How the Intensive Program Works
Whether child or adult, we begin the patient’s treatment by delving deeply into their family medical history, early life story, and their history of experiences and exposures.
After a thorough and detailed physical exam, we then use advanced testing to uncover the root causes of their Chronic Illness. With these answers gathered, we work with the patient to not only understand the “whys” of their illness, but also the “hows” of overcoming it.
The “hows” of this treatment program include our guidance through lifestyle changes, though the needed environmental modifications, and through nutritional supplementation. We seek to restore the patient to wholeness by approaching the patient’s illness as a dysfunction between many related systems, rather than as a set of isolated, unrelated symptoms.
We, at Sanctuary, are pleased to offer both in-person and distance healthcare. Patients traveling from a distance are seen once a year, and then Dr. Potter orders their lab work and their therapies so it can be performed in their home state. After an initial office visit, further care may be accessed through a secure video forum or by phone appointments.
Dr. Potter, IFMCP MD, is licensed in Tennessee; Kentucky, Virginia, and Minnesota but our initial in-person visit allows ongoing care in all states.
Understanding Underlying Factors of Your Health
The hallmark of the functional medicine approach is to understand the underlying factors of a patient’s health. We do this by taking to time understand every aspect of a patient’s health story in an Intensive Program.
Dr. Potter walks you through testing results from beginning to end and presents your personalized health restoration plan in Two Case Review Visits. The first covers the important findings of initial testing. The second finishes explanations and covers any additional testing ordered at the first Case Review Visit. At the end of this stage, you walk away with your restoration plan to review and implement.
As part of your implementation, one to two weeks later, your nurse practitioner guide meets with you for 25 minutes to review a detailed supplement spreadsheet and answer implementation questions. The nutritionist also comes alongside you in implementing dietary changes with another visit by telemedicine.
The program then provides 2 prolonged follow up visits spaced over every ten to twelve weeks and two shorter visits for acute needs and surprises. During each of these visits your nurse practitioner and Dr. Potter address progress and any adjustments to your protocol.
Beyond those visits, you can also access your care team for quick questions that do not require a full visit. Small adjustments made during these interactions keep you moving forward in your recovery.
Given the complexity of our patient’s cases, we ask for this nine to ten month commitment as we know the deeper restoration you want requires time. Should you need longer term therapy, we can discuss transitioning to the Bridge Program. When you have completed active therapy you graduate to the ongoing Empowered Life Program.