PRIMARY CARE VISITS
Please complete all of the Intake forms including the Diet Diary prior to your first visit since the intake forms are thorough and may take some time to fill out or speak with family members to answer some of the questions.
Please gather or bring any lab test results you may have or have done in the last 6-12 months.
Please bring in any bottles of medications, supplements or herbal preparations you have been taking or have at home but haven’t been taking recently.
A $40 fee will be charged for appointments canceled with less than 24 hours notice. Full payment is required at the time of service. Payment plans are available for individuals with financial hardship.
Your First Visit
Your first visit will last approximately 60-90 minutes if it to address a chronic condition. It may last a shorter time if it addresses an acute condition like a cold, flu, bronchitis, ear infection, sinus infection or a flare up of pain. The visit will consist of an in-depth review of your health concerns and goals, as well as gathering information on all aspects of your health including past trauma/illness or surgery, family medical history, environmental exposures, diet, emotions, exercise habits, relaxation and more. Dr. Cristdahl will do the indicated physical exam and possibly an acupuncture treatment or other initial treatments and decide what tests to perform, if necessary.
Between the first and second visits, the doctor will review all of your information and create an individual health plan to address your goals and needs.
Your Second Visit
During the second visit 2-4 weeks later, we discuss and prioritize the most appropriate treatment plan based on naturopathic and Chinese medical principles.
Your Follow-Up Visits
Typically follow-up visits are scheduled to monitor your progress and change your treatment plan as indicated by your needs. The frequency of visits will depend on the pace of your progress, the type of therapy we have chosen, the complexity of your conditions and the amount of support you need to implement your health plan.
WELLNESS/HEALTH SCREENING/SEASONAL VISITS
Wellness or Health Screening Visits can consist of any one or combination of the following:
- Dietary Analysis/Nutritional Consultation
- Screening Blood Tests (blood chemistry screen, complete blood count, thyroid function, cholesterol and lipid tests, anemia)
- Review of laboratory blood tests performed by another doctor
- Screening physical exams
- Seasonal visits at the change of the season in preparation for the upcoming season to help prevent colds, flues, allergies and other seasonal conditions
I analyze blood tests looking for potential indicators of certain nutrient deficiencies or any trends that suggest progression toward disease or dysfunction so I can intervene before serious complications start.
PHONE CONSULT POLICY
A phone consult is NOT a follow-up phone call to report briefly on the status of a current treatment plan or to reorder supplements.
A phone consult may consist of a phone call that is initiated by the patient to consult on a new illness or a flare up of a current condition that requires a medical decision and a treatment plan by the doctor.
A phone consult may also take the place of an office visit and consist of a new patient intake, reviewing lab tests, consulting about health care options and designing a treatment plan.
A phone consult may consist of a person consulting about an issue they are concerned about such as vaccinations, the use of antidepressants, or to get a second opinion.
These phone consults need to be treated as a regular office visit and will be charged the same as the office rate.
INSURANCE COVERAGE
Please check with your insurance to see if they cover “licensed naturopathic doctor or acupuncturists”. I am considered an “Out of Network” provider and your deductible for “In Network” visits may be different from “Out of Network” services.
Cigna PPO and AETNA PPO plans have recently been the best at covering naturopathic medicine, but the plan needs to state that they cover it.
Most PPO plans will cover lab tests ordered by a medical doctor, provided you do not have a deductible to be met.
HMO’s are almost a sure bet not to cover my services.
Medicare and Medicaid have not opted to cover my services at this time.
