Red Mountain Natural Medicine
the process.
What it actually looks like to become a patient and work with us. No mystery, no sales funnel. Just the steps, the timeline, and what to expect along the way.
Reviewed by Dr. Andrew Rostenberg, DC, DIBAK · Last reviewed
Register as a new patient
Start by completing online new-patient registration. There is paperwork (a thorough intake covering your history, symptoms, medications, prior testing, and goals), and we ask you to complete all of it before your visit. The doctor works through it with you in the room, alongside the interview and exam, so it becomes part of the conversation rather than a form sitting in a chart. You'll also place a credit card on file to reserve your time (charged only for late cancellations or no-shows). The sooner you register, the sooner we can get you on the schedule. Begin registration →
Initial consultation
Your first visit is a careful, in-depth review of your health: symptoms, timeline, past testing, family history, environment, lifestyle. We listen first. Then we examine: structural, neurological, and (where appropriate) applied kinesiology assessment. Most patients leave the first visit with a clear plan in hand. We don't make you wait weeks for lab results to start. We address what's clearly out of balance right now: calming the nervous system, supporting digestion, dietary direction. The goal is real momentum from day one.
You leave ready to start, that day
This is something we're proud of: you don't go home from your first visit with a shopping list and a wait. We keep a real, in-house pharmacy of high-quality professional supplements so you can walk out with exactly what the doctor recommended: no driving around town hunting for a specific supplement, no waiting for a shipment, no losing the momentum of the visit. Most new patients do purchase supplements at the first appointment; it's part of why care here actually works on day one. (Supplement cost varies by what your case calls for, and Dr. Rostenberg only recommends what you actually need.)
Targeted lab work (when needed)
If labs are warranted, we order the specific testing your case calls for: functional panels, methylation and genetic markers, GI, hormone, environmental, autoimmune, or specialty labs. We don't run tests for the sake of it. Each test answers a specific question, and your initial plan moves forward in the meantime. Labs are billed by the lab itself, so cost varies depending on what's ordered.
Refining the plan
When labs come back, we walk you through what we found and use them to go deeper, methodically targeting the downstream patterns (malabsorption, blood sugar dysregulation, hormone cascades, methylation bottlenecks) that evolved out of the original dysfunction. Sometimes the results confirm what we already suspected; sometimes they redirect us. Either way, you have written guidance: dietary direction, targeted supplementation, lifestyle adjustments, structural work where indicated, and (when relevant) collaborative referrals. Every visit is different. Sometimes care follows this arc, sometimes it doesn't. We adjust to what your body is actually doing.
Ongoing care, maintenance, and the long view
Healing is rarely linear. During an active phase we may follow up weekly; once things stabilize, visits stretch out. Many patients stay with us long-term for maintenance: regular chiropractic care to keep the body in good physical condition, periodic check-ins as life and the body change, and an ongoing conversation about their health that doesn't restart from zero every time. Knowing patients over years is part of what makes the care good. Bodies change; relationships make us better at adjusting with them.
What to plan for at your first visit.
We want every patient to walk in informed and walk out feeling like the visit was worth it. Here's the honest picture so there are no surprises:
- •Plan for a longer first appointment. Initial consultations are unhurried. We're reviewing your full history and examining you carefully. Bring your records and any prior testing.
- •First-visit cost will be more than just the consult. Most new patients leave with supplements from our in-house pharmacy and (when warranted) lab orders. Both are on top of the visit fee. We bring this up because we'd rather you arrive prepared than surprised, and because that day-one start is exactly why care works as well as it does here.
- •Late-cancellation policy. Your time slot is held with a credit card. Cancellations made well in advance are no problem; late cancellations may be charged because that time was reserved for you and not offered to another patient. The specifics are spelled out in the new-patient paperwork.
- •Direct-pay clinic. We don't bill insurance. Many patients submit superbills for partial reimbursement; HSA/FSA cards are accepted.
More questions? See our FAQ page for fees, scheduling, telehealth options, and what kinds of cases we handle.
A note on pace.
Functional medicine is rarely a one-and-done visit. Most patients work with us across several months as we move from understanding the picture, to addressing root causes, to maintenance. We tell you up front what kind of arc to expect for your case.
We're not interested in keeping you in the office longer than you need to be. The goal is to get you functioning well enough that you don't need us as often, and to be here for the long haul when you do.
Ready to start?
Registration is the first step. Or read more about why patients choose Red Mountain.
Become a Patient