COVER STORY

Making the Journey to Health with

Photo, Above: Strategic Wellness Center Team: Left to right Back row–Emily Landrum, client coordinator; Danielle White, operations manager; Diana Williams, FNP-C and owner; Brianna Elder, registered dietician. Front row–Lindsey Johnston, licensed esthetician, Sarah Davis, RN.

on the cover

By Peter Eisenhauer | Photos by Shane Greene Photography

It took a while for Diana Williams, founder and owner of the Strategic Wellness Center, to come to the integrative, holistic care model known as functional medicine. For the four years prior to April, 2018, when the center opened, “I was actually working in traditional medicine as a family nurse practitioner.” Originally from South Carolina, Diana had a Bachelor’s degree in pre-med before she moved to Hickory to study Nursing at Lenoir-Rhyne University. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing in 2009, she worked as an ICU nurse at Catawba Valley Medical Center. Because of a strong interest in women’s health, she then entered a Master’s program in Nursing at Western Carolina University. “I am board certified as a family nurse practitioner,” Diana said, “and then I also have a certification in functional medicine through The Institute of Functional Medicine and additional training in men’s and women’s hormone rebalancing.”

She had discovered functional medicine when she was suffering from chronic health issues in 2017. “I was dealing with some anxiety, weight gain, digestive issues, skin issues, energy concerns, and insomnia,” Diana said. “I went the traditional route first and couldn’t really get answers as to ‘why’ behind my symptoms. I was basically just given the option of medicating symptoms, and that wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to know the root cause behind my symptoms. I knew that if I could identify why my body was not well, I could treat the cause and my symptoms would improve.”

“And that’s how I found functional medicine. I sought help from a functional practitioner. We identified leaky gut, autoimmunity, nutritional deficiencies, and hormone imbalance. I changed my diet, did some supplementation, and started with exercise and stress reduction behaviors. I healed my gut and balanced my hormones.” Diana’s symptoms dramatically improved within about two weeks of functional practices. With those results, she decided to become a functional medicine practitioner herself. “So, I saw a need, I got my certification, and I have never looked back.”

Her own experience taught her the value of the coaching aspect of care. “A lot of what we do is basic biochemistry,” Diana said. “We’re helping to heal the body and coaching people into find out how to navigate their way through this wellness journey. Because it’s hard. It’s hard changing your lifestyle, starting a new diet program, starting exercising, and people don’t know where to go. They get lost, and a lot of times before they come to me, they’ve tried a lot of things on their own. They’ve tried eliminating gluten and tried supplements, and they just haven’t found the answer.”

The “strategic” in Strategic Wellness comes from the use of extensive diagnostic testing and a very personalized approach. “We do a lot of testing to really get to the root cause,” Diana said. “It is testing that you can’t get through a traditional allopathic provider. Once the targets are identified, there is a plan, and a coach to

Diana Williams, MSN, FNP-C, IFMCP, owner & founder of Strategic Wellness Center & Strategic Med-Spa, shares information with our patients on the 5 Branches of Wellness and educates on the importance of healing through supplementation.

Sarah Davis, RN, assists patients at Strategic Wellness Center with nutritional IV therapy.

Brianna Elder, registered dietician, demonstrates the InBody Scan which provides a detailed body composition analysis of muscle, fat, and water.

Lindsey Johnston, LE, provides an array for skincare services at Strategic Med-Spa including the Platinum HydraFacial shown in photo.

walk you through your journey, keep you accountable, keep you motivated. And the process is also self-reinforcing. When you feel better, that’s motivation to keep going, too.”

Much of the testing at Strategic Wellness is for hormones and food sensitivities. “We test for things like Hashimoto’s, thyroid issues, rheumatoid arthritis, and skin issues such as psoriasis and eczema,” Diana said. “Those kinds of things have a root cause. We do a lot of testing for gut function. Irritable bowel and inflammatory bowel have root causes. It can be a gut dysbiosis, which is an imbalance in the microbiome. So we do leaky gut testing, adrenal gland test, hormone testing. We even do micronutrient and genetic testing,“ Diana said. She noted that there is a lot of interest in genetics now. “People want a strategic program based on what their genetics are. They don’t respond well to treatments that might work well for other people. We can devise a treatment plan based on this study of epigenetics.”

Diana believes the testing is an important investment patients make in their own health.

The process at Strategic Wellness starts with a consultation. “We do sit all of our patients down for an hourlong consultation when they first come in,” Diana said. She notes that is in sharp contrast with the mainstream healthcare model. “Often with an insurance-based model, you’re given a 15 minute appointment. The doctors don’t have time to really sit down and talk about gut health, nutrition, and stress reduction with their clients. Here, patients sit down and tell me their history and how they got to the state of health they are in. I ask when were they last well, when was the last time they felt good, and that gives us some insight as to what changed. Was it stress, was it an infection, or a medication? Whatever the case might be, we can investigate further and find that root cause. Also at that first appointment, I determine if they are really a good fit, if they are willing to give up the things that are making them sick, if the timing is right for them, and are they in that state of being ready to receive healing. We give them the tools necessary for their body to heal.” But she stresses that you have to be the greatest advocate for your own health.

The next step is testing, followed by discussion of the results and a treatment plan. “We do a lot of testing and then do a nutritional evaluation and have the patient talk with our dietitian.” Once a treatment plan is in place, there is frequent follow-up. “We typically see our patients back every three weeks or so,” Diana said. “That’s for accountability, but also to be able to make adjustments. When the body starts to heal it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. There are going to be some hiccups and roadblocks along the way, and we can adjust to overcome those.”

“Education is an important part of the process,” Diana said. “Knowledge is power. If the patient understands how they got to be in a state of illness to begin with, then they can be more likely to avoid making those mistakes, if you will, going forward.”

In addition to the wellness services, Strategic Wellness also offers a med-spa that provides cosmetic and esthetic treatments. “Our slogan is “Feel Good. Look Good. Do Good,” Diana said. “Once people start to feel better on the outside, they want to look better, too.”

What’s next for Strategic Wellness? As part of its community service mission, this month the practice will be sharing proceeds with local charities and mission groups and also expanding into larger quarters in the summer. Still in the same building, the new suite will enhance the experience with an even warmer, welcoming atmosphere. “It will be a real healing space,” Diana said. “That’s what we want to create for our patients— an environment that is relaxing when they walk in. We’re here for whole body healing.”

Diana providing cosmetic injections for Strategic Med-Spa patients.

Sarah performs Potenza Radiofrequency Microneedling.

315 1st Ave. NW, Suite 104, Hickory

Call or text 828.838.1225 www.StrategicWellnessCenter.com

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