comprehensive and preventative approach to health and longevity. Please review the information below and feel free to ask questions during your consultation call. You will be contacted to schedule a call after submitting the application. Potential patients are assigned to an appointment type or program after the consult call and are given an estimate for their plan of care, including lab fees. Yes, it's expensive, but it's an investment in your health. You're paying for the time it takes to focus on you and your case, and any education or research that may need to be done to provide you with the best care.
"What accounts for my hourly rates? More than half my work is done when you are not even here! This is when I devote time to your specific case and interpret your labs, create a care plan for you, do extra research or reading, answer your portal messages, and concentrate on what your goals are and how we are going to achieve them, together."
You must have a separate primary care doctor! Dr. Katherine offers specialty consultation services only. Only the Platinum and Gold concierge memberships include access to her for urgent issues, work-in appointments, and questions after hours.
Dr. Katherine does NOT do workups for potentially serious new symptoms like chest or abdominal pain, neurologic symptoms, or anything potentially life threatening that has not been formally evaluated prior to seeing her.
After you reach maintenance, you may be offered the option for ongoing care by becoming a member of the practice. Membership confers many benefits, including substantial discounts on products and services, regular and timely appointments built in to your plan, and access to the doctor when you need extra support, including urgent care services for Platinum and Gold members. Membership is limited and by invitation only, so you may be placed on a waiting list. You will be given more information about membership options after your consultation or program.
Follow-up visits for non-members are billed as follows: 60 minutes $500, 45 minutes $375, 30 minutes $250, 15 minutes $125, and prescription refills between scheduled appointments incur a $75 charge.
Appointment & Program Types:
Fast Track To Optimal (Functional Medicine)
This is required for all new Tier 1 patients requiring a functional medicine healing approach. It includes a thorough review of your intake questionnaires, previous records, and lab tests and a 60 to 75 minute comprehensive case review to really get to know you as a person and a patient. Some labs and testing may be done at or before the first visit, others scheduled for later, and some may be sent home with you for collection. Dr. Katherine may make some initial recommendations and will give you some "homework" for the next visit. You will be given a patient notebook that we will add to as you progress. Subsequent follow-up visits start 1-2 weeks later as we put the overall picture together, and continue every 2 to 4 weeks until you reach maintenance phase.
$795 initial appointment, monthly fee thereafter is $595 or $795 depending on services needed, minimum 3 month commitment, does not include specialty labs
Apply for consultation and set up a call for more information!
Metabolic Repair for Sustainable Weight Loss Program
If you have tried everything to lose weight, have struggled with yo-yo dieting, have reached a plateau, or are simply at the point where you feel like giving up, this program is for you! Our weight loss program is a culmination of Dr. Katherine’s experience in determining and treating the barriers to metabolic health. Comprehensive diagnostic testing is done to pinpoint the reasons behind your frustration, then a program is carefully designed specifically for you. Some of the items below may be included in the monthly fee, others are separate charges.
- An initial comprehensive lab panel to identify hormone or thyroid imbalance, inflammation, insulin resistance, and nutritional deficiencies
- Body composition analysis with the InBody (fat vs. muscle, basal metabolic rate, visceral fat, etc)
- Peptides such as semaglutide, tirzepatide, CJC 1295/Ipamorelin, Sarcotropin
- Prescription medications such as bioidentical hormones or thyroid support
- Optional Lumen device
- Detox plan, if needed
- Personalized supplement regimen
- Nutritional analysis and nutrition coaching
- Lifestyle and health coaching
- Exercise recommendations
- Patient handbook customized for you
- Optional genetics testing for nutrition and exercise recommendations, fat metabolism, and macronutrient needs
- Optional Food Sensitivity testing
- Optional Gut Health testing
Because this is a highly customized program and may include specific services or medications, the cost will vary. However, it is a monthly fee like the programs listed above, not a lump sum due initially. After your consult call you will be given a more specific plan with pricing.
Apply for consultation and set up a call for more information!
Optimal Gut Reset Program
Designed for anyone with the following common complaints:
- Gas/bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain/cramping
- Suspected food intolerances or sensitivities
- IBS
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Crohn's disease
- Leaky Gut/Intestinal Permeability
This program is designed for the patient with primarily gut and digestive symptoms that haven't responded to more traditional therapies. During this program we take a deeper look at dietary habits, digestive capacity, intestinal transit time, microbiome health, food sensitivities, gut inflammation, and also evaluate you for common disorders such as leaky gut and SIBO. At the first visit we go over your history in more detail and send you home with test kits to collect. At our first follow-up, we review the test results and formulate a treatment plan. Subsequent visits every 2 to 4 weeks are to check in on your progress. We estimate 3 months for most people, then you may transition to a maintenance membership or make appointments as needed.
$595 initially and $495 monthly thereafter, average 3 to 6 months, labs not included
Apply for consultation and set up a call for more information
Hormone/Thyroid/Adrenal Consultation
This is the initial appointment for all patients interested in bio-identical hormone replacement, thyroid management, and adrenal health, or for those suspecting hormonal imbalance. You will fill out a set of online questionnaires and have labs drawn at our downtown office. Your consultation will be a deep dive into your hormonal health and symptoms as well as lifestyle, dietary, and environmental influences.
$595 including initial labs
Peptide Consultation & Management
This is for patients interested in peptide therapy. You will fill out a set of online questionnaires and have labs drawn at our downtown office. Peptides are prescribed from a compounding pharmacy and are combined in treatment protocols to achieve specific goals like subcutaneous and visceral fat loss, metabolic repair, increased lean body mass, cognitive optimization, and healing of leaky gut, SIBO and musculoskeletal injuries.
$395 including initial labs, then $195/month for ongoing management and prescription renewal. Peptide costs vary and will be added to your monthly subscription or billed directly to you.
Sexual Wellness Consultation (Procedure Focused)
Dr. Katherine offers procedural options for women and men interested in improving sexual functioning and response. You will fill out a set of detailed online questionnaires before meeting with her, and have labs drawn at our downtown office. Your consultation will focus on determining the cause of your concerns and the best course of action for resolution. If you are looking for a hormone evaluation, you would be better served by coming in for a Hormone Consultation, where we can also cover procedural options.
$295, includes initial labs.
Hair Restoration Consultation
Hair loss and thinning affects men and women of all ages. Fortunately, there are many good options for treating this distressing problem! A detailed history along with scalp examination and advanced testing can uncover the root causes and help customize the best treatment plan. You will fill out a set of online questionnaires and have labs drawn at our downtown office. A variety of treatment options are available and will be presented to you.
$295, includes initial labs.
Age Reversal Program
Reduce cellular aging and improve your healthspan! This is a very intensive "pilot program" open to select individuals willing to think outside the box. If you're willing to commit, it's possible that in 12 months we can reduce your biologic age, lengthen your telomeres, and reduce your rate of aging per year going forward. All testing, supplements, medications, and visits are included. Give me a year, and I'll give you back 5 years.
$795 initial consultation including screening labs. If you qualify, $2500/month for 12 months, all inclusive*.
*Certain things can't be included but are of nominal cost, like commercially available prescription medications and devices like the FreeStyle Libre CGM.