I met Athena Newell on Instagram and I couldn’t be happier with this chance encounter. Prior to coming to the office for my appointment, we met for coffee where we just had a really candid conversation about functional healthcare, my health, how she got to Atlanta and more. The conversation just flowed so well that when it was time to finally come in for my appointment, I don’t know if I was more excited to see Athena again or get to the results of having my health legit be taken care of. Athena has this ability to make you relax and feel like you’re chatting with your best friend which is why I was so excited to interview her for you all!

Interview With Athena Newell of STAT Wellness

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where you live, where you’re from, etc. I’m Athena Newell! I’m married to a great guy named Donnie, we have two kiddos, 5 and 2 with a baby due in June. We Move to Atlanta from Austin, TX in April of 2019 to be closer to family and we love it! We’re originally from north Florida but have moved all over the country— 6 states in 10 years! 

2. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? For as long as I can remember which is maybe middle school, I wanted to be a nurse or in healthcare!

3. When people ask, how do you describe what it is that you do? I’m a family nurse practitioner focusing on functional medicine which is a root cause approach to medical treatment. We ask the question “WHY are you experiencing your symptoms” instead of just treating or bandaging symptoms.  

4. Can you describe how STAT Wellness is different from other doctor practices? STAT wellness is the first EVER Medicine + Movement practice. We believe that movement/lifestyle (food, sleep, stress, relationships)  are foundational for and the most important factor in long term health. We also spend much more time with our patients than a typical practice. Our treatment approach is individualized, patient-centered, science-based, this empowers patients and providers to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness. This is different than a traditional practice that’s a fee-for-service model where you only spend 15 minutes with a provider. There just isn’t enough time for a provider to give you the attention you deserve or individualize your treatment when insurance doesn’t reimburse for more time spend with patients. EVEN THOUGH we known more time with patients leads to more patient satisfaction and more positive health outcomes! 

5. How did you get into integrative healthcare? I have known about functional medicine and the root cause approach to treatment since before getting my master’s degree. It’s a way of approaching medical care that just makes sense. After becoming a nurse practitioner, I’d done research on my own time and started to incorporate some of those thoughts into my practice as a family practice provider. After moving to Atlanta, I had the opportunity to expand on that at STAT Wellness with other like-minded providers! I’m so glad to be a part of the team at STAT. 

6. Can you share some of the services that STAT Wellness offers? YES! We provider 2 main functions at STAT: Medicine and Movement

  • Medical side: we have functional medicine, health coaching and nutritional coaching
  • Movement: personal training and group fitness classes
  • Corporate wellness
  • Treatments such as injections and IV therapy
  • Biometrics: Body Composition

7. Do you think that integrative healthcare will become mainstream? I HOPE SO! My hope is that functional and personalized medicine will become accessible to everyone especially those with chronic disease and those needing to utilize insurance. 

8. Tell me about how your typical appointments or series of appointments go or what people can be prepared for when they book an appointment. A patient can expect to spend a lot more time with their functional medicine provider than you would with a conventional provider. You can also expect to do a lot of talking, as a large part of Functional Medicine is exploring your detailed personal and family history: were you born by vaginal delivery or c-section, breast or formula-fed,  circumstances around your first symptoms, and the experiences you may have had with other healthcare providers. We look for underlying causes of your health problems through careful history taking, physical examination, and laboratory testing. To prepare for an appointment first you can do your research on the provider and if you feel they are a good fit for you and your particular health goals. After scheduling an appointment with a provider at STAT you’d complete patient paperwork before the appointment. This information VERY helpful in providing direction for your care.   

9. What does the future hold for you? Anything immediately on the horizon that we can share with readers? Exciting stuff happening! We are expecting our third baby in June! Looking forward to a lot of family time this summer and returning to working in August. I’m excited about more growth and collaborating with community partners to better serve my patients but specifically women in our community.  

10. Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers? I love connecting with women to help them thrive in their spaces. This takes many shapes and forms from hormonal or emotional support and guidance to recommendations on lifestyle like sleep, nutrition, and exercise. These aspects of our health help us to feel a vibrance! This is what I hope to give all of my patients. If you’re interested in functional medicine or want more information, feel free to e-mail me! ANewell@statwellness.com

I’m so grateful that Athena joined me for this interview! Be sure to check out information on STAT Wellness to see if functional healthcare is for you.