[00:02:12] Cynthia: I’m here with Dr. Jess. She is a nurse practitioner at Sequoia Health, and I’m super excited for you all to get to know her a bit more in what she does. She grew up in rural Minnesota. She has four children and a husband. She completed her undergraduate nursing degree from the College of St. Benedict.

Following graduation, she worked as a bedside nurse in pediatric intensive care, neonatal intensive care. Adult intensive care and cardiac care units. Through these experiences, she learned she was passionate about providing high quality care, but realized she was only able to help individuals and families place a bandaid on the acute problems.

Her goal at Sequoia Health is to offer empowered, non-judgmental healthcare. She loves to collaborate with her patients on their path to wellness. Welcome, Dr. Jess. We’re so happy to have you here. 

[00:03:05] Dr. Jess: Great. Thank you so much. That’s a great introduction to what we’re gonna be talking about today. Perfect.

[00:03:11] Cynthia: Thank you. Well, Dr. Jess, we know, uh, a little taste of what you do at Sequoia Health, but tell us a bit more about your personal journey, your career journey, leading up to working there. 

[00:03:23] Dr. Jess: Sure. So I, you already know my, uh, educational background and so I’ll just start with my experiences at the bedside. And, um, it’s truly that I felt like working in the intensive care settings and the inpatient, um, hospitals that I worked at, um, large and small, that I was really providing a bandaid to their care.

It wasn’t changing their life, it wasn’t providing a ton of education. Um, it was providing that acute care. Um, They needed at the moment. Um, and as I became a nurse practitioner and started working people in rural places, I was realizing that, um, managed care is not really benefiting people either. In terms of, like, I’ll give an example.

Um, patients would come in and I would work with them on blood pressure or trying to work on weight loss, and it never really. I just felt like I was always prescribing, Here’s another medication. Okay, now you’ve got a side effect. Okay, here’s another medication. And I never really felt like I was helping them, if you will.

I felt like, um, you know, I was. Was providing guidance, but I was just prescribing. And I, instead of that, I wanted to help them coach them through lifestyle modifications and to talk about wellness and to have them come in more than once a year. Um, and so through, you know, working with, um, patients in different role settings, I was like, there’s got to be more, um, And so I started actually stepping away from practice for a little bit.

I, um, started teaching as a nursing instructor, and they’re found too that there was some pretty significant gaps in the education that we’re providing. And so I was like, Okay, now I can see we have like a system problem. Um, you know, and, and how can I still make a difference in, in people’s lives and provide education and support.

Um, I do that with my students still. I allow ’em, you know, allow, have ’em do assignments that are a little bit different. Um, provide, um, assignments that are maybe a little bit, have ’em look at people as holistic individuals and look for alternative therapies. Um, and then in my personal life working here at Sequoia Health, I help start dpc, which is direct primary care.

And, um, through that, this clinic actually is holistic in that we really look at a person from mind, body, spirit, um, and we know that. You know, we have to, in order to help people make changes in who they are and who they want to become, um, that we really have to be, um, health minded and health focused. And so I just love that, you know, Sequoia is that to its core, like we just really believe that our bodies are able to heal, to give them the right conditions.

And, um, you know, I still have. Medical training that I was provided, um, through my educational process. And so I do know that prescriptions sometimes have a place. Um, but oftentimes I’m balancing that, um, in what I’m doing now with herbal remedies or, uh, support for the body and, um, I can provide education to myself and the participants I’m working with.

So I just, you know, just to give you a, a short synopsis of where I’ve been and why I’m here and what I love doing. Um, that’s sort of it in a. That’s amazing. And as an integrative health coach, this is all speaking to my heart and my soul. I mean, it’s just exactly where healthcare needs to go, you know, in this climate and just with.

Overpopulation. I mean, we need to empower individuals to take care of their own health, their own wellbeing, to be proactive about their health. And so I’m super excited that this place exists. Uh, and you started Direct Primary Care. Can you tell us more about what Direct Primary Care means to you? . Yep. So at Sequoia, um, there’s, so there’s gonna be clinics all over the United States and perhaps internationally that are direct primary care.

But here at Sequoia we really view it as, um, a membership style access to the clinic, um, and what you get. So for most people on a blue membership, it’s $87 a month, and you get unlimited access to your provider, which is me and. That means that, you know, for that fee you come in, um, if you need something, we can meet virtually.

Um, I have a lot of participants who’ve been starting and they’ve been on a weight loss journey, and so we meet every other week and we just really focus on what their goals are. So it’s sort of like taking health prevention, marrying it with a holistic health perspective. And then, you know, we have other modalities in the clinic too that services.

Really can’t get at other clinics. Um, so if you are not feeling well, for example, especially this time of year, we’ve been seeing a lot. People with adrenal stress or, um, just, you know, cough, running nose. Um, we’re able to offer things like IV fluids. We’re able to offer pulse magnetics and, um, just really support them through that process.

And, um, our, our model is always that we try to provide the education to the participants. That we see, um, we view them as a participant in their healthcare and, um, but that we can provide guidance when they need it. And so I, I always tell everybody I’m a great cheerleader. I, you know, and if I don’t know something, I’ll, I’m a great resourceful person, I’ll reach out and we’ll figure it out.

Um, because there are gonna be times where we face challenges that both the participant or myself haven’t faced before and we need to figure it out. Um, but we are just truly dedicated to that. 

[00:09:06] Cynthia: Mm. So for $87 a month, you get like a Doctor Jess in your pocket that you can access whenever you need

[00:09:16] Dr. Jess: Absolutely. Yep. We have an app and so people can what, you know, reach out via the app and we are available. And, and you know, that’s a great point because like if you have a catastrophic. Catastrophic event. So you have a motor vehicle vehicle accident or you break your arm or leg, something like that, that we, you know, wouldn’t be able to necessarily set or, or take care of in the clinic here, I can still provide guidance, so I could be like, Okay, I can order that X-ray for you.

You can go to this clinic if that’s closest to you. Um, and we have a lot of partnerships with local vendors. Um, so participants here actually pay cash prices, which are significantly lower than it would be if you went through an insurance program. Um, and so I, I love that we have those opportunities for people cuz it’s still huge savings.

[00:10:04] Cynthia: Yeah. Can you tell me more about that? Cause I remember in our first conversation you shared this. Wild number where you said that a family of four could save $1,200 a month using a membership at Sequoia instead of using the traditional insurance carriers. I, I’m like, my mind is baffled. Tell me how that works.

[00:10:24] Dr. Jess: Yep. So, um, I’ll use my family as an example. Um, we have four children, but uh, and two adults on our plan. We pay about $800 a. To insurance, um, where if we weren’t paying that, our family would be paying $300. For a DPC membership here, and then we would have a little bit catastrophic care. So that being said, the family of four, we are basically saying, um, so the family is mom, dad, all children under 18.

Um, for $300 a month, it’s a cap. Um, and then they are able to do all their services. They can come in for ill visits well visits, you name it. Um, and if they need sutures, we can do that. Um, but we just took in what an average family of four would be accessing care for in a 12 month period compared to that, what they would be usually paying through an insurance program, um, through their employer, and then, you know, subtracted that number and realized it was a big number.

And we’re, we’re still providing great care and, and you get access to care that’s different from what you know. You’re not treated like cattle going into, you know, a 10 minute appointment. You get time with me. We spend 20 to 40 minutes with them. And, um, and so I think the value of direct primary care supersedes what they’re receiving in insurance based programs in any of the clinics that they’re going to.

Um, and I just truly feel to my core, It’s awesome and I, I would just wanna shout it from the rooftops to people. 

[00:11:56] Cynthia: So Dr. Jess, it sounds like, you know, $87 a month per person, families could save a lot of money over a thousand dollars for their care. What if someone out there is like, uh, but really, you know, how much am I saving?

And they’re still kind of skeptical. Uh, what would you have to say to them? What are some examples of cost saving? Experiences that people have had?

[00:12:22] Dr. Jess: Yeah, I would say, I would first ask them what they’re fearing, um, because a lot of times we’re, our actions are driven out of fear. Um, the fear of not having their traditional insurance that they’ve been used to for the last, for me, you know, like it would be.

40 years I have known insurance. Insurance is how I access my provider, how I receive care. It’s how when tests and things are done in the clinic that I know that my wellbeing is taken care of. We know that healthcare and insurance programs have changed. Uh, significantly over the years. And so I would try to address the fear with that person first about, you know, if they’re truly fearing not having, having an insurance plan is what they’re fearing that they can.

Feel supported in that direct primary care is their access to provi primary care. It is access to lab work or any other healthcare that they might need. So I would try to, you know, try to ease their fears and, and explain and support. Um, we can provide all the tools we need. We can look at financials, uh, comparison, pricing.

Um, they can meet me, you know, because sometimes it’s truly not a, a match. Maybe somebody’s got a personality issue, they can come in and do a consult with me if they’re so unsure about who I am and if we’re gonna work out. So, um, really identifying what the fears might be about this transition into direct primary care.

Um, and I love to just, while people, you know, because I, I love to be a cheerleader and I love to work with individuals to meet their healthcare needs, and I think that we do a really good job of that in our clinic.

[00:14:06] Cynthia: Mm. Awesome. I wonder, um, I I, I feel like I’ve heard from you too, a story around, uh, even your own husband and like what he’s experienced through direct Primary Care.

Do you mind sharing that story? 

[00:14:21] Dr. Jess: Yep. Uh, so. I would say, and actually it’s my kids. I think I, So two of my kids were, and, and I may have shared one about Gary too, but, um, , So the, the, our kids have been like, Okay, we all went back to school, right? And everybody’s stressed out. So we have four kids, ages 13, 11, uh, eight and six.

And everybody went back to school and now they’re all kind of coming down with a little bit of the fall cold, um, not feeling well. What I, what we’re learning as a family is that we have tools that we can help support them with. Um, and so instead of going and spending three hours in an urgent care, waiting for a rapid drug test, we can come to the clinic.

I can hook ’em up to an iv. They can pulse. Um, that’s putting energy into your cells directly. Um, we call it like charging your batteries, if you will. And then after that we get ’em some homeopathic remedies that really support their immune system. And we, we saved a ton of money. We saved all of our time, and then we just cut out our insurance because we can pay cash at the clinic.

And I use my HSA plan. And so it’s just, to me, it makes sense. And, um, I, I know that there’s a lot of other parents out there who get frustrated about waiting hours in a clinic, feeling like a number because you have to check in. Maybe your urgent cares aren’t even open near you. And, um, and it’s all about access, right?

It’s, um, feeling like you are safe, um, because you know who your provider is and how you’re gonna get help. And that’s really what we’re trying to do, is make sure that everybody knows how to access their provider here, which is through text or email, and that you get the services that you need to support your body to allow it to heal so you’re not stressed, and then ultimately you’re not paying.

out of pocket. You’re not provided a, a surprise bill at the end. You, we are very transparent in the pricing here, so, you know, um, when you walk out, there’s gonna be no bill coming into your mailbox in the next two to three weeks. So, 

[00:16:30] Cynthia: yeah. Mm-hmm. , and that’s such a great point too, that it’s not only cost saving, but it’s also time saving, which can.

Just so important for a large family like yours, . Yep. . And so, uh, I think that is super valuable and I love too, that you’re, you can educate on how to utilize, you know, hsa, how to really lean on, um, these different systems and recognize that working with Sequoia Health and the direct primary care. Is filling the gaps that you think your insurance only can fill.

And so being able to go through that, that little chapter of fear, right, because there’s always fear with transitions in general, Uh, but being able to move through that transition of fear on the other side. You can trust that there will be a sense of safety, a sense of being held and supported, um, having quick access to your providers, having transparency with costs, and just a whole new way to experience your healthcare practice.

[00:17:40] Dr. Jess: Yep. It’s great. Yeah, and I can just share another example. A gal who started Direct Primary Care a couple months ago hadn’t been in, um, and so we usually check in about once a month just to see how they’re doing, um, if they need anything. And she was like, Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to connect with you. Um, You know, and, and what she wanted to connect about was, you know, some symptoms of depression and lack of sleep.

And she’s been going through some life changes and so we had a nice conversation about, you know, where she’s been in the last couple of months, you know, what’s going on currently in her, in her world and yeah, she’s been on depression medication before. Is this, you know, the right time to restart or are there other things we can do first?

Um, and then she talked a little bit about hormones. You know how she was feeling and that she had been on hormone replacement therapy for, And we talked a little bit about, okay, so what does that look like for you moving forward? Here’s what the lab costs would be. I know, and let’s talk about that. Let’s circle back later this week.

And so it’s just, All about health prevention and, you know, trying to head off emergencies or, you know, people getting to the point where they’re feeling like there’s no hope for them because they don’t have, they don’t wanna bother their doctor or they can’t get an appointment for two weeks or two months.

Um, we really pride ourselves on reaching out, being accessible, and really, truly caring like our, with our, uh, caring about our participants. Like they’re truly our family members. Um, and so we feel like that’s really what it’s all. 

[00:19:11] Cynthia: Mmm. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. I remember when you were telling me just about this membership based model and then the direct care involved. It’s just, it sounds like a dream to me. . Yeah. Sounds like a dream.

And I wish this could just be absolutely everywhere. Uh, what kind of services? You already mentioned, you know, you could do sutures. Um, and just like the preventative care, wellness care, uh, what other services does Sequoia Health offer that others might be interested in? 

[00:19:43] Dr. Jess: Yep. So we, um, we have a level. For the direct primary membership, you usually come in for either a level one or a level two wellness.

Um, the level one is usually a 20 minute appointment where the level two is an extended, so it’s 40 minutes. Um, if you need like a, well, like a full head to toe physical, um, you’re able to come in schedule for that. For that we usually set aside about an hour. And, um, we’re able to do pap smears, we’re able to do blood draws.

Um, we’re able to do anything that you normally would go into your regular clinic or urgent care for, Uh, we’re able to provide here. So we can even do swabs for covid. We can do swabs for rsv, we can do swabs for strep. And those are all, um, either included in your membership or there’s a, a small fee depending on the price of the

self. Um, and yeah, I, I love working with people on weight management. Um, hormone and replacement therapy. We can do, um, focused care, you know, whatever that looks like for you. Uh, we can, we can, we can provide that because I’m, I’ve been trained in family practice and so I love working with, you know, infants and children all the way up to geriatrics.

Um, and so I just love. Love working with, uh, those individuals who are kind of not wanting to comply with going into their provider for blood pressure. Structured managed care for structured, um, management of diabetes. I love to work with people who are, you know, Are motivated and wanting to work on weight loss, for example, for blood pressure because we know that the evidence and research is showing if you lose at least 10 pounds, your blood pressure will likely drop five to 10 milligrams of mercury.

And so I, I love to offer that to people like, Hey, you know, we can work on this. And then you could see yourself, you know, weaning off your blood pressure medication or sometimes it’s stress. Um, we really assess, you know, what stress does to our body. And so sometimes it’s the. That causes the blood pressure to go up.

So I love to really dive into those concerns with individuals and talk about really what’s going on at the, you know, under the surface layer so that we can get to the root of why things are going on for them instead of masking them with medications. Yeah. Yeah. And as much as I’m hearing all these benefits for the patients, you know, having more time with you, really being able to get coached through the process, learn in the process.

[00:22:16] Cynthia: Uh, listeners, you might not know this, maybe you hear it through the audio, but Dr. Jess just has the biggest smile on her face as she talks about her job. 

And so I wonder, since you’ve been in a traditional clinic and now at Sequoia Health, you know, Quality of care for patients, yes, drastically improved.

But how about for you? Quality of life, quality of your, your work balance, your joy there? 

[00:22:41] Dr. Jess: Yep. That’s a great question. Um, and so I started at Sequoia Health in January and I was a little bit skeptical at first, um, just because it’s really difficult to find an employer. Is what Sequoia is. Um, there’s, there’s clinics and individuals out there who claim that they’re holistic and that they’re providing, you know, direct primary care services, but in the end, they’re still managing individuals care.

And so when I, now that I’ve been here, um, gosh, nine months, almost 10, I guess, um, you know, I’m kind of blown away by. How we really do focus on, um, and our priority here is the wellbeing of our, the individuals who work here and the participants. And so like our team gets reset with Dr. Shilling, which means that we do q and r t so we can keep ourselves healthy and well.

If we need an IV or any of our services here, we’re able to. If I’m not feeling well, I can go on the pulse machine for a half hour to an hour. Um, even if it’s, you know, during the day. Um, we just really support one another and treat each other like a family. And we always view ourselves as we’re only as strong as our weakest link.

And so we’re gonna really build each other up and support each other, um, in whatever aspect of life that is. Whether. You know, mental, physical or, um, external stresses. And, um, you know, I think that people when they come into the clinic then feel that and they’re like, Oh, you guys always seem so happy here.

And we’re like, truly happy. Like, I, I love coming to work and I, I don’t know that I’ve been able to say that for some of the past employers I’ve been at. So, Love it. 

[00:24:35] Cynthia: That’s wonderful. And yes, that energy is so infectious. This is why I love going to Trader Joe’s. I feel like everyone who works at Trader Joe’s is just always smiling and happy.

Yep. Uhhuh would would totally agree. 

Yeah. And especially when your wellness is involved, you know, if you’re going in because you aren’t feeling well and you need that medical support, uh, it’s so nice to know you’re in an environment that’s full of support and positivity, and I’m so happy for you that you have found an employer like this, a space like this.

Uh, that’s really exciting.

[00:25:09] Dr. Jess: Yeah, it’s, it is truly exciting. Thank you. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. And you mentioned Q N R T. I know. Well Connected. There was a podcast recently about it and I’ve yet to listen to it. It’s like bookmarked for me, but can you share a little more about what that is? Yep. So, uh, Dr. Shilling is the owner of our clinic, Sequoia Health.

And, um, I think this is going on our ninth year that he’s owned the clinic. And although he’s trained as a chiropractor, he views himself as a holistic. Medical provider and he is trained to do Q N rt, which is Quantum Neuro Reset Therapy, and it’s like, The way I describe it when I’m talking about it is that it’s a neural feedback.

So it’s your brain basically telling or communicating to Dr. Shilling through a form of muscle testing, um, where the problem areas are. Um, it could be, uh, a present, like in your lifetime issue. It could be a past. Um, maybe a familial, like some thing in your past family history happened and it’s still affecting your lineage or your body today.

Um, and so I, I think our, one of our participants said it best and that he thought Dr. Shing was kind of a wizard in that. He could pick up on things that nobody else could. He had been doing 30 years of counseling and he came in with one visit with Dr. Shilling and unearthed so many things in like 30 minutes.

Um, you know, so I, it’s life changing. I think there’s more and more q and r t experts out there who are doing the work. Um, There, it’s just an awesome opportunity. If you’re ever struggling or you’re, you’re, you’re feeling like you’re stuck in your life, It’s one of those tools that we can use to help you move past it.

It sort of, um, re patterns your mind when you’re, you’re the way you’re thinking and you leave the clinic with a, um, a mantra. So it’s, you know, if your stuck point is, is that you’re not using your voice, he’s gonna figure out why you’re not doing that, where it was in your lifetime. That maybe it was when you were two years old, something happened, you felt like he couldn’t use your voice.

He’s gonna wrap that up, set it aside, and then he’s gonna reset your body and say, We’re gonna let that go. You’re not two years old, you’re not in the same place, although you’re experiencing it now and um, you are strong, you are able, you are. And and then he’ll give you a mantra and that’s the end. So, yeah, it’s just really cool cuz it’s not like you sit and dwell on it forever.

Your body just releases that and you move forward.

[00:27:47] Cynthia: Mmm. Mm-hmm. . Yep. Let’s find it. Unearth it, then yeah. Then release it. You know? Thank you for showing up. No, thank you anymore. And let’s have a different mantra to take that space. Yep, yep. That’s amazing

. So it’s, it is really cool and I, I have to say like probably.

[00:28:06] Dr. Jess: Like, I think in the, as people funnel into the clinic, like I’m always like, Yes, you need dpc, but did you know about this special thing that happens here? Like, and so I’m always like, because we all need a little bit of help. There’s so much stress out there in the world that, um, it’s so great cuz it’s a nice tool to have, uh, for the participants who do come here as well.

[00:28:29] Cynthia: Perfect. And it’s so great that, uh, all the staff members also get to experience this and benefit from this. And. That’s just amazing. Yeah. Uh, so there’s been a lot of things that bring you joy in this work and you know, as I said, I just feel it through your smile, through your energy, even across the screen.

Uh, what would you say excites you most about the work that you do? 

[00:28:57] Dr. Jess: Mm-hmm. , I think with direct primary care specifically. You know, that people come in looking for, I, I think myself included, like I always look for a trusted provider. I feel like when I go and see somebody, I wanna know that they have my best interest in mind and that I’m being heard.

Um, because so often, you know, we, we don’t get that when we go in, um, to our providers, even though we might feel like we have a great rapport with that provider. Um, and I feel like through dpc. Get to live my passion because I love connecting with people. I love hearing their story and finding out how they got from, you know, where they were to where they are today and, um, what they’re struggling with because I really am passionate about, um, just wellness care and, and health prevention.

And so when I hear that they’re struggling with something, I always say, You know, we have something here for. You know, we love working with you, uh, individuals like you who are struggling with the same situation. Um, I, I say that a lot with individuals with neuropathy because they feel like all their only choices are is taking another medication.

And I love that we truly can reverse their symptoms, wean ’em off their medication, and typically send ’em out the door feeling 90 to a hundred percent better than they were when they came in. And so just transformational care, um, I think with dpc, again, we talked about like time with the provider. I’m never feeling rushed myself.

I feel like I get to sit down and have a great conversation with the individuals and, um, when you get to spend that time with people, you really get to more of the root of what’s going on instead of just the superficial, All my blood pressure’s been up, Oh, I’ve been, you know, eating, you know, foods.

Aren’t great. You get to dive into like, why is that happening? Like, tell me more. Um, tell me more about like, what’s going on in your life and like, I truly feel like I get to know that person. Like if I’m sitting with you, Cynthia, I get to find out more about you in your life and what your stresses are.

But then I can use that to sort of coach coachy one, how can we reverse this without a medication? Or how can I help you truly feel better and work past this? Um, you know, whatever the challenge might. And then it’s just the holistic opportunities and the modalities that we have in the clinic. We just have so many tools in our toolbox here that I love, um, through dpc we’re even able to offer those services to the individuals we work with.

And, you know, that’s a huge tool in a, in and of itself. Uh, just love that. So, um, yeah, I. It’s just so exciting to be, I just love, uh, and it’s one low fee, you know, it’s like you might get more out of DPC in your membership here than you would at the gym and you likely would like Yeah. 

[00:31:58] Cynthia: And I mean, talk about to making healthcare more accessible.

It’s a, a price that, I think as you said, it, it’s actually saving you money instead of getting the typical insurance plan. Um, being able to have. All your basic needs taken care of through the clinic, um, through Sequoia Health. And I also appreciate, uh, you mentioned early on that you understand too that because of your medical training, that there is a time and place for medication as well.

And so I think that’s super important in a provider and, uh, a primary care provider that. , they have the understanding of both and right, And that I think is the power of integrative care is everything. We can bring everything in together. And is this medication serving you great? Is it really not serving you?

Are the cons at weighing the pros? Then let’s look at the other holistic options. And so it’s really wonderful that you have the skillset of being able to. Determine, you know what, what might be best for the patient, and then also having the space and the time to have the conversation where you can ask for their own opinion on the matter.

 I wonder, because I’m sure you’ve had, you already shared, you know, people walking in and realizing their neuropathy, actually they can do something about it. Uh, what would you say is maybe one of your favorite transformational stories that a patient of yours has had?

[00:33:30] Dr. Jess: So, uh, we actually have, it is a neuropathy case. Uh, there’s an individual who came into the clinic and, uh, she had numbness from her knee down for about 15 years. Wow. Um, and I, I myself was kind of like, oh boy. Like, I’m just gonna be honest. I. I don’t know, like, I don’t know. You know, I, I don’t know if we’re gonna be able to, to, to get her to where she wants to be, but we set our goals, we set our mission.

We did a intake with her, um, she’s probably eight weeks, nine weeks now into her treatment and has re like, after three treatments in the clinic, we started to feel the floor. She’s like, I can feel the floor at the gym. And um, now, you know, she went and saw her neurologist and she’s actually. It made so many improvements.

He’s like, What are you doing? Like, tell me more. Like what? And he was curious because like, he hasn’t seen that happen before. He just was like, Here’s another prescription. Um, and I, so I love, you know, through this story that it’s not only transforming farming, the individual’s. It’s helping me see that there is, you know, like the body truly can heal.

Um, because you, you can’t make that up. Like you can’t, you truly can’t make that story up. And it’s also impacting other healthcare professionals out there. Um, because she’s still working with her neurologist, She’s still staying cardiologist and. To have them ask a patient that they see, what are you doing differently, um, you know, is just to me speaking to my heart because it’s awesome that we have this tool to help the patient feel empowered.

Um, You know, to take the reins of their healthcare and their wellness and their health trajectory and just make the changes. And it’s inspiring to, you know, the people that they work with in their lives. So, um, I think that that’s been one of my most inspiring stories that I’ve had, uh, since starting here.

[00:35:40] Cynthia: Yeah. My goodness. Yeah, to, to feel and witness that ripple effect, right? That it doesn’t just end with this patient, but the other practitioners that they’re working with, I mean, even maybe people in their lives were like, Whoa, like what’s, what’s going on here? And I actually was tearing up thinking about the fact that now she can feel the ground beneath her.

I mean, something we just take for granted and. I can’t imagine not being able to feel the ground beneath me for all those years and suddenly to get that back. I mean, just to feel connected to this earth. I mean, what, what, what a gift. My goodness. Yeah. Mm-hmm. . Yeah.

[00:36:21] Dr. Jess: It gives me goosebumps and I love just, yeah, just is such an inspiration because it is.

It’s a journey. It’s definitely a journey. Life is

[00:36:32] Cynthia: , Mm. Mm-hmm. , I, I wonder for people who are interested in working with you, with other practitioners at Sequoia Health, you know, what does that process look like? 

Mm-hmm. . Yeah. So we, uh, We’re able to just have you call the clinic and you can schedule a direct primary, uh, care intake appointment.

Um, if you don’t feel like you have a need, um, right away you’re able to just come on as a DPC member and, um, And you do that just by Dr. Calling the clinic as well. Otherwise, if you go to our website, there’s a, a form, a button that you can push that you’re interested in dpc, and then somebody from our care team will reach out to you.

Um, and so it’s super easy and what we try to do is make sure that the clinic is a good match for the individual and for the clinic. Um, and we do that through, because there’s a lot of people who still feel. They wanna use insurance. Um, and we work outside of insurance and so we always like to make sure that we’re very upfront and transparent that they can still take their super bill at the end of their visit and submit it to the insurance.

But we just don’t do that because we feel very limited by what we can do, um, if we’re working with insurance. And so, um, but it’s super easy. Uh, there’s two ways. Website or calling into the. Um, and we, we have, and then you get to have access to myself, um, and all the care coordinators and, and Dr. Shelling if you would like.

 And we’ll have the links in the show notes, but it’s sequoya health.com and they have their direct primary care, uh, tab on there as well to kind of learn more. And, uh, what if people wanna connect with you, Dr. Jess, is there any way that they can do that? 

[00:38:15] Dr. Jess: Yep. So you can email us, uh, at heal h e a l sequoia health.com and, uh, or otherwise, um, I’ll just state our clinic number here.

It’s 6 5 1 7 3 8 7 8 0 0. Perfect. And I’d love to connect with you. and she really would. She’s just smiling so much. I love it. 

[00:38:39] Cynthia: Dr. Jess, I love your energy. I love just how you’ve been able to marry your life experience, your career experience with this new modality of healing. It’s, as you said, it’s transformative care.

Direct primary care is transformative care when it’s done right. So I so appreciate everything that you’re doing and everything. Sequoia Health is doing great. Thank you.

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