When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was to grow up and become a doctor, just like my Dad and Grandfather. I wanted to be someone that others could trust to help them. So you can probably imagine my frustration when, at the end of my Family Medicine Residency, I realized that the a prescription-heavy style of medicine was not the answer to help my patients get better.
I eventually found the growing field of functional medicine, which emphasizes treating the root causes of illnesses. This was the paradigm shift that I needed to explore a variety of different tools. I began offering treatments based in lifestyle and natural medicine and was thrilled to finally see my patients get better.
As time went on I had the opportunity to work with patients all over the world. This give me a perspective to see how a lot of other functional and integrative doctors were practicing, and I didn’t like what I saw. Practitioners were charging outrageous consultation fees, wasting their patient’s money on inaccurate labs and and seemed more interested in selling bottles of supplements than listening to their patients.
I run an independent medical practice so that I can practice medicine the way it should be done.
Many of my patients come in and are still sick despite having worked with multiple doctors. I am proud that I am able to help so many of those patients finally get back to their life.
Perhaps you have been told that your symptoms are just due to stress. Maybe you are are struggling with chronic GI symptoms. Or maybe you are like many of my patients who have unexplained symptoms and need a doctor who is able to listen, think and research. Whatever reason that you landed upon my website, I’d like you to know that I’d be honored to work with you to heal.
- Dr. Joe
I have over a decade of clinical experience treating patients from all over the world. For my public health degree, I conducted research with Burmese refugees, worked in an infectious disease ward in Malaysia. The first year after graduating from residency I worked in rural New Zealand. My goal was to get as much experience as possible so I found a job that let me do do just about everything - I worked as a GP treating children and adults for both chronic and emergent health problems and also spent a lot of time diagnosing and treating fractures at an orthopedic clinic. Today I still work with patients from across the world who find my office due to my expertise in mold toxicity and in helping patients recover from chronic GI symptoms.
After returning to the US, I worked as a medical director for a busy urgent care while learning everything I could about integrative and functional medicine. Later on, I learned a lot about hormone replacement at a concierge internal medicine practice. I spent several years as medical director of the Ruscio Institute of Functional Medicine where I was proud to see patients from across the country, mentor other physicians and publish research. I've had the privilege of being taught by world class physicians, including Dr. Neil Nathan, who helped me to learn strategies that help patients who are highly reactive and sensitive to other approaches.
In short, I’ve spent the last decade finding the best tools to help you throughout all of medicine. This means that I am just as comfortable helping you with lifestyle, herbal therapies and supplements as I am prescribing medications when they are needed.
If you've been looking for a doctor with the experience to think outside the box, you're in the right place!
Maybe you've already seen a doctor who only had time to write a prescription before sending you to another physician to do the exact same thing. Perhaps you've worked with a functional medicine doctor who was so focused on ordering expensive labs and selling supplements that they forgot to listen to you. Perhaps you saw an integrative practitioner and were pushed into an inefficient protocol or program.
In many of those cases, the problem was that the system the doctor practiced in was not set up with your healing in mind. Offices that accept insurance need to practice by the whims of insurance plans, not what is best for you. Doctors that make money by recommending lots of tests and supplements are incentivized to recommend extensive and complicated treatment plans - even if this is not the best way to heal. Practices that push patients into extended programs or protocol don’t have any reason to get you better - they’ll make more money keeping you around!
I have spent years thinking about the best way to help all sorts of patients feel their best, and I’ve designed an office that lets me concentrate on your healing.
I find out why you are sick, then help you heal using the best treatments from functional and conventional medicine.
In my private practice, I have time to think, to review medical studies, and most importantly, to listen to you.
This lets me spend more time on cases than the average physician, and gives me the ability to research to research those conditions that I don't see everyday. Because I’ve practiced in this way for many years, I’ve been able to learn many things that swamped doctors simply don’t have the time for. Unlike other offices that decide what illness you have before you walk in for your first visit, I take the time to review every single case to make sure diagnoses aren’t missed.
Every patient gets an individualized treatment plan that fits their symptoms and history. You are never forced into a protocol or program. Finally, I work as a solo physician, so you don’t have to be worried about being pushed to another practitioner after a few visits.
Just click on any an orange "Schedule Your Visit" button. There is one at the top of every page. You'll be taken to a scheduler app where you can pick the next available appointment best for you. Please double check that you've entered your email address correctly, as you'll receive a welcome email that contains instructions on how to complete your new patient paperwork.
Paying out of pocket for medical care can be daunting. Because I want to help as many patients as possible, I've done all that I can to make care affordable.
First, despite getting superior results for my patients, I charge less than other experts in the field so that more patients can work with me.
Second, unlike many functional medicine offices, I never profit from labs or testing that I recommend. I am completely independent of all labs so you can trust that I will only order the tests you need, not the ones that make me more money.
Third, my patients get 30% off on all supplements that I recommend from Moss Nutrition to make treatment more affordable. More on this below.
Finally, I do not force my patients to join subscriptions, memberships, programs or bundles. These practices result in you paying for more care than what you need. If I can get you better in a few weeks to months, then why should you pay me for six months of medical care?
There is a growing problem in integrative and functional medicine where practitioners generate income by directly selling supplements and lab tests to you. This practice is unethical because the extra income leads to practitioners recommending more aggressive and complicated treatment plans than you need.
So that you can feel confident in my recommendations - here's how I handle supplements in my office: I recommend supplements to my patients from a company called Moss Nutrition. Moss is a family owned business that has earned my trust over many years by formulating excellent products that consistently help my patients to heal.
My patients are entitled to 30% off all supplements from Moss Nutrition. This discount comes out of my pocket from a commission typically paid to practitioners. I choose to make less money, because it is more important to me that you trust that when I recommend supplements, it's because I think it will help you - not because I'm lining my pockets.
Similarly, because I refuse to mark up labs for resale and am completely independent of all labs you can trust that when I recommend a test, it's because I think it will help me understand how to best help you.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of health information available today.
We live in a world where patients get most of their information information from blogs, internet forum and podcasts. While there are helpful things to learn from these places, they are a source of a lot of misinformation and confusion simply because many of the educators are not actively seeing patients. Many of these educators have financial interests that bias them towards pushing particular supplements or treatments.
This is where I can help you. I’ve spent years listening to my patients and learning from their experiences. If you’ve read about it online, I’ve almost certainly heard about it.
This means that I can help you cut through the chase to the things that you actually need to do to feel better, rather than the things that just sound good on the internet!
As a physician who focuses on the reasons why my patients become ill, I’ve come to appreciate just how much the environment around us impacts our health. Whether it is lead in our drinking water, mold in our air, or plastics in our food, it seems that wherever we turn we are confronted with yet another environmental threat. How can we stay healthy in an increasingly toxic world?
In my practice, I frequently use a nutritional formula called Elemental Select from Moss Nutrition to help patients prolong fasts and see similar results. An elemental formula is one in which fats, proteins and carbs are broken down so that they are very quickly and efficiently absorbed in the GI tract. For weight loss, I ask patients to begin fasting by skipping breakfast, and drinking only coffee, tea or bone broth.
Most of my patients find that they are cognitively sharper and find that their fasting days are more focused and efficient. They feel lighter and often report their mood is improved. Those with GI symptoms typically find their symptoms are 75% reduced on fasting days. After a few weeks, they see weight loss.
We are being exposed to a growing number of toxic chemicals every day - and our health is declining as a result. While some exposures are unavoidable, the key is to look for simple changes that can reduce our toxic load so that we can live longer and healthier lives. Let’s talk about tea.
Many patients with mold exposure develop problems that go far beyond runny noses - these patients are plagued by a variety of symptoms. Crippling fatigue, severe depression, brain fog and anger are quite common. Many develop chronic pain, and other patients show signs of neurologic damage through symptoms of tremors, neuropathy and even seizures.
I am a Medical Doctor practicing in New Orleans, LA. I am board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and have been in practice since 2014.
Because so many people struggle for years trying to recover their health, often spending thousands of dollars chasing dead ends, I'm passionate about making functional medicine cost-effective and practical.
I graduated from the Tulane University School of Medicine and the School of Public Health in 2011 and completed my training in Family Practice in 2014. I treat many conditions but have expertise working with chronic GI symptoms, mold and heavy metal toxicity and in preventative care. When I'm not working with patients you'll find me playing with my three kids, exercising, or playing the drums.
