Liesa Harte, M.D.
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Fibromyalgia Doctors
Elite Care by Dr. Liesa Harte, M.D.
Austin, TX
Elite Care by Dr. Liesa Harte, M.D.
Austin, TX
ROBIN MAYFIELD, DC
AUSTIN, TX
Elite Care by Dr. Liesa Harte, M.D.
1524 South IH 35
Suite 140
Austin, TX 78704
About
How long have you been doing what you do and how did you get to be a Medical Detective and Functional Medicine and Anti-aging Specialist?
To answer this question, it’s probably best that I share with you a defining moment and resulting “compelling story” that brought me to where I am today, finding the root causes of what patients are experiencing and eliminating them once and for all.
When I went to medical school back in the late 1980s, I thought I was going to learn how to find the root causes of people’s medical issues and how to fix those so that patients would be as healthy as they possibly could be. The reality was not exactly in line with my expectations.
The first two years of medical school were full of learning that could be directly used to understand the root causes of what ails people. Unfortunately, starting with the third year of medical school when we started seeing patients, it became all about quickly labeling the patient with a diagnosis and writing prescriptions.
Besides the labeling and prescribing, it was also surprising and alarming that no one was considering the body as a whole. We were taught to think of isolated silos like cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, gastroenterology, dermatology, etc. without considering the rest of the body. The fact that this usually causes more problems that it solves was like the elephant in the room; no one talked about it.
When I opened my practice after finishing my residency training, it was all about labeling patients with diagnoses (as if just the labeling helped them) and giving them a list of prescriptions. It was upsetting when patients would come in and tell me how bad they were feeling and I believed them, but the handful of labs we were taught to order in training would all be “normal”, so I had very little to offer these patients.
I finally burned out and moved to the South of France, determined to get my French medical license. Unfortunately, I was not an EU citizen and was never allowed to get my French medical license. After living there for six years and shadowing a French doctor in her practice for much of that, I finally moved back to Texas and figured out how to get the training I needed to actually find the root causes of what my patients were experiencing, and to aggressively address all of these root causes.
Ever since that first course I took with the Institute for Functional Medicine, I have been able to actually reverse disease and dysfunction in many cases, and to empower my patients so that they know exactly what to do, what not to do, and what to tweak so that they enjoy the feeling of optimal health and renewed energy. I absolutely love what I am able to do with my patients now!
Who are your patients and clients exactly?
I work with people just like you who are smart, busy, and really good at what they do; however, have never been taught exactly how to achieve their own best health and energy. Until meeting me, they didn’t know how to avoid the medical problems that run in their family.
The vast majority of my patients have worked long and hard to reach the level of success they enjoy today – often sacrificing sleep, eating foods that are rich in calories and poor in nutrition, not taking time out to exercise and relax and take care of themselves and their relationships.
They want a doctor who is a cutting edge health expert to assess them, identify the root causes of how they feel and what they are experiencing, and to tell them exactly what to do to reverse their diseases and dysfunction, so that they feel vital and energized from the time they wake up until they relax into sleep at night.
How are you different from other doctors?
I believe that when it comes to your health, “good enough” is not good enough. I spend a lot of time getting to know my patients and every single thing that impacts their health – from their genetics to toxin exposure, nutritional deficiencies to food allergies, and beyond. A good way to sum it up is that I am very proactive in helping my patients achieve optimal health and energy instead of just spending 7 minutes with a patient being reactive with a prescription for their latest symptoms. I get my patients off of way more prescriptions thatn I put them on. I can and do prescribe, but I do it only as a bridge or last resort.
I also limit the number of patients in my practice. Instead of 3,000 to 4,000 patients typically in an insurance-focused reactive primary care office, I only accept 30 primary care patients at a time. I limit the number of patients in my other problem-specific programs, as well.
Did you know that studies have shown that there is an average 10 year delay from the time something is cutting edge and known until it is common practice in the average primary care medical office?! I find that unacceptable. My goal is no more than a 3 month delay. That is one reason I am constantly attending medical conferences.
Liesa Harte, M.D.
Interview with Dr. LiesaHow long have you been doing what you do and how did you get to be a Medical Detective and Functional Medicine and Anti-aging Specialist?
To answer this question, it’s probably best that I share with you a defining moment and resulting “compelling story” that brought me to where I am today, finding the root causes of what patients are experiencing and eliminating them once and for all.
When I went to medical school back in the late 1980s, I thought I was going to learn how to find the root causes of people’s medical issues and how to fix those so that patients would be as healthy as they possibly could be. The reality was not exactly in line with my expectations.
The first two years of medical school were full of learning that could be directly used to understand the root causes of what ails people. Unfortunately, starting with the third year of medical school when we started seeing patients, it became all about quickly labeling the patient with a diagnosis and writing prescriptions.
Besides the labeling and prescribing, it was also surprising and alarming that no one was considering the body as a whole. We were taught to think of isolated silos like cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, gastroenterology, dermatology, etc. without considering the rest of the body. The fact that this usually causes more problems that it solves was like the elephant in the room; no one talked about it.
When I opened my practice after finishing my residency training, it was all about labeling patients with diagnoses (as if just the labeling helped them) and giving them a list of prescriptions. It was upsetting when patients would come in and tell me how bad they were feeling and I believed them, but the handful of labs we were taught to order in training would all be “normal”, so I had very little to offer these patients.
I finally burned out and moved to the South of France, determined to get my French medical license. Unfortunately, I was not an EU citizen and was never allowed to get my French medical license. After living there for six years and shadowing a French doctor in her practice for much of that, I finally moved back to Texas and figured out how to get the training I needed to actually find the root causes of what my patients were experiencing, and to aggressively address all of these root causes.
Ever since that first course I took with the Institute for Functional Medicine, I have been able to actually reverse disease and dysfunction in many cases, and to empower my patients so that they know exactly what to do, what not to do, and what to tweak so that they enjoy the feeling of optimal health and renewed energy. I absolutely love what I am able to do with my patients now!
Who are your patients and clients exactly?
I work with people just like you who are smart, busy, and really good at what they do; however, have never been taught exactly how to achieve their own best health and energy. Until meeting me, they didn’t know how to avoid the medical problems that run in their family.
The vast majority of my patients have worked long and hard to reach the level of success they enjoy today – often sacrificing sleep, eating foods that are rich in calories and poor in nutrition, not taking time out to exercise and relax and take care of themselves and their relationships.
They want a doctor who is a cutting edge health expert to assess them, identify the root causes of how they feel and what they are experiencing, and to tell them exactly what to do to reverse their diseases and dysfunction, so that they feel vital and energized from the time they wake up until they relax into sleep at night.
How are you different from other doctors?
I believe that when it comes to your health, “good enough” is not good enough. I spend a lot of time getting to know my patients and every single thing that impacts their health – from their genetics to toxin exposure, nutritional deficiencies to food allergies, and beyond. A good way to sum it up is that I am very proactive in helping my patients achieve optimal health and energy instead of just spending 7 minutes with a patient being reactive with a prescription for their latest symptoms. I get my patients off of way more prescriptions thatn I put them on. I can and do prescribe, but I do it only as a bridge or last resort.
I also limit the number of patients in my practice. Instead of 3,000 to 4,000 patients typically in an insurance-focused reactive primary care office, I only accept 30 primary care patients at a time. I limit the number of patients in my other problem-specific programs, as well.
Did you know that studies have shown that there is an average 10 year delay from the time something is cutting edge and known until it is common practice in the average primary care medical office?! I find that unacceptable. My goal is no more than a 3 month delay. That is one reason I am constantly attending medical conferences.
Years In Practice
29
Primary Specialty
Fibromyalgia Doctor
Gender
Female
Education
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Medical School M.D. degree
Affiliations
Institute for Functional Medicine
Certification
Board certified in Family Medicine
Office Staff
Dr. Leslie White, N.D.
Andrea Armstrong, FNP-C
Chris Stockdale, Chief Operations Officer
Dorothy Pearcy, C.M.A.
Vanessa Espinoza, M.A.
Courtney East, Reception
Adrian Watters, Phlebotomist
Danny Trevino, Online Sales
Andrea Armstrong, FNP-C
Chris Stockdale, Chief Operations Officer
Dorothy Pearcy, C.M.A.
Vanessa Espinoza, M.A.
Courtney East, Reception
Adrian Watters, Phlebotomist
Danny Trevino, Online Sales
Payment Options
cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, In-Office Financing, Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account
Services
That said, the health issues I’ve worked with run the gamut.
Autoimmune issues
Joint pains
Back pain
Headaches
Fatigue
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Allergies
Food allergies
Gluten Reactivity
ADD/ADHD
Depression
Anxiety
Fibromyalgia
IBS
Insomnia
Perimenopause
Menopause
Low Testosterone
GERD
Foggy Brain
Obesity
Overweight
Erectile Dysfuntion
Poor or No Libido
Foggy Brain
Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Acne and other Skin Issues
Arthritis
Asthma
Cancer Prevention
Detoxification and Healing
Diabetes
Digestive Disorders
Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention
Female Disorders
Healthy Aging
Metabolism Issues
Hormone Balance
Migraines
Metabolic Syndrome, Pre-Diabetes, Insulin-Resistance
Insomnia and other Sleep Issues
Adrenal Fatigue and other Adrenal Disorders
Athletic Performance
Environmental Toxicity and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Heavy Metal Toxicity
Hypertension
Lipid Disorders
Nutritional Deficiencies
Leaky Gut
Weight Loss
And Many More… Additional Services Functional Medicine, Bioidentical Hormones for both Men and Women, Complete Thyroid Evaluation and Treatment with Armour
Autoimmune issues
Joint pains
Back pain
Headaches
Fatigue
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Allergies
Food allergies
Gluten Reactivity
ADD/ADHD
Depression
Anxiety
Fibromyalgia
IBS
Insomnia
Perimenopause
Menopause
Low Testosterone
GERD
Foggy Brain
Obesity
Overweight
Erectile Dysfuntion
Poor or No Libido
Foggy Brain
Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Acne and other Skin Issues
Arthritis
Asthma
Cancer Prevention
Detoxification and Healing
Diabetes
Digestive Disorders
Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention
Female Disorders
Healthy Aging
Metabolism Issues
Hormone Balance
Migraines
Metabolic Syndrome, Pre-Diabetes, Insulin-Resistance
Insomnia and other Sleep Issues
Adrenal Fatigue and other Adrenal Disorders
Athletic Performance
Environmental Toxicity and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Heavy Metal Toxicity
Hypertension
Lipid Disorders
Nutritional Deficiencies
Leaky Gut
Weight Loss
And Many More… Additional Services Functional Medicine, Bioidentical Hormones for both Men and Women, Complete Thyroid Evaluation and Treatment with Armour
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