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Dr. Christina Funk focuses on virtual care for obesity, menopause, and other health concerns
Dr. Christina Funk of MetabolicCareNP has a diagnosis for the American medical system. Patients are frustrated with insurance hurdles and provider visits that last only a few minutes. Healthcare providers are overworked and lack medical training for some of the most prevalent health issues affecting the majority of the population. The entire system seems focused on treating sickness instead of promoting health.
“I think people are really fed up with the traditional medical model right now,” says Funk, a family nurse practitioner. “Healthcare providers are too busy jumping through insurance hoops to effectively care for patients in a way that truly promotes optimal health.”
Furthermore, Funk has learned through experience that medical education programs across all levels (MDs, NPs, PAs) do not receive any education on management of two prominent factors that impact the majority of their patients: obesity and menopause.
These realizations, combined with Funk’s experience and entrepreneurial drive, led her to launch MetabolicCareNP, a virtual clinic that provides comprehensive, concierge-style healthcare with an emphasis on optimizing metabolic health. “Technically, metabolic health refers to processes such as energy production, glucose regulation, lipid metabolism, and hormone balance,” she says. “Optimized metabolic function is crucial for overall well-being and can impact all areas of health, including cardiovascular risk factors such as high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, etc.”
“When you go to your doctor you’re just told to count calories and exercise more. Healthcare providers are not equipped with the tools to effectively treat the disease. But (obesity is) actually a very nuanced disease process and can affect, or be affected by, over 200 other medical conditions.”
Funk’s practice is entirely virtual, allowing her to serve patients across Wisconsin and Minnesota. Patients pay a monthly membership fee, granting them unlimited visits and direct concierge-style messaging to promote a trusted patient-provider relationship and convenient access to care. Funk doesn’t take insurance, although she accepts payment via health savings accounts, and will order lab tests and specialty treatments where patients’ insurance is accepted.
While the business is only a year old, Funk’s innovative approach has already been extremely well received in the community. MetabolicCareNP was voted No. 1 for Best Weight Loss Clinic or Counseling in the Best of the Chippewa Valley Poll. Funk also won the most recent HATCH business pitch event hosted by the Chippewa Economic Development Corp. as well as the Red Letter Grant, which supports women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.
While she has a special interest in obesity and menopause, Funk can provide care to anyone, regardless of age or gender. She has built her business largely through referrals, and a glance at a few of her patients’ testimonials explains why: “I am deeply grateful for the exceptional care Dr. Funk has provided me over the last decade,” shared one patient. “Her patience, thoroughness, and remarkable ability to truly listen have made all the difference in my journey to overcome my eating disorder and navigate the challenges of menopause.”
Wrote another: “Christina’s availability, genuine commitment to my overall health, and her ability to truly listen make me feel seen and cared for in a way that’s rare in healthcare. The concierge-style model and membership structure ensure I have ongoing, convenient access to someone who is invested in helping me live my best life.”
Funk, a mother of four and North Dakota native, has called Eau Claire home since 2010. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from UW-Eau Claire and has worked in a variety of settings, including as Director of Obesity Medicine locally for the last 10 years, prior to launching MetabolicCareNP. She has earned Fellow status with the Obesity Medicine Association, a designation reserved for recognized experts in their field of practice. She is the only Fellow of Obesity Medicine in Minnesota and one of just two in Wisconsin. She is the only one in the region offering this type of expert care virtually.
“70% of the population is affected by overweight and obesity, and 100% of individuals with a female reproductive system WILL experience menopause,” she says. “And there’s so much misinformation on both health issues in both the public and within the medical field.”
She continues: “When you go to your doctor you’re just told to count calories and exercise more. Healthcare providers are not equipped with the tools to effectively treat the disease. But (obesity is) actually a very nuanced disease process and can affect, or be affected by, over 200 other medical conditions.”
As Funk helps patients address their obesity, they frequently begin to experience reduced inflammation and fewer symptoms of a range of ailments – from migraines to irritable bowel syndrome – even before they lose much weight. And Funk has years of experience on the proper use of GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, and other pharmaceutical treatments for obesity.
Funk’s interest in metabolic processes led her to further study in the treatment of menopause-related symptoms, which are also often ignored or misunderstood by the medical establishment. “Aging is a natural process, but suffering through it doesn’t have to be,” she says.
“Women have such a complicated cluster of symptoms, and they’re just not really being listened to,” she continues. “It’s so rewarding to help women get answers, and eventually relief, from their symptoms.”
Whatever their age or gender, Funk is available to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment for patients seeking to improve their health.
“One of my favorite things to do is work with an individual and piece together the puzzle of their unique metabolic picture, and then provide the tools they need to navigate their way to optimal health for a lifetime. And I get excited every time they say, ‘This didn’t feel hard, I just feel like me again,’ which they almost always do. Most people just need the space to feel heard and be seen, along with the right tools and medical support … and that’s what I do. It’s just really rewarding.”
MetabolicCareNP
virtual clinic serving Wisconsin and Minnesota
