Our Functionally Fit Team
Dr. Elisa Mercuro DO
I am an osteopathic physician certified in Family Medicine, Functional Medicine and Obesity Medicine. With over 20 years experience in medical group visits and a personal and professional passion in the treatment of obesity which led me to get a certification by the American Board of Obesity Medicine and create the Functionally Fit Program (FFP).
I have struggled with weight my entire life. As many people just like me will attest to, weight loss maintenance sometimes is harder and trickier than weight reduction itself. Weight maintenance is life long and many of us have lost and gained the same weight over and over. In hindsight, I had disordered eating patterns and to this day, need to work at eating mindfully and work at my lifestyle factors to prevent weight regain.
I am certain that deep down I went into medicine in part to answer questions about why and how to achieve a healthy weight for myself. Somewhere along the way, I became disappointed in those solutions medicine had to offer and even found myself as a primary care physician saying to people “just eat less and exercise” knowing full well that this advice had failed me too.
Over the past two decades, my philosophy and my career has evolved to finding the root cause of chronic disease. As a result of my own experience and bearing witness to my patients struggles with obesity and the constellation of other chronic conditions that go with it, i have been focused on finding solutions that work.
My mission is to build hope and community around weight management that lead to long lasting success and life fulfillment.
Andrea Mayhew, Clinical Care Coordinator
I am a registered nurse that’s cared for patients across the lifespan in various specialties over the years I went into nursing because I love people. There’s something special about taking part in helping another person to feel better. What I’ve come to realize is our current healthcare system does not allow the time for a holistic approach. Conventional medicine often addresses symptoms but falls short in treating root causes. Providers are rushed, many people suffer from preventable lifestyle diseases, and I found myself frustrated that the process wasn’t necessarily holistic. Patients may receive symptom relief through medications but they were a long way from being well. I saw this in patients, family and friends. I knew that there had to be a better way to help people, to empower them to prevent disease, regain and sustain their health.
A turning point in my career came in 2017 after I attended a seminar on Lifestyle Medicine, a branch of medicine that uses evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic interventions to treat and reverse disease (and part of the foundation of Functional Medicine). The data presented was astounding and I left feeling inspired and motivated to learn more. I dove in and became certified in lifestyle medicine through ACLM in 2019. Eager to put this new knowledge into practice, I began researching health and wellness coaching certification. I’m on par with finishing the certification through Wellcoaches® by the end of December 2021 and my plan is to become Nationally board certified.
“Coaching is a vehicle for helping people to achieve a higher level of well-being and performance in life and work, particularly when change is hard.”-Wellcoaches®. How many times have you visited a provider’s office, received recommendations on how to improve your health, and left feeling like you don’t know where or how to start? You’re unsure of where you can make sustainable changes or where your motivation is? That’s where a health and wellness coach can help. I will always honor you as the expert in your own health and life but provide you with any requested education, accountability, and partnership along the way. I’ll provide compassionate, empathetic, non-judgmental partnership and guidance, at your pace, in your time. It’s your journey and I’d be honored to come along for the ride.
Kate Swords, Functional Medicine Nutritionist
I received an undergraduate degree in psychology from Sacred Heart University and acquired a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States in 2016. I am currently pursuing the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) credential, an advanced certification for personalized nutrition.
I first had a peek into the world of lifestyle interventions and natural therapies during my last year of university when I began working for a family who had two young children adopted from China. They ate things I had never heard of, drank from dark bottles of tinctures, and even fed their seven dogs home-cooked meals. This world broadened when I moved to Oregon after college and spent time learning about wild-crafted herbs, grew a large garden, raised chickens, and volunteered for an organization that taught children about the importance and benefits of growing their own food. I gained exposure to Ayurveda, acupuncture, and traditional Chinese medicine while teaching English in South Korea and traveling throughout Asia. The connection between food and the body became apparent – and impossible to ignore.
My true “aha” moment came while listening to Robert Rountree (the “father” of functional medicine) discuss why our current “silver bullet” approach is not effective for treating chronic disease. I have experienced this first-hand during my time in the natural health industry and practicing functional nutrition in a busy primary care office. My hope is to empower others through education and support patients on their path towards healing and optimal wellness.