“A lot of people are looking for something different in their healthcare,” says Dr. Amanda Dunham, a family nurse practitioner with over a decade of experience in emergency, urgent, and family practice. And it’s not just patients who feel that way. Dunham’s own search for something different in healthcare is what spurred her to launch her own practice in Clifton Park, Dr. Dunham Integrative Family Health this spring.
Since the practice opened, Dunham has been pleasantly surprised to find she’s attracting patients from New York City, Plattsburg, and even Massachusetts. According to Dunham, part of the appeal may be her practice’s “one-stop-shop” feel.
In addition to preventative healthcare services like annual exams and physicals, Dunham has integrated an array of other wellness services into the practice. Their whole-body approach includes mental health services, IV nutrient therapy, health coaching, feminine rejuvenation, hormone treatment, massage therapy, and aesthetic services like facials and chemical peels.
Each preventative physical or wellness exam also includes a 30-minute session with their on-site health coach. From advice on how to train for a marathon to the lifestyle changes needed after a diabetes diagnosis, health coaching can provide patients a much-needed resource not typically coupled with primary care.
“I feel like it’s the synergy between conventional and functional medicine,” says Dunham. “There’s a healthy balance. If someone has an illness I’m of course going to consider prescribing an antibiotic, but I may also be able to provide adjunctive therapies like B12 or Vitamin C.”
When it comes to health insurance, Dunham acknowledges there is a major gap when it comes to what insurance companies consider preventative care. To help bridge it, she currently offers a monthly membership model for services that includes a free facial, chemical peel, massage, isolated stretching, health coaching, or reiki session. For the future, Dunham is also exploring a way to help make the full-spectrum of services, from preventative to wellness care, part of her membership-based approach as well.
