
Empowering you every step of the way.
From what to expect before, during, and after your visit, to frequently asked questions, we hope you’ll find the answers, hope, and confidence you need to make an informed decision regarding your health. We can’t stress this enough: It’s imperative that you read through this page before you schedule your first appointment with us.
WHAT TO EXPECT …
+ BEFORE YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
Helping you heal means understanding your lifestyle and medical history in great detail. Before we schedule your New Patient Consultation, we want to get a glance at your medical history and story so we can be 100% certain we pair you with the right clinician.
That’s why, before your first consultation with Dr. Z or one of our clinicians, we’ll ask you to complete a thorough patient intake application and share relevant medical records. This intake information is more than paperwork. It’s your story and our team’s window into your medical history. It’s also the first step toward getting to the root of your illness and helping you heal.
We recommend that you set aside 45-60 minutes to complete this and have the following information handy:
- Past hospitalizations
- List of medications and supplements you are on (including dosage)
- Office notes/progress notes from relevant specialists
- Recent lab reports
Once you’ve completed the patient intake process, we’ll be in touch by phone to schedule your New Patient Consultation and match you up with the clinician whose expertise best fits your specific needs.
Please understand that we only see a maximum of 10 patients per day to give each of you our undivided attention and medical expertise. For this reason, your New Patient Consultation may be scheduled several weeks or months from the time you complete your intake application, depending on what clinician you’re seeing.
We will schedule both your New Patient Consultation and first follow-up visit at the same time, to make sure you get on the schedule as quickly as possible.
+ DURING YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
Your New Patient Consultation will be 60-90 minutes. We encourage you to bring a support person with you to your New Patient appointment, whether it’s your partner, spouse, parent, friend, or relative.
It may also be helpful to bring a notebook so you can take notes or jot down specific things you want to make sure you tell your clinician.
At the end of your appointment, your clinician will advise you on which lab tests you’ll need to get done. This first session is all about getting to know you and beginning the data collection process. Because we are a data-driven practice, we generally do not prescribe any sort of treatment plans, medications, or supplements until we have analyzed your test results at your first follow-up appointment.
+ ADVANCED TESTING
At the end of your New Patient Consultation, your clinician will recommend which tests you should get based on your symptoms, genetic history, environment, lifestyle, and of course, your medical history. Even if you’ve had many of these tests performed previously, we strongly recommend that you don’t skip any.
It’s important to note that we will not do all of these tests at one time; instead we take a phased approach to properly analyze each set of tests. In a nutshell, we’ll eventually test all your bodily fluids.
We have a unique approach to ordering labs and in order to get the complete picture, we’ll need to see everything. Trust that your clinician has ordered each test for a reason.
Testing is not included in your consultation fees, but many could be covered or reimbursed by your insurance. If you’re in the Chicago area, we’d be happy to recommend diagnostic test facilities.
During your follow-up visit, we will help you understand your test results and how they may correlate with your symptoms. You’ll also get a clearer picture of where you should be for optimal health, versus where you currently are. At that time, another round of testing may be ordered.
+ PERSONALIZED CARE PLAN
Genetics. Environment. Lifestyle. Together with your health history, lab, imaging, and advanced testing results, plus the latest research in microbiology, these are the factors that will drive the development of your personalized care plan.
Treating your chronic conditions means treating your body as well as you can. That goes beyond simply “eating healthy” and exercising. In order to help you heal, we have to uncover what “eating healthy” and “exercising enough” means for you and your body.
After your first follow-up visit, we will begin creating your custom care plan. You may get your plan quickly or it may take days or weeks. This takes time, because we put a great deal of data analysis, the newest research, and energy into every single recommendation we make. Dr. Z likes to joke that she doesn’t sleep (she only wishes she were joking!). That’s because her patients and their stories are constantly on her mind. We spend hours creating your one-of-a-kind treatment roadmap.
Your detailed plan may include guidelines, supplements, medications, nutritional guidance, and more. We are scientists at heart, so while every recommendation we make is backed by science, a lot of your treatment plan is all about experimenting to see what works and what doesn’t.
+ ONGOING MONITORING
We’ll recommend follow-up testing and visits depending on your unique situation and your individual progress. Depending on your condition and symptoms, we recommend quarterly, bi-yearly, or more frequent visits. Many of our patients start reporting resolution of symptoms in 3 to 6 months. We adjust your care plan based on data, emerging research, and advances in technology to make sure you’re always receiving the best, most updated care possible.
What patients are saying…
FAQ
+ DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE
At Motivated Medicine, YOU and your health are our primary concern. For this reason, we have very intentionally decided not to take insurance, so we can take the best possible care of you. Health insurance company requirements often hinder quality care in our opinion. By not accepting insurance, it enables our team of clinicians to spend as much time with you as necessary and give you a treatment plan that truly serves your best interests and doesn’t inhibit you in any way from achieving optimal health.
We can however provide you with a simple one-page billing statement called a Superbill that you can submit to your insurance company for out-of-network benefits (excluding HMO plans, Medicare/Medicaid.)
+ What conditions and symptoms do you treat?
Autoimmune Disease
Lupus
Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis
Sjörgen’s Syndrome
Graves’ Disease
Celiac Disease
Fibromyalgia
Hashimoto’s
Hormonal Issues
Menopause/Perimenopause
Andropause
Hormonal imbalance
Menstrual Cycle Dysfunction
Thyroid Conditions
Hashimoto’s
Thyroiditis
Goiter
Graves’ disease
Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Reproductive Health
Infertility
Prenatal Support
Digestive Issues
IBS/IBD
Crohn’s Disease
Ulcerative Colitis
Food intolerance
Diverticulosis
Gerd
Adrenal Dysfunction
Circadian Rhythm Disruption
Cortisol Abnormalities
Mood Disorders
Anxiety
Depression
Metabolic Disorders
Diabetes Mellitus
Metabolic syndrome
Insulin Resistance
Lipid Disorders
Weight Management
Hypoglycemia
Bone Density
Wellness Optimization
Low Energy
Sleep Hygiene
Movement
Personalized Nutrition
Stress Management
Healthy Aging
DON’T SEE YOUR CONDITION LISTED?
While these are the most common conditions and symptoms we treat, this list is by no means exhaustive. Give us a call, share your story, and let’s see if we can help you.
What type of thyroid medications do you prescribe?
We prescribe synthetic T4, synthetic T3, natural desiccated thyroid hormone (NDT), and compounded thyroid medications.
+ How long until I can get in to see a clinician?
Each of our clinicians only sees up to 10 patients per day to give each of our patients undivided attention and medical expertise. Our clinicians are currently booking several weeks to several months out.
+ This is expensive and I’ve already invested so much time and energy into so many different doctors. I’m tired. Will I see results working with you?
We know your pain all too well, friend. As much as we’d love to promise the world to every single patient, the reality is we can’t guarantee you’ll completely heal. In our experience, the ones who fully commit to following their treatment plan to the T experience the greatest results.
+ What should I bring to my first appointment?
Bring a support person, a notebook, and the motivation to heal.
+ Do you offer virtual appointments?
New patients must establish care in person. Consultations via telemedicine platforms may be an option for certain types of follow-up appointments, depending on the location of the patient.
+ Is the cost of testing included in my consultation and visit fees?
No it’s not. Some tests may be covered or reimbursed by your insurance.
+ What costs are associated with being a patient?
Patient visits, labs, advanced testing, medication, supplements and other recommendations that may be included in your care plan. Most patients can expect an average of four appointments per year after their initial patient visit and first follow-up.
+ Can’t I just get all advanced tests done at once?
We take a phased, one-step-at-a-time approach to avoid overloading you with medications and treatments you may not need. We are strongly against getting too many tests at once for a few reasons. First of all, it can cause us to overlook something important, which can be detrimental to your care. If your clinician is reviewing too many different tests and analyzing too many different results, it’s harder to pinpoint the root cause, which makes it harder to know the next best step in your course of treatment.
+ What if I have urgent needs?
Motivated Medicine does not offer urgent or emergency care. We are a consultative practice designed to provide short- and long-term consultation for chronic health issues, not urgent or emergency care. If you need a same-day visit, call your primary care doctor. For urgent care, contact an urgent care doctor, visit the emergency room or call 911.
+ Will I see Dr. Z or someone else?
We are a collaborative practice, so rest assured that you’ll have the right eyes and expertise on your case. You may see Dr. Z or one of our other clinicians. We will match you with the right clinician depending on your unique health issues.
+ I’ve already had so many lab tests. Do I really need to spend time and money doing them again?
We understand that this can be frustrating and expensive for many patients. However, our team is extremely intentional and methodical in our recommendations. Your clinician will recommend which tests you should get based on your symptoms, genetic history, environment, lifestyle, and of course, your medical records. Even if you’ve had many of these tests performed, we strongly recommend that you don’t skip any. We have a unique approach to ordering labs and in order to get the complete picture, we’ll need to see everything. Trust that your clinician has ordered these tests for a reason – and trust that we may see something others have not. In addition, we have purposefully developed our revenue model so that it’s not dependent on the sale of testing to our patients. We try to get the best cost options for our patients.
+ Do you treat children?
Yes, we have a clinician who treats patients 5 years and older for consultative purposes.
+ Can Motivated Medicine be my primary care physician?
Motivated Medicine is a consultative practice designed to provide short- and long-term consultation for chronic health issues, not urgent or emergency care. If you need acute care, you will need to see your primary care doctor. For urgent care, visit your nearest urgent care doctor or the emergency room.
+ What precautions are you taking in light of the Covid-19 pandemic?
Our enhanced safety measures include masks and other appropriate PPE, social distancing, deep cleaning, and virtual visits when possible.
+ If there is a long wait for an appointment, is there a waitlist to try to get in sooner for appointments?
New Patients may request to be added to our waitlist after all required New Patient forms have been completed and their New Patient appointment is scheduled.
Existing Patients may request to be added to our waitlist after they have completed all lab work or other testing required for their upcoming appointment.
When Motivated Medicine receives cancellations, our staff reaches out to patients in the order they were added to the waitlist. When calling patients on the waitlist to offer an appointment, we will leave a voicemail if the patient does not answer our call. However, we will continue making calls until someone answers and takes the appointment, or a patient calls back to accept the appointment. We do not hold waitlist appointments. If the appointment offered does not work with a patient’s schedule, that patient will remain on the waitlist to be contacted for future openings
+ What are your payment policies?
Payment for all appointments is due in full the day of your appointment.
Motivated Medicine accepts all major credit cards as well as most HSA (Health Saving Accounts) and FSA (Flex Spending Accounts), and cash payments. We do not accept check payments; however, patients can use their debit card accounts. We do not accept Care Credit.
A payment card is required to be on file for any appointments to be scheduled.
Motivated Medicine does not offer any payment plan options, however, patients may make partial payments before their scheduled appointments by contacting our office directly via phone (630-492-1965) or by sending a portal message advising how much they would like to process.
If your payment defaults more than once, prepayment will be required for any future visits. Prepayment must be processed one week prior to your scheduled appointment or your appointment will be canceled
“Dr. Zielsdorf was so different in so many ways – she truly cared, she listened, her intellectual honesty was unmatched and her background in microbiology helped her put the puzzle together based on extensive detailed tests she ordered, and she ultimately got to the root cause of our son’s illness. She never gave up! Our son is now on the way to have his life back and we could not be more grateful.”
Mark and Andrea
“Dr. Z is the best doctor I have ever met. She is extremely smart and compassionate and listens to her patients. She has a holistic and science based approach and she truly understands that everyone is unique.”