Direct Primary Care allows me the opportunity to be the educator and teammate in care.
Throughout my almost 15 years of practice in our traditional healthcare delivery system, the idea of providing an excellent provider to patient relationship has been sold to patients by insurance companies and healthcare systems over and over again. In reality, that level of communication, trust and understanding is rarely attainable when the expectation is to see even 25 patients in one day, let alone the 30 or 40 patients that are being evaluated by one practitioner in some settings.

As the time we have for patients has decreased, the time required to be reimbursed by the insurer has increased. Insurance has dictated what good medical care is by deconstructing the patient-provider relationship and turning it into checkboxes. Clicking boxes is robotic, teaches us not to think for ourselves and generally does not in any way contribute to a functional relationship between patients and providers.

Direct Primary Care is the ladder I’m climbing to get out of those boxes so that I can truly help people. In this model I will be free to practice medicine in its most effective form. Instead of having 5 minutes to talk to my patient about what is really important to them, I will have 45-60 minutes to listen, gather information, educate and participate in shared decision making. In comparison to the almost 2000 patients I had as an employed outpatient primary care provider, my goal is a maximum of 500. My patients will have access to me without having to wait for 3 weeks and without having to explain their needs to several people before ever seeing me.

By making home visits and utilizing technologies such as secured messaging and virtual interaction, I can truly be the trusted resource, teammate, cheerleader, consoler and advocate that I’ve always wanted to be.

Kim Scheuer, MD, began her career as a traditional Family Practice physician. Despite eating healthier than most Americans and believing she was fit, she struggled with weight issues until age 47. While searching for a way to decrease her family history of cancer risk, Kim read The China Study. What she learned started a long and “fruitful” journey of discovering how to use a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet and Lifestyle Medicine to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic disease’s root causes. For the first time in her career, she could genuinely help herself and her patients heal rather than merely treat the symptoms of illnesses. One of her favorite parts of her new way of practicing medicine is to de-prescribe medications and help her patients become “younger every year” by adopting healthier lifestyle choices.
Dr. Kim Scheuer is board certified in both Family Practice and Lifestyle Medicine. She is conversant in Spanish and American Sign Language. She is licensed to see patients in over 20 states. Kim now lives and benefits from the lifestyle she recommends for her patients. She loves to share what she has learned with all who want to be healthier and happier.

Dr. Kristi Moffat is board-certified in family medicine. She has a special interest in women’s health, sports injuries and well-child visits.

Philosophy of Care
I believe in empowering you to make informed decisions regarding your health.

Experience
Year began practicing: 2001

Medical School
The Chicago Medical School, FUHS | Chicago, IL

Residency
Central Washington Family Medicine | Yakima, WA

Dr. Breakey is a 5th generation graduate from the University of Michigan Medical School, and he completed his Family Medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin in 1984. He achieved his American College of Lifestyle Medicine Board Certification in 2019. He has practiced Lifestyle Family Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 1985. He is Chairman of the Board for his medical group: IHA — A multi-specialty medical group serving over 500,000 community members in southeast Michigan. He has followed a Plant-based Lifestyle himself since 1977, and he serves on the Boards for Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute and for the Plant-Based Prevention of Disease (P-POD) organizations. He is also a Chair of the Board for the Plant-Based Nutrition Support Group (PBNSG). He Serves as the Medical Director for IHA’s “William J. Fileti Center for Lifestyle Medicine”.

He has a special interest in supporting the healing process we all have within us through straightforward Lifestyle changes. He applies a key focus on following a Plant-based lifestyle to prevent and, where possible, reverse the most common chronic diseases we see in America, while at the same time achieving optimal Health and Vitality. He has recently transitioned to a Lifestyle Medicine focused practice with a team based approach: trinityhealthmichigan.org/LMPC

Dr. Katipally is board certified in American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM). After practicing the traditional medicine for over 15 years and serving as the medical director for various busy service-lines in the academic and university health/corporate systems – he pivoted his personal journey, career path and practice toward plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine. After his ABLM certification followed by the certification in Plant-based Nutrition program by Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell Univ. (eCornell), he founded the New ME Health Center for Lifestyle Medicine – his dream comprehensive Lifestyle Medicine Center to help his patients arrest and potentially reverse their diabetes and other lifestyle related diseases through Intensive Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (iTLC).

SUZANNAH BOZZONE, MD For years, I was prescribing medicine I wouldn’t take myself and frustrated by the seemingly incurable state of our most prevalent, deadly and costly chronic diseases. Finally, I found Lifestyle Medicine, which is not only strongly evidence-based, but resonates with my desire to treat myself, my family and my patients more in accordance with nature’s guidance and, most importantly, addressing diseases from their root causes, rather than covering up symptoms. Best of all, this method empowers patients, rather than dictating dependence on our pharmaceutically-driven medical system. Dr. Bozzone moved to the Chattanooga area from Sonoma, CA, where she worked for six years in private practice and community health. She previously served as the Medical Director of Wellness at Sonoma Valley Hospital. Dr. Bozzone is happily married with three young children and loves to swim, practice yoga and sing in any spare moment she can find.

Dr. Asha Subramanian is a Board-certified family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician with specific expertise in evidence-based lifestyle change. She received her B.A. and M.A. in psychology with Honors and Distinction from Stanford University. Dr. Subramanian received her combined M.D./Master of Public Health degree from Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine, and completed her family medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh St. Margaret Hospital. Dr. Subramanian also completed a fellowship in community health at Georgetown University Medical Center. She is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University in the Department of Family Medicine. In 2018, Dr. Subramanian obtained a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition through Cornell University and in 2019, became a Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. In 2019, she also became a Certified Food for Life instructor. Dr. Subramanian is a recipient of the Washingtonian Top Docs Award. Her professional interests include lifestyle medicine and the use of good nutrition, exercise, sleep and other strategies to optimize health; health behavior change; whole food, plant-based cooking, and community health advocacy. Dr. Subramanian founded Diya Lifestyle and Wellness LLC to better help individuals and families attain their health and wellness goals.

Dr. Shayla Toombs-Withers grew up in Atlanta, GA.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN in 2003 where she earned a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Dr. Toombs-Withers earned a Doctorate Degree in Osteopathic Medicine from the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine located on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA in 2007.  After completing her formal medical education, Dr. Toombs-Withers continued her medical training at the University of Cincinnati, The Christ Hospital.  She is double board certified in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine. Over the years, Dr. Toombs-Withers has served as Adjunct Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine with the University of Cincinnati Family Medicine Residency Program and she worked as a Family Physician for a federally qualified health center caring for underserved populations in the Cincinnati area. In 2013 Dr. Toombs-Withers was named as the Medical Director for the All Care Health Center in Council  Bluffs, IA where she continued to practice family medicine and supervised a staff of physicians and nurse practitioners. Dr. Toombs-Withers moved to Chattanooga, TN in 2015 and became a Family Medicine Physician in the UT/Erlanger Primary Care Medical Group at the Pineville Road office.  She earned a certification in Plant Based Nutrition in 2016 and the was board certified in Obesity Medicine in 2018. Dr. Toombs- Withers has practiced a plant based diet for over 15 years and over the past 5 years she has moved to a vegan diet.  She has trained as an endurance athlete and she has completed the New York City Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Ironman Chattanooga 70.3, Ironman Augusta 70.3, Ironman Texas and a host of other endurance races. Dr. Toombs-Withers founded the Essence of Health Wellness Clinic in Chattanooga, TN in 2019 so that  she could combine her deep knowledge of medicine, plant based nutrition, and athletic training to provide comprehensive primary care to her patients using a Concierge Primary Care Model. Outside of work, Dr. Toombs-Withers is a mom for her three sons, wife, and dog wrangler.  She loves Chattanooga and all of the outdoor experiences it has to offer.  She enjoys cycling, hiking, camping, swimming, triathlons and trail running.

Dr. Dipak Patel is board a certified family medicine physician;and practices the full-spectrum of family medicine, including pediatrics and women’s health. Since 2012 he has worked as a family medicine physician and onsite medical director of a local health clinic as well as a hospitalist physician at Midstate Medical Center. In 2017, Dr. Patel earned his most precious board certification from the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. As the physician of our practice, Dr Patel enjoys spending time and talking with our patients to help them restore their health.

I am a Board-Certified Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine Physician.
I listen to you and spend time with you to understand the barriers in your life that prevent you from optimum health.
Emphasis on healthy lifestyle changes and moving towards a whole food plant-based diet.
Learn how to prevent and even reverse chronic disease and reduce the need for medication.
I offer convenience, peace of mind, and flexibility.
 

Driven by an unwavering dedication to health and well-being, Niki Davis, MD, made a transformative shift from a career in rocket science to become a board-certified family and lifestyle medicine physician. Her journey began as a young teen when she conscientiously started eliminating animal products from her diet due to health concerns. Despite earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and contributing significantly to the space shuttle program, her true passion was rooted in health and nutrition. Motivated by the aspiration to enhance both her own and her family’s well-being, she wholeheartedly embraced a plant-based lifestyle.

Rekindling her profound interest in health, Dr. Davis redirected her path, leaving her engineering career to pursue medical studies. She graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine in 2017 and completed a rigorous Family Medicine residency program in 2020. During her residency tenure, she not only served as Wellness Chief but also co-founded Plant Based Montana, an advocacy group dedicated to educating healthcare providers and the public about the advantages of a plant-based diet.

Dr. Davis is a sought-after speaker at national and virtual plant-based events and has had the privilege of learning from esteemed mentors such as Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Michael Klaper, Dr. Anthony Lim, Dr. Laurie Marbas, and Dr. Alan Goldhamer, among others. She is a regular guest on Chef AJ’s YouTube channel, holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies via eCornell, and is certified in The Starch Solution. She is on the board of directors for Plant Based Support.

Passionate about Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Davis offers TeleHealth appointments through LifestyleTelemedicine.com, aiming to provide comprehensive care and guidance to individuals seeking a healthier lifestyle. In addition, she runs plant based wellness retreats in locations around the world.

Medical Director at the Health for Life Medical Centre in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.  We provide a team-based Lifestyle Medicine approach to assist our clients to achieve Optimal health.

The Vegan MD, Lifestyle Medicine and Plant-Based Nutrition.
By vegans, for vegans. 
We focus on the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine, specialize in vegan patients and reducing recidivism, veganism during pregnancy, preventing and treating micronutrient deficiencies, chronic diseases, schedule building.