Meet Andrea

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Andrea holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) from the University of Wyoming, a Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from Western States University and Bachelor of Science degrees in both Nursing and Molecular Biology, with a minor in Biochemistry, from the Metropolitan State University of Denver.  

Additionally, she has completed supplemental training in Functional Neurology and blood chemistry analyses as well as the the Institute for Functional Medicine’s (IFM) Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice module. Andrea has also completed several other advanced practice IFM modules.

Andrea taught courses in Anatomy and Physiology and Pharmacology for over a decade and has authored several books for Pharmacy Technicians. 

She is a recognized public speaker, health information content creator, and educational program designer.

When not taking care of patients, you will find Andrea in her massive Idaho garden or at the gym developing her powerlifting skills.

View Andrea’s Curriculum Vitae here.

Scared to death. Like many who find Functional Medicine, my journey began with my own health crisis. After struggling with autoimmunity since high school and the older I got, the worse my health was. The flares would last longer and the remission periods got ever more brief. Each episode would take an increasing toll on my overall health. I tried everything that conventional medicine had to offer. I used corticosteroids of every type and even used some injectable, biologic agents at different, desperate times. 

All of these interventions left me with horrible infections that clung to me for months at a time. Because the drugs were suppressing my immune system, I was unable to fight off anything that came my way. And each time I would inject myself, I would stuff down the fear and horror that I was greatly increasing my risk of developing lymphoma or some other type of cancer some day.  

At my very lowest point, I honestly didn’t know how I was going to live through it…or if I wanted to. It seemed that my body had completely succumbed to the inferno that autoimmunity can be. It was at that time that I agreed to take an anti-rejection drug usually given to transplant patients. It was either this drug that caused kidney damage or a chemotherapy drug that would likely destroy my liver by the time I was 60 and predispose me to lymphoma. Not an easy choice to make but I was absolutely desperate. 

The side effects of this therapy became unbearable and I finally threw my hands up and said, “Enough!”. I began to search for another way. I was certain that somewhere, someone had come up with a less barbaric way to treat these illnesses. I began to listen to podcasts about nutrition, autoimmunity and a new way of doing things. This was my introduction to Functional Medicine. I continued my education formally and now am so grateful to bring this information to people that are suffering as I have.

You do not have to live in fear of your disease or even greater fear of the treatments. There is a better way…a more comprehensive and scientifically sound way to deal with your body’s dysfunction. I have always appreciated evidence-based approaches and have little use for the ‘theoretical’ or the unproven. Functional Medicine is an evidence-based approach that looks at the entire body as a functioning, inter-connected unit. As opposed to isolating each system as if it functions independently of the other systems. Functional Medicine uncovers the root cause of the problem rather than endlessly treating symptoms and adding new meds year after year.