Ginger Stedwell-Smith?

Who is

My name is Ginger Stedwell-Smith and I am a nurse practitioner with experience as an NP since the year 2017. I have worked for over 18 years in healthcare specialties including Cardiology, Hospitalist Medicine, Trauma ICU, Medical-Surgical, Alzheimer’s, and Acute Care Mental Health. I have had the opportunity to see the healthcare system through a broad lens. What I have learned through all my years of experience is that the bottom line in caring for any patient is NOT prescribing that perfect pill, ordering that exact test, or formulating the most accurate diagnosis. Rather, it is caring for a person in their entirety while balancing the mind, soul, and physical body.

My eyes were opened in 2022 to the fact that our general population’s needs around healthcare are being unmet. That was the year that I started working in cardiology and I left work every day feeling defeated and helpless. I would stay late past my shift, offer additional support and time even when my schedule wouldn’t allow it, skip lunch and bathroom breaks and always be behind in my notes while trying to fill the gaps of the modern medical system. The structure of the current healthcare system, in my experience, does not allow the necessary time for patients to be heard, doctors to listen, and critical problems to be solved.

What I learned in the cardiology clinic is that listening, empathy, and tending to a patient’s basic human needs make the most impact. Sometimes a patient just wants someone to talk to, offer some comforting words, or provide accurate advice with a kind and informed perspective for their specific situation. Healthcare NEEDS to be personal and personalized to be effective. I treated my patients in cardiology as complete humans and not just body parts. Because of this, I was able to collaborate with my patients to understand their true needs and how to help them as individuals.

When I left cardiology full time, my goal was to help people prevent cardiac events from a “root-cause” perspective rather than doing damage control in the aftermath of one. My passion is people. I love to love others. And I would love to help you.

Practicing Functional Medicine allows me the time to provide the most individualistic care. I am thankful for all of my colleagues continuing to help our community’s health, and this is my way to give back. I want to offer a different perspective on health. A different way to reach new heights that you never thought possible.

My goal is to not just listen to you, but truly hear you and help you reach your health goals. Because I am so passionate about disease prevention from a root cause perspective, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to help you decide if Functional Medicine is the best next step in your health endeavors.

Because Functional Medicine is not designed to replace Western Medicine, it is expected each patient will continue to have a close relationship with their primary care providers as well as specialists. Collaboration may be required as a part of patient management due to discoveries revealed within your care that might need urgent medical attention.