We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Heather Fitzgerald. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Heather below.

Heather, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

Some of the best advice that I’ve given to patients over the years involves a couple of main themes. Firstly, getting all of the information on their particular health concern or a recent diagnosis is always the first step to making the best choices for treatment. In our world today, seeing a doctor can be a rather disappointing experience. After scheduling an appointment, driving to the clinic and then seeing the doctor, often patients feel unheard and that their questions are not answered fully or that they are dismissed when they ask more questions. One of my passions is advocating for patients, especially when there are one or multiple other health care providers involved in their diagnosis and/or treatment. Having over 25 years of clinical experience working in tandem with physicians, I know some of the reasons behind patient’s frustrations with conventional doctors. So, not only will I sit down with patients and create a list of questions to ask their doctors, I will explain as much as possible about the patient’s condition, the physiology of the body and what is most relevant to ask the doctor. Taking control of one’s health means having the courage to learn new things and be willing to get the answers you need in order to make the best treatment choices for each individual. I often create a timeline of the patient’s medical history for them to bring to their doctor, to save time and summarize any relevant health information that may help the provider. It takes focus and sometimes a short bullet-pointed list of the patient’s concerns or questions that they need answered, in order to feel fully informed. So, the best advice I give, repeatedly, is to have a strategy when going to see your providers, getting a second or third opinion and then evaluating the patient’s options and how to move forward with any potential treatment or therapies. In addition, I will bridge the gap between conventional medicine therapies and recommending accompanying nutrient, supplement and dietary recommendations to help support a positive and healthy outcome for the patient.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was always interested in nutrition, fitness and all things health-related since I can remember. So it was not a big leap that I went to college and declared my major in Dietetics & Nutritional Science. Having now been in my profession for over 25 years, I still have a love for what I do. My biggest source of fulfillment is helping patients feel and be their best and healthiest. I currently have a private practice in Los Angeles, CA. I specialize in metabolic disorders, micronutrient and hormone deficiencies. I help patients achieve their health and wellness goals and get to the root cause of their issues, versus just treating the symptoms. I utilize the most progressive diagnostics and testing methods available and am looking at all of the pieces of a patient’s health and wellness–including in depth testing that identifies long term vitamin and mineral deficiencies, gastrointestinal health markers, cardiovascular disease risk factors, genetic testing, neurotransmitter and adrenal gland testing as well as cancer detection testing. I provide both short term and long term support for my patients, including educating and empowering patients to take charge of their health by being proactive in their behaviors and choices surrounding lifestyle, diet and supplementation. Helping patients understand their bodies and how to best support their current health and provide strategies to prevent and reverse chronic disease is my focus. Each patient is unique, as are their needs and their knowledge base. It is my job to bridge those gaps in their knowledge and to identify the source of their issues, inbalances or deficiencies.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I know that my reputation and the services that I provide for my patients is unique and targeted. Most of my patients have been to their primary care doctor and in many cases have seen specialists and still have not found the source of their health issues or complaints. I have primarily built my practice by word of mouth and through my work with other clinicians and colleagues. In my opinion, there is no greater reward than having a happy patient refer a family member or good friend to me. I have literally built my practice from word of mouth and direct referrals. I take the time to LISTEN to my patients and have them do the testing and diagnostics that best fit their needs. Once we have the results and have more information as to what is going on inside their body, I strategize with the patient on how to best support these findings. Making recommendations includes creating a specific dietary protocol that fits their lifestyle and also providing them a treatment plan with natural therapies to help replenish deficiencies and rebalance their body. My overall care of the patient and the patient’s outcomes are what sets me apart from other clinicians and this is what has helped me solidify my reputation within the market.

Any advice for managing a team?

In terms of managing a team and maintaining high morale within my organization I think that has everything to do with choosing the right people for the position. Once you have your team in place, it’s vital that you keep them incentivized and motivated within their position. I do this by following these main principles:
1. Have weekly meetings to troubleshoot issues and logistical obstacles. By engaging with my team each week, I am able to address areas of my practice that need attention and this makes their job easier and more enjoyable.
2. Paying well and providing bonuses and incentives for each position. You want your team to feel valued and nothing will do that more than paying them well for their time and efforts. I also build into my structure bonus incentives for each position.
3. Treating my team with respect and consideration. This may seem obvious but in my experience, this is not always the case. This builds trust within an organization and makes the entire practice run smoothly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.strategic-nutrition.com