Functional Medicine for Ideal Health

Here at our Las Colinas practice, both Dr. Scott and Nurse Practitioners Elise Lewis and Sue Miller all use a functional medicine approach in treating our patients. We believe in the power of the human body and because of this, we also believe that there is a big difference between going through life not feeling good versus living your ideal life. Our mission is to be proactive and assist  both women and men to improve their quality of life through an individualized health and wellness plan — through hormone balance, nutrition and supplement support, gut health testing and treatment and weight management.

Differences Between Conventional and Functional Medicine 

Conventional medicine is appropriate in many situations and works very well for things such as:

• Acute infections
• Trauma
• Acute diseases
• Life-threatening situations
• Serious illness

Physicians will use treatments such as surgeries and drug therapies to treat their patients and this can be very beneficial and life-saving in a lot of circumstances. However, this is not always enough to restore the patient to health and vitality.

Doctors in private practice will sometimes see over 20 patients in a single day and they simply don’t have the time that’s needed to spend with their patients and perform more exhaustive detective-like work to locate underlying causes. Additionally, not all providers are current on up-to-date treatment protocols and rely on their training from medical school, which at times can include a “one size fits all” approach, along with a philosophy of prescribing a pill to treat a symptom, versus looking for the underlying causes.

The biggest difference between the conventional medicine and functional medicine is that functional medicine asks why the problem exists and seeks the root causes of diseases and dysfunction, rather than automatically prescribing a drug for its symptom. Functional medicine recognizes that your symptoms aren’t necessarily the same thing as your diagnosis.

Take someone who has GERD for instance [GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease, essentially chronic acid reflux]. There is an underlying cause of this seemingly minor medical problem. However a lot of physicians will simply advise their patients to take proton pump inhibitor medications such as Nexium™ or Prilosec™ to ease symptoms and not consider that there is an underlying problem with the gut. As time goes on, these patients may be able to manage their acid reflux symptoms, but they will start to feel worse overall and not understand how much their gut health influences their overall health.

Many of our patients come to us feeling frustrated because they just don’t feel well and haven’t been able to resolve it through conventional medicine methods. For example, we get a lot of calls from people who have thyroid problems. They’ve seen their provider and have been put on medication, but they’re still experiencing the same symptoms. In some cases, they have explained these thyroid symptoms to their providers, only to be told that their labs are “normal” and there’s nothing more to be done.

The Role of Functional Medicine

Functional medicine is a drastically different model of practice as it looks at what can be done to restore the patient to optimal health rather than just treating a symptom. Some examples of how this is achieved can include:

• First and foremost, just spending more quality time with patients is crucial. Our providers see 4-6 patients per day.
• Treating everyone as an individual — no cookie cutter diagnoses or treatments.
• State of the art, comprehensive testing and treatment protocols. For example, for thyroid patients, it’s common for a conventional medicine provider to test TSH levels and possibly T4 hormone levels. A functional medicine approach involves six different tests to find all aspects of potential dysfunction so that the patient can be diagnosed and treated accurately.
• Focusing on prevention and cures through an integrative approach which includes hormone balance, nutrition, diet, exercise, and stress management.
• Recognizing that successful treatment and optimal health can only be achieved with a whole body/all systems approach, not just putting a band-aid on a symptom.
• Provider/patient partnerships so that patients can participate in their wellness.
• The use of compounded hormones and medications which can be tailored to the individual.
• Incorporating the use of quality neutriciticals in therapy protocols to address deficiencies in vitamins and minerals.

Root Causes of Disease

In a functional medicine approach, all possible underlying issues are explored and addressed. When the root cause is correctly diagnosed and treated, all of the symptoms associated with it will disappear.

Additionally, some people have multiple health issues going on and they may be seeing different physicians or specialists. Sometimes this is necessary, however it can happen that the left hand may not know what the right hand is doing. Not only can this be detrimental to your health, it can also make things worse. A functional medicine provider is going to look at the big picture and help to fit all of the pieces of the puzzle together.

Many people are coping with chronic illness, hormonal imbalances, thyroid problems, and autoimmune disorders that are disrupting their quality of life. They are not getting the help they need from the conventional medical community, and they’re becoming sicker and losing hope. But there is hope.

The Office of Leigh Ann Scott, M.D. can Help

Our providers will take time to meet with you and establish meaningful dialogue regarding your history, symptoms, current state of health and all of your concerns. This, combined with comprehensive lab testing, will provide you with the answers you need. We will explain your results in detail and establish treatment protocol as needed so that you can start healing and feeling better.

We offer compassionate and knowledgeable expertise and will work with you using proven, science-based technology in a caring environment.

Specialty Services That We Offer

• Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for women and men. BHRT includes an assessment of all hormone function in the body and not just the sex hormones.
• Thyroid diagnosis and treatment. We run a complete thyroid lab panel to include TSH, T3, T4, Reverse T3, and antibodies. Conditions that we treat include Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease.
• Other comprehensive serum lab testing to screen for adrenal fatigue, insulin resistance, blood sugar issues, liver and kidney function, inflammation and other health markers, advanced lipid testing, and key vitamin levels.
• Food sensitivity testing which will indicate allergies and sensitivities to specific foods that may cause you to be ill.
• Gut health testing which will reveal the state of health of the gut biome and testing for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
• Nutritional counseling.
• Weight loss management when appropriate.
• Disease prevention.
• Anti-aging protocols.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

This effective and science-based approach of diet, exercise, stress management, and appropriate hormone adjustments can greatly improve quality of life. Hormone balancing is a specialty of ours. This includes the sex hormones for women and men and also the thyroid and adrenal hormones. Imbalances in these bodily systems can wreak havoc on the way you feel and have a multitude of cascading effects leading to other health issues. Hormonal balancing can:

• Improve memory and concentration.
• Improve energy levels.
• Increase libido.
• Identify heart disease and diabetes risk.
• Control weight gain and lessen abdominal fat.
• Develop bone and muscle mass.
• Relieve insomnia.
• Improve skin tone and appearance.
• Lessen depression and/or anxiety symptoms.
• Improve cholesterol.
• Restore hair loss.
• Treat osteopenia/osteoporosis.
• Eliminate digestive problems.
• Relieve joint and muscle pain.

Our providers will only prescribe bioidentical hormones that are produced to exacting standards in qualified compounding pharmacies.

Thyroid Disease Diagnosis and Management  

Dr. Scott and Nurse Practitioners Elise Lewis and Sue Miller are highly experienced at diagnosing thyroid issues and providing effective treatment. Our protocols utilize holistic as well as standard medical treatment based on the latest medical discoveries and research studies.

Unfortunately it is all too common to find those who have many or even all of the symptoms of thyroid disorders who were “tested” earlier and told that everything is “normal”. Or, in some cases, were put on thyroid medication that did not resolve their symptoms.

At our office in Las Colinas, we have found that a much more thorough testing protocol results in isolating issues with thyroid function that are often missed with traditional testing.

As well, individualized, correct thyroid treatment does result in most patients beginning to feel better within days or weeks of the first visit, with the majority showing great improvement shortly thereafter.  

Is it time for you to feel better, have more energy and reclaim your life?

Gut Health

 Gastrointestinal function is important for overall good health. Emerging studies show mounting evidence that gut microbiota is the pathogenesis for intestinal disorders such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, IBS, and Celiac Disease. Evidence also suggests that gut health influences other diseases such as allergies, asthma, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.  

Keeping the good and bad bacteria balanced in the GI tract can rid you of conditions such as:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
• Gluten sensitivity.
• Arthritis and joint pain.
• Autoimmune disorders.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Crohn’s Disease.
• Ulcerative Colitis.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
• Headaches/Migraines.
• Acid reflux/heartburn.
• Candida overgrowth.

Food Sensitivity Testing

Food intolerance testing provides healthcare professionals and their patients a tool to manage a wide variety of conditions linked to the activation of the immune system. These conditions  include digestive disorders, migraines, skin disorders, Hashimoto’s Disease, aching joints, obesity, and other autoimmune problems.

We use the ALCAT test at our Las Colinas office. By testing hundreds of common foods, you can discover if your body has an intolerance to any of these that can be causing adverse reactions and health problems.

About Dr. Scott

Dr. Leigh Ann Scott is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a Fellow with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She has been practicing for over 20 years and for the last 6 years, has focused on creating individual wellness programs for her patients that balance hormones and restore vitality.

As a medical doctor specializing in Gynecology, she has experience in dealing with health issues and specialized training in the use of bioidentical hormones and other therapies that help you achieve your goals of looking and feeling younger. As a woman who has experienced many of these symptoms herself, she understands the personal and private struggles that hormone imbalance can create in your life.

Dr. Scott is devoted to understanding her patients’ desires, goals, and health needs. She accomplishes this by listening carefully as you discuss your symptoms, experiences, and feelings. This communication, coupled with specific lab testing, helps to determine the “root cause” of why a person feels a certain way. Focusing on prevention, Dr. Scott encourages her patients to preserve and promote long-term wellness by taking proactive measures. Her knowledge and understanding of health helps her to design the right protocol of hormone balance, nutrition, supplement support, weight management, and if indicated, food sensitivity and/or gut testing.

Quality, uninterrupted time with your doctor means everything. In order to provide comprehensive care and address your health care concerns, Dr. Scott’s initial appointments are 2-hours in length and her follow-ups are 1-hour. 

About Nurse Practitioner Elise Lewis

Elise Lewis graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She also graduated with honors from Texas Women’s University with a Master of Science in nursing. She is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Elise’s early training included critical care, surgical care, and women’s health. It was during her time with an ob/gyn clinic in Austin that her interest in hormone balancing began to pique. She saw first-hand that she could help people feel much better and safely elevate their lives with bioidentical hormones. She has also worked in Family Medicine and Endocrinology which makes her experience very well rounded. She realized that she was not able to help people like she wanted to in a traditional medicine environment and wanted to focus on her patients more holistically. This is how she found Dr. Scott.

Elise follows the same protocols as Dr. Scott for women and men, formulating the right protocol of hormone balance, nutrition, supplement support, and weight management. Her endocrinology background has also afforded her experience and knowledge in treating thyroid disorders. She works closely with her patients, gains a full understanding of what they have been experiencing, and with the correct use of diagnostics, works to find underlying causes of symptoms in order to help her patients achieve long-term wellness.

About Nurse Practitioner Sue Miller

Sue Miller has been a nurse for 34 years, graduating from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She worked at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas on a Medical/Surgical floor and then at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas as an oncology nurse. She then went on to be a school nurse when her children began grade school. In 2004, Sue returned to graduate school and graduated with honors from Texas Women’s University with a Masters’ of Science and received her family nurse practitioner board certification.

Sue has 12 years’ experience as a family nurse practitioner. She’s had a special interest in integrative/wellness medicine, focusing on bioidentical hormone replacement, menopause/andropause, thyroid hormone, weight management, and fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

A personal experience with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia in her 20’s, a later, a diagnosis of lupus, piqued her interest in bioidentical hormones, thyroid balancing, wellness and integrative medicine, and infectious diseases. She’s always on the lookout for new information on adrenal support, nutritional support, detox, the gut microbiome, and other topics.

Sue studied with John Gonino, D.O. in Heath, Texas and with Marcus Spurlock, M.D. in Dallas Texas for integrative training. Sue is thrilled to be joining Leigh Ann Scott, M.D., and Elise Lewis, FNP-C and their wonderful office staff!

Insurance Coverage

In terms of your office visit with the doctor or nurse practitioner, we are an out of network provider. The reason for this is that in order to get to the root cause of the problem and provide optimal treatment we find we need more time with our patients and more treatment options than insurance companies are willing to work with.

No matter what type of insurance you have, your insurance will frequently be able to cover all or a majority of your lab work. Labs written from our practice are typically covered the same as if they were written by your regular doctor which is 90 to 100%. To find out what your insurance will cover we encourage you to call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card and ask them.

If your insurance provider does not offer to cover a majority of the lab work or if it is being applied to your deductible we recommend that you use our discount program that we offer through Quest Diagnostics.

If you have a PPO type of insurance plan, it is possible that your insurance company will reimburse you for much of your office visit costs. This depends on your insurance company, what type of plan you have and your deductibles. You will pay for the appointments at the time of service and we can provide you with the necessary papers (upon request) for you to file for reimbursement with your insurance provider. 

If you are on an HMO plan, most likely your insurance will not cover any of the costs of your office visits, but will likely cover all or a majority of your lab work.

Tell them that you’re going to see an out of network provider. This means someone that is not on the insurance list of doctors. That said most PPO plans understand that people would prefer to see a doctor that they researched or that comes highly recommended from a friend. Ask your insurance company what the deductible is and what percent they will reimburse for the office visit with an out of network doctor or nurse practitioner. 

When talking to your insurance customer service, tell them that your out of network provider is going to order very comprehensive lab work. Ask them specifically what percentage of the lab costs they will pay. We offer a self pay discount program for labs, which is a $500 flat fee for the full set of lab work to be done.

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