A complete approach to your health and wellness requires a team of providers, which includes a regular primary care provider, in addition to working with Dr. Jager. Vibrant Health Functional Medicine cannot be your primary care provider because there are things like physical exams and acute and urgent conditions that cannot be managed virtually. While functional medicine offers an additional layer of expertise, it’s not a replacement for conventional medicine, when indicated for acute, urgent, or serious medical conditions. In addition, you should utilize your local urgent care or ER in the case of emergencies. We will work with you closely as a consultant and coach in preventive, nutritional, and functional medicine to help you address the roots of chronic health problems. We can confer with your primary care doctor if required.

Vibrant does not work directly with any insurance provider, but some of the medical tests, services, medication, and supplements can be covered by insurance or HSA. You can request an invoice, which is an itemized form of services rendered, complete with corresponding codes, that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement.

Please fill out the medical questionnaire/consent forms that pertain to your appointment type. You can find these forms on your patient portal.

What medical records are helpful:

Medical summary within the last 12 months from your Primary Care Provider

Conventional lab results within the last 3-6 months

Functional Medicine test results within the last 12 months

Everyone’s journey to regaining their health is different, which means every patient sees improvement at their own pace. A full recovery will take time as your body adjusts to a new, healthier normal. However, you can expect to see at least some improvements within the first six weeks.

According to The Institute for Functional Medicine, "The functional medicine model is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness."

It takes a multifaceted approach to address the root cause of your symptoms to provide you with long-lasting improvements.

Conventional medicine is a reactive approach that addresses the symptoms themselves. In contrast, functional medicine is a proactive approach that focuses on the root causes of symptoms. It strives to find ways to fix the root cause of symptoms for long-lasting relief and better overall health rather than masking or managing symptoms that can indicate serious underlying pathology or become more severe over time.

Over the last few decades, research has uncovered the connection between the intestine and other areas of our body that we never would have imagined. Also referred to as the intestinal or gut microbiome, our gut is full of both good and bad bacteria. The gut microbiome can be affected by everything from pregnancy, antibiotics, stress, and what we eat – impacting our mood, cognition, and even pain. We now know that the gut is responsible for neurotransmitter production such as serotonin and comprises 90% of our immune system. These are just a few examples of the important role of the intestines in every system of our body. You can see how imbalances in intestinal health can so adversely impact our overall health if we don't correct them!