Functional medicine is an approach to health and well-being that focuses on restoring your body’s own natural balance. Functional medicine uses a systems-based approach to uncover underlying causes contributing to symptoms and disease rather than just treating symptoms. It recognizes that an individual’s genetics, environment and lifestyle all contribute to long-term health. Additional information on functional medicine’s systems-based approach can be found here.

Elise Pomerance, MD, MPH, and Sweena Burroughs, FNP, co-founded Eleena Health, a membership-based functional medicine practice to provide a personalized approach to wellness.  Through both personal and professional experiences in healthcare Elise and Sweena concluded that insurance based healthcare creates obstacles to wellness and are eager to bring a more holistic and root-cause approach to their practice.

Yes. We are an expansion of your care team and do not replace your primary care provider. It is important that you maintain contact with your primary care provider for acute concerns, standard health care screenings, and immunizations. We help you build upon the care that you already receive and help create a treatment plan that will optimize your health. We will keep the treatments you already receive in mind to ensure safety.

Please contact Dr. Pomerance or Sweena Burroughs through our Contact Us page to learn more about our membership options and pricing. Together, we can determine the level of support that best fits your health goals and needs.

What is a membership model and how do I choose between 6 months and 12 months? 

• Our model is designed to identify root contributors to imbalance and work in close partnership with you over time. Physiologic imbalances that have developed over years, or decades, require sustained lifestyle modification combined with targeted therapeutic interventions. Clinically meaningful shifts are typically incremental and may not be evident for several months, depending on the chronicity and severity of dysfunction. In our experience, it is reasonable to expect a minimum of 6 months to feel improvements in your health.

• If you are generally healthy and wish to optimize your health, a 6-month membership is likely appropriate. However, if you struggle with chronic conditions and/or autoimmune conditions (e.g. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.), it may require more time and a 12-month membership may be more appropriate to create sustainable changes in your health.

Bottom Line:

• 6-month membership: Appropriate for individuals who are generally healthy and focused on optimization, prevention, or addressing mild-to-moderate concerns. Six months is typically the minimum timeframe to expect measurable improvement.

• 12-month membership: Recommended for individuals with chronic or autoimmune conditions where deeper immune, metabolic, or inflammatory recalibration is required to achieve durable results.

We do not accept insurance. However, we will provide you with a superbill so you can submit it to your insurance provider for out-of-network benefits. You may be able to use your FSA/HSA.

The functional lab tests range in cost from $180-$425. The selection of labs will be tailored to your needs and finances. The common bundle of tests that are advised include a hormonal test (Adrenocortex Stress Profile or DUTCH test), a microbiome or stool analysis (GI Map or GI Effects), and a test evaluating your metabolic and nutrient status (Metabolomix).

Eleena Health uses Quest Diagnostics for conventional lab tests which can sometimes be covered by insurance plans.

The initial visit will last approximately one hour. This will serve as an opportunity to review your medical, family, and social history and explore your current concerns and health goals. This will also be a chance to determine what initial tests may be needed.

Any recent laboratory or diagnostic testing will be helpful in getting an overall view of your health and work-up to date.

Based on your preference and geographic location, you can arrange to see Dr. Pomerance in-person in Pasadena, CA or Sweena in-person at the Manzanita Wellness Clinic in Berkeley, CA. Otherwise, all other appointments will be offered via a HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platform.

Specialty labs use biomarkers to detect imbalances in your body systems. By identifying these functional imbalances we can direct treatment at restoring balance and health. We use the lab results to guide your treatment plan.

Depending on the person, it can take anywhere from 3-4 weeks to start feeling the impacts of the treatment and up to 3-6 months to feel an improvement in your symptoms. The longer you have been sick, the longer it takes to begin to feel well. The treatments are intended to gently and slowly restore the conditions for health.

Often times, prescription-grade supplements are used to help restore the body’s balance. These supplements are sourced by companies who conduct third-party testing to ensure quality and dosage. The goal is to use supplements to restore balance while working on lifestyle habits that will sustain and optimize health.

Yes, prescription medications can be used in treatment plans. Both Dr. Pomerance and Sweena are licensed medical prescribers in the State of California.