If you’re tired of navigating a disjointed course of healthcare providers, all of whom seem to live on different islands, set a course for Thrive Clinics — a land where primary care, functional medicine and nutrition work together to uncover the cause of your health concerns. The Southern Pines practice was founded by functional medicine provider Erin Skinner, who wanted to offer a solution to a healthcare system that makes patients feel rushed and treats the symptoms, not the root cause.
“We’re almost trying to make it more old-fashioned,” says Erin, “where providers have time to sit with you and listen to you.”
The concept of functional medicine is not new. So how is Thrive Clinics different?
:: Thrive Clinics takes insurance. Many functional medicine practices operate on cash-pay models. “That quickly becomes frustrating because everybody you are helping is already very privileged or they have to end up pulling money from their savings or 401k, so either way it doesn’t feel great,” Erin says. “Here we meet with people like teachers, firefighters, military spouses — everyday people who have already tried to get help through the traditional route.” Visits and treatments at Thrive Clinics are covered under most plans, including Tricare, BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, First Carolina Care and MedCost.
:: Thrive Clinics offers a full team under one roof. It’s easy to end up managing a team of providers, none of whom talk to each other and most of whom are not on the same page philosophically. But at Thrive Clinics, primary care and functional medicine providers work together collaboratively. “What we do isn’t perfect, but at least you’re going to have two central people on the same island,” Erin says. “They’re sharing a medical record. They see each other’s notes. They see each other’s labs. You’re gonna have one patient portal. No one is going to be undercutting each other and confusing you.”
:: Thrive Clinics lets you choose your focus. Patients can choose to see a primary care or nutrition specialist. While a primary care relationship must be established in person, nutrition visits can be done via Telehealth.
:: Thrive Clinics offers popular treatments. Hormone replacement and weight loss therapies are administered as part of a safe, well-rounded action plan.
In December, Thrive Clinics added a second primary care provider in Amber Tillman, an Air Force veteran and board-certified nurse practitioner with a decade of medical experience. She has advanced training in several specialties including cardiology, endocrinology, GI, hematology, oncology, dermatology, orthopedics, ENT, pulmonology and women’s health.
Amber will treat you like a real person with visits that last more than a blip (the typical traditional insurance-based doctor’s visit gets you seven minutes with a physician) and get to the root cause of common health issues like chronic pain, fatigue, weight gain, gut health issues, elevated blood sugar levels and more. You’ll also get a personalized recovery plan you can actually stick to. Then, the care continues after consultation by helping you manage other health factors like sleep, stress levels, daily movement, toxin exposure, social support, and mindset.
“Challenges with metabolism, digestion, and hormones are extremely common, and these challenges have a major negative impact on overall wellness. Yet, few people feel supported with overcoming these challenges using traditional insurance-based care,” says Erin. “With cash pay clinics, there’s a lot of pressure on you and the provider because every visit is expensive. You don’t have the luxury of trying to establish a long-term relationship. You opt for more extreme treatments and put so much stake in them and if they don’t work, you’re devastated, because you can’t afford more visits. With the benefit of our insurance coverage, a lot of our clients have met once a month for years.”
“To have a primary care physician who believes in functional medicine, that’s the ideal scenario. Medications are helpful and necessary, but so is diet and nutrition in overall health. The ideal scenario is to have providers that have an understanding of both.”
Get the full picture at Thrive Clinics — schedule a visit online.
