BRIEFLY ABOUT

DR. SYLVIA ONYENSOH

As an Occupational Medicine Specialist and General Practitioner, I worked in the Urgent Care setting for over 7 years, seeing thousands of patients yearly.  My job had been to address myriads of medical issues and treat acute minor injuries for individuals and workers, as well as provide occupational health services for the benefit of employers.  I have learned that regardless of how big or small the medical issue presented, patients need to know that they are listened to and evaluated from a holistic stand-point, while offering the right medical solution for the problem. My aim is to bridge the healthcare gap, and use my talent to serve humanity.

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

Because the Urgent Care setting is really the front-line location for most patients who need to see a doctor quickly for any health condition they have, it was very common for a lot of patients with both acute and chronic conditions to come to me either because they were unable to get a quick appointment with their primary care physician (PCP) or because some (many) patients did not even have a PCP to begin with. A lot of my patient encounters were for repeat visits for respiratory conditions such as Acute Sinusitis, Acute Bronchitis, Asthma Exacerbation, Pneumonia, etc., and gut issues like vomiting/diarrhea, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis, colitis, etc.  Additionally, I saw plenty of patients who had chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes when they could not get in with their PCP, and sometimes even patients with auto-immune conditions and cancer would be sent to the Urgent Care by their PCP when they contract respiratory infections like COVID or Flu, etc.

This gave me a pretty wide exposure to patients with all kinds of medical conditions, and the three major buckets to classify most of these repeat visits is – recurrent acute or chronic inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and metabolic syndrome.  When I looked at these conditions from a root cause perspective, I realized that if I can help people fix the foods they eat and make some holistic lifestyle changes, they would be well on their way to having a much better handle on their health.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 

Of all the complaints that came through the doors of the Urgent Care clinics, I think the most intriguing and sometimes bewildering was when someone came in with the complaint of “Fatigue” – at least once or twice per day.  I can usually tell while talking with the patients how frustrated they felt with their symptoms, and I also felt the slight fear that they would be told that there was nothing wrong with them.  I could relate with these patients because, unbeknownst to them, I was also dealing with the same or similar symptoms.

For over 2 decades, I dealt with symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic hypersomnolence, a sleep disorder which is sometimes associated with chronic fatigue syndrome, and ended up having to take a stimulant medication to help me get through the long days at the clinic.  So, I know what it’s like to feel vulnerable because you’re dealing with a complex medical condition that is not well-understood by conventional medicine and for which there is no cure.  By finally applying a strategic nutritional approach on myself, I was able to reclaim my vitality and health. I no longer have to take any medication and my high blood pressure also got resolved.  Therefore, I have developed my nutritional strategies to help others regain their health and wellness with a holistic approach.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

I obtained my medical degree (MD) from Meharry Medical College, School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, from 2009 to 2013, after which I immediately went on to Yale/Greenwich Hospital, Greenwich, Connecticut, and completed my Internship in Internal Medicine in 2014. I subsequently completed my Residency training specializing in Occupational Medicine at Meharry Medical College, where I also obtained a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree in 2018.  My MSPH degree is notable because there I learned about the social determinants of health, which constitutes about 80% of one’s health outcome, and that the healthcare system only constitutes about 10 to 20% of what determines one’s overall health.  With a focus on Occupational and Environmental Health, I also learned about the extent to which environmental toxins can affects one’s health, for example how some substances we come into contact with have been studied and determined to be carcinogenic, as well as how some fruits and vegetables we eat have been studied and found to have anti-cancer properties.  Additionally, my Residency training was unique in that we were exposed to the same didactic sessions as our Preventive Medicine colleagues, which exposed me to a well-rounded approach to healthcare including Integrative Medicine modalities, Motivational Interviewing, etc.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Throughout my Internship and Residency training, I had the opportunity to gain rich patient care experience in both the hospital and out-patient/clinic settings.  Additionally, I have had significant work experience with some prominent Urgent Care clinics in the Nashville area, including HCA CareNow Urgent Care where I worked for over 5 years.  In addition to working for HCA, I also worked at Concentra Urgent Care and Occupational Health Clinic, and American Family Care, and have seen thousands of patients on a regular basis, helping to resolve their various general medical problems as they came along. I have also provided Occupational Health services to thousands of workers on behalf of their employers, including employment physicals, and treating injured workers and assigning effective work restrictions, if needed, to help them return to work in a timely and amicable way.

I also perform Independent Medical Examinations for individuals who need it for various purposes.  Although not necessary to qualify for the job, I do have a law degree (JD) from Howard University School of Law (1999), and this knowledge comes in handy when working with medico-legal clients.

Now, in addition to Occupational Medicine, I am pleased that I am able to combine all my experiences – professional, educational, and personal life – to my practice of Functional Medicine, helping people take back their health with strategic nutrition and holistic lifestyle changes.