what makes us unique
A Physician lead personal Approach
Hear Dr. Cassleman’s Story,
And why he chose a more proactive, relationship-based approach to medicine.
My first exposure to “real medicine” started at Sinai Grace Hospital on the west side of Detroit where I did my Internal Medicine residency. Patient suffering was everywhere. Some of this was due to a seemingly sudden catastrophe, an accident, heart attack or cancer diagnosis. Much of the suffering was due to chronic insidious diseases like copd, diabetes, chronic kidney disease. After graduation I began practicing on the East side of metro Detroit, noticing the same patterns in an outpatient practice. Poor diet, exercise and sleep, delivery of the “standard of care” leading to the same poor outcomes. While tragedy and bad outcomes are part of life, I realized that much of the disease my patients were experiencing could and should be avoided. The rushed appointments and standard testing and treatment are not enough.
I have a passion for exercise. After youth sports culminating in playing football in college I have continued to be active in sports and physical fitness. It's an outlet for me, and my ability to concentrate and perform at my best each day would not be the same without it. My interest in diet and sleep have grown to match my passion for exercise. It's clear to me that these are the foundations that allow a patient to thrive and no matter what medicines we use, we need to work with patients to find convenient, enjoyable ways to improve these facets of life. We are after quality and length of life, and this is a balance that there is no one approach to; to do it well it must be tailored to the individual.
Standards in medicine are low and with more proactive testing, treatment and earlier interventions the catastrophes I mentioned above can commonly be avoided. But to simply throw more tests or treatments from an algorithm at a patient is not enough, understanding their unique goals and purpose has to be considered. Developing a relationship of trust cannot be understated. Primary care offers an indispensable window into a patient's life and health that enables the doctor the opportunity to prevent disease. It's not done in 7-minute appointments 2x per year.
I want to understand each of my patient's goals, drive, and purpose so I can best serve their unique needs. I have that opportunity now. At Mission Metabolic Health I can work with my patients with more time and attention. Patients are empowered to improve in arenas of strength, cardiovascular fitness, sleep, and nutrition working with me and our coaches. We have a gym onsite to test our patients in important longevity markers. We have the ability to follow these metrics over time and work by their side to achieve their next benchmark. I have the time to communicate with each patient's specialists. I can work with patients to avoid the metabolic dysfunction that leads to the axis of chronic disease including metabolic, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. This is a better approach and in a short time I have already seen how it impacts patient outcomes, the impact from here will be tremendous.
Our programs will be FSA, HSA, HRA compliant and pretax eligible for businesses. Our patients will have my cell phone number and email and quick access to care. We will provide monthly in person or virtual coaching sessions available to all our patients. These are opportunities to transform our patients' health through exercise advances, dietary breakthroughs, sleep optimization and stress management. We will accept medical insurance. When we are able to avoid the confusing and misleading billing associated with insurance based care, we will through our membership's routine longevity focused care. This is a model that has been around for years and works, but we are elevating it. I will be a trusted partner by your side as we work together to achieve your healthspan and longevity goals.
More about Mission Metabolic Health:
Your doctor and your coach work together to target health and wellness goals. This is a model that traditional primary care does not deliver.
We follow way more than just weight to get you to your healthiest through advanced metric monitoring. Metabolic markers allow us to track progress in health improvements, give our patients important feedback and secure our shared goals of improving lifespan and health span.
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We use medications to achieve greater results. We know when it's appropriate to use meds but we also work with our patients to optimize and reduce their existing medications. We manage side effects and adjust course to keep you at peak function through the whole process. We won’t sacrifice your muscle mass and health as you lose weight or work to optimize your health.
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We won’t try and sell you supplements, but will advise you on when they can be useful and when they may be getting in the way. We stick to the stuff that works. We are evidence driven.
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Our gym on site allows for your program to happen all in one place.
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Your health is your most valuable asset. Don’t trust it to someone that isn’t looking at the big picture or a fly by night operation. Mission metabolic health is physician guided.
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We offer the flexibility of virtual appointments and a responsive physician, nutritionist and trainer to discuss issues related to your health and answer any questions or concerns you have.
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We can work with your existing doctors to optimize, reduce and eliminate medicine as we make gains in your health.
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​We build a model of sustainable health for our patients with a foundational diet, sleep and exercise education, experience and skills that they can carry forward to have continued success.