What We Do For You
Our practice utilizes a team approach to the diagnosis and treatment of the complex disorders of our patients. Each patient is assessed by Alan Gruning, DO, our Medical Director, and a comprehensive treatment program is prescribed. Follow up care is usually provided by our specialty trained Nurse Practitioner, in collaboration with Dr. Gruning. CIRS Coaches are used to help patients deal with the complex detoxification program needed to heal their dysfunctional immune system. Psychological professionals may be employed to screen for and treat disorders, such as Limbic dysfunction and depression, that can prevent healing. Pastoral counseling is also available for spiritual issues that impact complete healing. Environmental and HVAC professionals will be recommended to inspect and remediate the home or workplace.
Patients also receive care from Sara Doyon, APRN. Sara is highly experienced in providing care for complex functional medicine patients and consults with Dr. Gruning on all CIRS cases. She has an extensive background as a Nurse Practitioner in multiple practice settings and at Christian Medical Ministries, where she serves alongside Dr. Gruning caring for the low income, underinsured with CIRS. Sara is thorough, compassionate, and patient. She focuses on evaluating and treating returning non-Medicare patients in Florida so Dr. Gruning is available to evaluate new and second visit patients, Medicare and out of state patients..
Our office staff is the glue that holds everything together as we attempt to care for some of the sickest patients in the country.
Sallye Roth and Christine Pehlke are our medical front office professionals and likely who you will speak with on the phone or in person when you are checking in for your visit. They communicate with patients by phone, email, and portal messages. Sallye and Christine are experienced, positive, kind and empathetic.
Amanda Bussard is our CIRS coordinator. She is a certified CIRS Coach through CIRSx. She helps gather the data needed by the providers to treat you and will help you understand the treatment protocol needed to get you better. She will answer many of your questions on the CIRS protocol.
Christina Lavallee, RN is a Patient Educator, certified as a CIRS Coach with CIRSx, with much experience educating complex patients and guiding them through the CIRS treatment regimen. She also works with Dr. Gruning and Sara Doyon at Christian Medical Ministries. She sees patients for Dr. Gruning and our NP monthly, in between your scheduled visits, so that you can continue to advance through the protocols and receive the care you need to get well.
Lauren Thomas is our office manager and supervises our team of professionals. She helps patients with problems that arise and is our HIPAA privacy officer. She is the main resource for our electronic record system (Charm). Lauren is the one who will likely run your NeuroQuant from your MRI images. She also interacts with attorneys and their office staff.
Our team is caring, compassionate and professional. They will help you navigate the complicated testing we do and gather all of the results for the physician and nurse practitioner to review with you. They handle any prescriptions that they order. They manage the volume of paperwork needed to care for our very complex patients. They interact with you by phone, email and portal messages to answer your questions and help you accomplish everything needed to get well. Without them, ICHW would not function and you would not get better.
After appropriate testing, our Physician or Nurse Practitioner will meet with you and prescribe the appropriate treatments, which can include:
- Nutritional Therapy
- Vitamins and Supplements
- Herbal Lyme/Co Infection Therapy
- Thyroid and Adrenal Support
- Treatment for Histamine Intolerance (MCAS)
- Detoxification/Biotoxin Therapy
- Thyroid and Adrenal support
- BioIdentical Hormone Therapy
- Selected Pharmaceuticals
- Counseling and Pastoral Care
We are pleased to offer Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to our patients through our partnership with Christian Medical Ministries. HBOT has many documented benefits, especially for CIRS patients. Patients are placed in a large chamber where they can sit in a recliner while the chamber is pressurized to 1.3 ATM, which is equivalent to a sea water depth of 10-11 feet. At this very safe pressure, oxygen is forced into tissues to encourage healing and anti-aging benefits. Healing benefits are documented for conditions like Fibromyalgia due to decreased inflammation. Chronic fatigue improves as tissue oxygenation is increased. Neurological damage, such as the cortical gray brain atrophy seen in CIRS patients and spinal and peripheral nerve damage, have been documented to improve. The immune system is strengthened and organisms such as borrelia (Lyme disease) can be killed. Side effects are rare at this pressure and it is very well tolerated. The only significant issue is equalizing pressure in the ears and sinuses during pressurization and de-pressurization.
Our emphasis is restoring balance to your body to allow it to heal itself. Most patients need numerous interventions to accomplish this. There is no magic pill for CIRS patients!
Alan Gruning D.O.
Board Certified in Emergency Medicine, practicing Functional Medicine