Gig Harbor clinic offers lasting solutions to your health-related needs By Jillian Chandler | Photo by In-Gear Media
It was eight years ago when Dr. Christopher Stadtherr had an epiphany. As a specialist in hospital medicine, he had come to the realization that approximately 80 percent of what is done in health care falls under the same disease process, insulin resistance, which is driven by lifestyle. “Insulin resistance is responsible for the vast majority of chronic diseases that are relevant to us today,” affirms Chris, “from manifestations of the metabolic syndrome such as high blood pressure, obesity, and abnormal cholesterol, to later complications such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, cancer, and propensity for infection.”
After doing extensive self-study into the science of nutrition and chronic disease, Chris would begin to incorporate some of these principles into his hospital practice while educating patients who had long suffered terrible medical advice.
“The standard advice of ‘eat less and move more’ is terribly unhelpful—it is oversimplified and ignores the complexities of our environment and the drivers of hunger,” shares Chris. “It's important to realize that these metabolic diseases are a recent epidemic, exploding in the past 70 years. In the early 20th century, obesity and cardiovascular disease were virtually unheard of. These are diseases of lifestyle, and thus they are modifiable.”
More than diet and exercise need to be addressed in order to improve metabolic health—things like sleep, emotional health, and environmental factors. Therefore, Chris wanted to address the underlying problem, “the driver of modern disease,” by offering a comprehensive program to guide individuals through not only reversing their chronic disease but also optimizing their metabolic health and functional status. “My goal is to partner with individuals of all ages to improve their health spans—the length of time that people remain healthy and functional, not just alive.”
To make a positive impact on the health of the community and address the underlying problems, Chris transitioned away from hospital care to open his own clinic—Revitalize Metabolic Health—in September of 2021. “Having worked in both primary care and hospital medicine, I am well-versed in the entire spectrum of chronic disease,” affirms Chris. “Managing critically ill patients in the hospital has given me insight into what it takes to avoid these potentially devastating consequences of poor metabolic health.”
At Revitalize Metabolic Health, Chris has designed his clinic to allow for long face-to-face appointment times—with the initial appointment lasting 90 minutes, as Chris says, “It is impossible to make meaningful change to complex medical problems when restricted by the standard 10-minute medical appointment.
“Transitioning away from hospital care and opening my own clinic now allows me to make a positive impact on the health of many more people, hopefully before they suffer complications that land them in the hospital or with chronic disability,” he shares.
Services at the clinic are based on a subscription model, whereby the initial appointment grants the patient access to Dr. Chris for the entire month. Subsequent monthly subscriptions offer the same exclusive access to his services, allowing patients to interact with him via phone, text, email, or follow-up face-to-face or virtual appointments. “This model allows for continued guidance and adjustments to personalize your treatment plan in order to better achieve your goals.”
Price transparency is an important aspect of direct care, and Chris utilized the cash-pay model, which allows the physician to deliver medical care that is based on what is best for the patient—not insurance company mandates.
It is important to Chris to stay current on topics far beyond the discussions in mainstream medical journals, looking for innovative approaches, as well as self-experimentation. “I won’t recommend any lifestyle interventions that I haven’t sufficiently tried myself,” he affirms.
In simple terms, Chris believes our bodies should be able to function efficiently whenever and however we wish them to. “Not only is my clinic focused on the identification, treatment, and reversal of chronic disease, but we aim to help individuals optimize their health and their bodies such that they can function better in all areas of their lives. Our goal is to help people thrive, not just survive.”
His efforts to guide patients on restoring their health through nutrition and other lifestyle interventions have renewed his enthusiasm for patient care “in ways unimaginable,” he smiles. “The power of simple lifestyle modifications to transform one's health and thereby dramatically alter the trajectory of someone's life in a positive manner … It never gets old.”
You can Join Dr. Chris Stadtherr every other Saturday for Walk with a Doc, encouraging his patients, patients’ families, and community members to join him for some physical activity and conversation. He will give a brief presentation on a health topic at the beginning of each walk and answer questions for the participants during the walk. Walks, which are free and do not require pre-registration, begin at 9am along the Cushman Trail beginning at the Grandview Trailhead.
Revitalize Metabolic Health PLLC 6625 Wagner Way NW, Suite 201 Gig Harbor, Washington 98335 253.256.1532 RevitalizeMetabolicHealth.com