Frequently Asked Questions

F.A.Q.

Frequently Asked Questions

Functional Medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both the patient and the doctor in a therapeutic partnership. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medicine to a more patient-centered approach Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.

Watch IFM Board President of Clinical Affairs Mark Hyman, MD, describes why one condition can have many different causes and how one cause can lead to many different conditions.

Conventional medicine aims to alleviate symptoms and reduce suffering. However, this approach doesn’t emphasize looking for deeper causes to an individual’s ailments. Even worse, some conventional treatments can compound the underlying problems.

At Dr. Jack’s Functional Medicine, we understand that every chronic illness, every set of persistent symptoms, could have several different root causes. Poor health often results from the simultaneous failure of multiple systems in the body.

With Functional Medicine the focus is on the underlying factors that are causing symptoms and affecting your health. It is an investigative, comprehensive approach that focuses on uncovering the root causes for chronic diseases and correcting those deficiencies or dysfunctions to restore balance and health. Then we determine your specific treatment plan which might include approaches like detoxification programs, nutrition, botanical medicines, supplements, stress-management techniques, exercise, among others.

In Functional Medicine, there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment so even if you and a friend had the same symptoms or condition you won’t get the same treatment plan. In contrast, most traditional doctors take note of your symptoms, give it a diagnosis, and then write out a prescription for that specific diagnosis. Therefore, if you and a friend have the same symptoms, you get the same diagnosis and then the same treatment.

Also, traditional medical testing involves checking the same few items each time and not testing the values that would give enough information to be able to identify the underlying root causes of your problem. The testing done in Functional Medicine is much more thorough and specific to help us to identify the real underlying imbalances and problems.

Everyone. The goal of Functional Medicine is not only to improve your health if you have a chronic illness, but also to prevent future health issues. It’s a patient-centered approach, where we address the whole person not just your isolated set of symptoms. The result? A program that’s personalized for you, one that will remedy or reduce the severity of your symptoms, help prevent chronic disease and get your body and mind as healthy as possible.

Many of our patients come to us with a chronic health condition, to prevent chronic conditions and achieve optimal health.
  1. You email or call our office expressing interest in making an appointment.
  2. We reach out to you either by email or phone and collect some initial information and send you our new patient forms.
  3. You fill out the forms and send them back to us along with any recent testing you have had done. If you haven’t had any testing recently or it is missing some important information, we will send you for additional testing.
  4. When we receive the results of all the testing, we look at all the forms, testing, etc and put together a plan for the initial consultation. We then reach out to you and set you up for your initial consultation with either Dr. Jack or Melissa Mullin.

The consult will be a virtual consultation using Zoom. We will go through your forms, test results and your questions. You should expect a very in-depth thorough experience that is the first step on your journey to better health. During the appointment, you and your clinician will discuss your symptoms, health concerns, medical, family, social and psycho-spiritual history, childhood, diet, exercise, sleep habits, among other information that will help create your treatment plan. Your clinician will also review any previous lab testing and/or medical records that you sent to us as well as any new testing that we ordered. You will also have ample time to ask any questions that you may have.

At the end of the consultation, we will summarize the results of the consult and put together a personalized treatment program for you. This plan which will be mailed and emailed to you will include some or all of the following: nutritional recommendations, vitamins, minerals, herbs and targeted supplements to treat the underlying cause of your health issue, dietary changes, detox protocols, exercise recommendations, etc, etc. Your program might also include a referral to other experts we have affiliations with that could complement your treatment program.

We are open for virtual consultations using Telemedicine on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm, and Friday from 9:30 am – 1 pm.

We do not bill insurance companies; it is up to each individual to determine whether their insurance plan provides reimbursement for consultations, supplements and lab tests. For blood testing, most patients with out-of-network benefits, who satisfy their deductible, are covered. With certain labs we help facilitate the lab company billing the patient’s insurance. If there are any issues with the billing, it is the patient’s responsibility to contact the lab to address the matter.

Full payment is expected with each consultation by cash, digital check (no mailed checks), Visa, Mastercard or Debit card

Typically, we do our best to make sure that any blood work that is requested from a lab that is on your insurance plan is covered. However, depending on your insurance plan, this is not guaranteed, and we recommend you check before your laboratory test.

A list of some of the issues we have helped patients with:

Autoimmune Diseases

Gastrointestinal Illnesses

Mental and Brain Health

Women’s and Men’s Health

Patient Testimonials