Telemedicine FAQ's
A telemedicine visit will be similar to an in-person visit, except that we will talk over a video link on your computer or mobile device.
You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation to find out if working with me by telemedicine will be a good fit for you. After that, we can schedule your first appointment.
(At this time, I am working with patients in the state of Florida only.)
Give me a call or email me, and we will decide on a time to meet.
Once the telemedicine appointment is scheduled, you will receive an appointment reminder sent by the scheduling software. This will include a link to the telemedicine session on the Lifesize video-conferencing platform. (If you are familiar with Zoom, this is a similar platform used by healthcare providers.)
Joining the appointment is usually as simple as clicking on the link, but here is some more detailed information on how to join with the meeting using various browsers and devices: https://www.lifesize.com/en/app-help/guest
Please fill out the new patient health forms and the telemedicine consent form before your appointment. Click on the “Manage my appointment” link in your appointment reminder to fill out the forms online. Please complete these as soon as possible so that I’ll have time to review your health history before our meeting.
I will send you an invoice by email via Square with a link to pay directly through their secure credit card processing site. Here is a link to their privacy and security policy.
All telemedicine appointments need to be pre-paid before the appointment begins.
In case you need to reschedule, please let me know as soon as possible because that gives me time to move things around! You can call or text me directly at 305-608-9243. My office policy includes a late cancellation fee of up to the full price of the visit if less than 24-hours notice is given.
Payment is due by cash or credit card at the time of service. I do not accept insurance or verify coverage. I am an out-of-network provider and can provide you a receipt or a superbill if you need it. However, most functional medicine services are not typically reimbursed by insurance.
My practice is fee-for-service because that is the best way I can provide the most effective care. Unfortunately, health insurance today tends to be complicated, frustrating and expensive for both patient and provider. Most of my patients feel that paying out-of-pocket is worth it to receive personalized, holistic healthcare. Good health is like money in the bank, and healthy people pay less for healthcare over their lifetime.
At the end of the appointment, we’ll discuss what the next steps are, and we’ll schedule your next visit. You will receive a confirmation email from the scheduler.
I have two online pharmacies that I use for prescribing herbs and supplements to patients, Fullscript, and Five Flavors Herbs. Once I have put your prescription into the system, you will be sent a text and/or email. You will be able to set up an account and order directly from them. Here is a link to Fullscript for your convenience.
Check your email to see if I sent you follow up instructions. If you have any questions after the appointment, be sure to email, call or text me. I am happy to help!
Treatment FAQ's
My treatment style is to focus on you as a whole person, and to listen carefully to the details of your health history and the goals you want to achieve. My patients tend to be primarily busy women who are seeking natural treatment for hormonal balance, digestive health and immune system strength. I focus on the treatments that I have found to be effective, and I draw from my training and experience in Chinese medicine and functional medicine.
Functional medicine is about helping the body do what it does best, naturally.
Functional medicine means recognizing the vast healing capabilities of our natural human physiology. Functional medicine focuses on removing obstacles to normal physiological functioning so that the body can work better, in contrast to a treatment model that focuses on disease.
The emphasis of functional medicine is to use natural treatments while respecting that drugs or surgery may be the best option in some cases. A patient-centered, integrative approach is highly valued in the functional medicine world so that patients can choose from the best treatments available and actively participate in their own care.
Functional medicine lab testing involves using specialized lab work to assess gut health, adrenal health, liver detoxification pathways, and more. Functional practitioners may also interpret conventional bloodwork. This type of lab testing gives the practitioner and the patient useful information for designing targeted natural treatment programs and recommending individualized diet and lifestyle changes.
A functional medicine doctor or practitioner combines functional medicine training with their area of medical specialization. For example, you will find practitioners who are M.D.’s, nurse practitioners, chiropractors, naturopaths and acupuncturists.
I am an acupuncture physician in Florida. After becoming licensed and working as an acupuncturist in Miami, I became interested in learning about functional medicine. Inspired by hearing Dr. Dan Kalish speak about functional medicine, I embarked on his mentorship program at the Kalish Institute of Functional Medicine. This training emphasized working with the three main body systems of hormones, digestion and detoxification.
Functional medicine can be extremely complex, especially as we continue to learn more about the fascinating healing mechanisms of the human body. My mission is to take this knowledge and make it useful and effective for you. By focusing on the foundations of health and by using natural treatment methods that are targeted to your individual situation, I can help you find solutions.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a history of over 3,500 years, and it has continued to evolve as a complete system of medicine. This method of treatment has become increasingly popular in the United States and worldwide as a holistic way to treat a wide variety of issues, especially pain and stress-related conditions. Treatment methods include acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion and medicinal Chinese herbs.
Chinese herbal medicine is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine, and it has a tradition of being safely used for thousands of years. The herbs can be given as a medicinal tea made from individual dried herbal materials (called “raw” herbs), granules, liquid tinctures or pills. Your trained practitioner will know how to prescribe the correct dosage and to use only herbal products that have passed rigorous safety and quality inspections.
Chinese herbs are different than other types of herbs, because they are normally given in a formula. A formula is a group of herbs that work together to enhance the desired effect instead of giving a large dose of just one herb. It takes years of training to learn how to prescribe herbs in this manner, because there are several hundred commonly used herbs and several thousand traditional herbal formulas. As an acupuncture physician, I am nationally board-certified in Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Chinese herbology and biomedicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
Chinese herbal medicine can help you regain balance in your body systems and increase resistance to infections and disease. Many of the active pharmaceutical compounds in these powerful medicinal plants are being studied by modern research methods to find further applications for health, especially with the increase of drug-resistant organisms.
I am very careful to find trusted sources of herbs for my patients and to order them through reputable herbal companies. Unfortunately, there have been cases of counterfeit, expired or poor-quality herbs and supplements being put up for sale by resellers online.
Please order through my online herb and supplement pharmacies. You will feel better knowing that you are ordering high-quality products at comparable prices. I am also able to create custom herbal formulas to address your unique situation.
With each visit, we will discuss any improvements you have noticed and how to keep track of these changes.
If you are working on a specific goal such as getting pregnant or losing weight, it is helpful to have milestones to look for along the way. For example, in the case of fertility, you can look for improvements in your menstrual cycle and an easier premenstrual week. If you are trying to lose weight, you can count sleeping better and feeling more energetic as steps in improving your metabolism.
Company
Being Well Medicine LLC
Dorothy S. Wells, AP, DACM
Acupuncture Physician
Functional Medicine Specialist