For reasons beyond me, I was called to medicine and learning the art of helping others heal from a young age. Having no major illnesses in my family when I was young and not having anyone medical in my family, this was always interesting to me but am convinced it was no accident.  After shadowing physicians in college, I knew I wanted to become an osteopath to better learn how to help others heal using osteopathic medicine so I attended Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine at Virginia Tech. While studying in medical school I also stumbled into functional medicine - actually right as The Functional Forum started in 2014 - and have been on a deep dive ever since.  

Since then I have been devouring books, functional medicine courses, and podcasts trying to learn more about how the body heals itself and how we can support it. With lifestyle medicine as the base and functional medicine as an operating system, I desire to see my community and patients thrive and become WHOLE - the place of having health in mind, body, and spirit.  I currently serve patients in my office at Family Physicians of Johnson City which is part of State of Franklin Healthcare Associates - a company devoted to providing high quality medicine and has amazing providers and leadership.

Part of the vision is helping make East Tennessee and the Appalachian Highlands region one of the healthiest places to live in our nation. Currently our region struggles with chronic diseases, lifestyle obstacles to overcome, addiction, homelessness, and poverty just to name a few, so I know this endeavor will not be a short or easy one - but what worthwhile endeavor is??

Part of the strategy to improve the health of our region is to pull together like-minded providers from all medical groups and all paths of medicine in our region. We will learn in community, collaborate, and think creatively how we can impact the lives of our patients in East Tennessee together. I look forward to seeing where the East Tennessee Health Forum takes us and welcome you to attend.    -Michael Mabry, DO

Healthcare practitioners and clinicians, you are not alone.

Since 2014, the Functional Forum has been the place where likeminded healthcare professionals have come together to learn, build their communities and enhance patient care and practice management. As a branch of the Functional Forum, our East Tennessee community provides a space for root-cause focused healthcare professionals from all disciplines to thrive and catalyze the transformation of medicine.

Clinicians join this community so they can meet likeminded practitioners and:

• Gain trustworthy referrals
• Expand their clinical toolboxes
• Brainstorm with peers on patient cases and ways to help our community
• Gain access to thought leaders in the industry
• Learn best practices for running a modern practice

Who can become a member?

This is an inclusive community of health professionals passionate about root-cause care.

• Conventionally trained practitioners interested in functional integrative medicine
• Generalists (primary care, family medicine)
• Integrative Medicine (chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, dentists)
• Specialists (psychiatrist, pediatrician, cardiologist, etc.)
• Food focused practitioners (registered dieticians, nutritionists)
• Lifestyle medicine, precision medicine and naturopathic medicine practitioners
• Health coaches
• Medical stakeholders and health entrepreneurs 

“Building local communities of integrative practitioners around the world is the most important next step for the reinvention of medicine” 

- James Maskell, Founder of the Functional Forum

Questions? Contact your local host.

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