Integrative medicine combines the most well-researched conventional medicine with the most well-researched, evidence-based complementary treatments to provide the right care for each person. Here is a great link to find out more. 

Dr. Lee has chosen to keep her practice limited in size. This means she can spend more time with her patients during their appointments, and patients can self-schedule appointments when they need them. Because there are no insurance requirements to meet, appointments can focus on what’s important to patients – whether that is having an in-depth discussion about risks and benefits of medications, planning for pregnancy with rheumatic disease, or working together to prioritize lifestyle interventions. It also means that patients can easily communicate any concerns to Dr. Lee and get timely responses. The web portal, which is also accessible via mobile phones, allows for HIPAA-compliant secure communication such as messaging. 

The 15 minute inquiry call is an opportunity for you to ask questions about how Sage Rheumatology works and whether it is a good fit for your needs. Questions about Dr. Lee’s philosophy of care, the membership model, how to become a patient, pricing or other logistical questions that aren’t clear from our website are potential topics. It is not intended to provide any medical advice or guidance.

While you don’t need a formal insurance referral, many conditions can mimic or have symptoms which overlap with autoimmune/rheumatic diseases. Therefore, it’s important to have had a baseline evaluation with your primary care physician to rule these out. Dr. Lee recommends that prior to scheduling, you touch base with your primary care physician to determine if you would benefit from evaluation at Sage Rheumatology.

Although Dr. Lee is board certified in internal medicine, she cannot serve as your primary care physician. 

While many of the integrative recommendations she provides may improve your overall health and not just your rheumatic disease, she believes that all patients should have a primary care physician. Primary care is essential for building a foundation for health by providing preventive care, treating acute illnesses, managing chronic conditions, and coordinating care with specialists.

In a “pay per visit” system, people often (sometimes subconsciously) delay coming in for appointments or forgo appointments altogether unless they are not feeling well.  Or they only come in when they know they have to to get their medications refilled.

This is reactive care instead of proactive care, disease care instead of health care. 

Dr. Lee believes that it’s important to take a long-term view on management of rheumatic conditions in order to optimize your ability to live well.  The membership model reflects Dr. Lee’s sustained commitment to partnering with you as well as your commitment to working toward this goal. 

The membership model has been designed to include rheumatologic care and a comprehensive assessment of your health and lifestyle, personalized recommendations that include traditional care as well as integrative approaches, ongoing support, and regular check-ins to assess response and to proactively identify areas for focused effort.