ABOUT US
BRIO FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
About Us
Meredith Mason, NP-C is a double board-certified nurse practitioner in Anti-Aging and Family Medicine and the founder of Brio Functional Medicine located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was introduced to integrative and functional medicine through the pioneering work of Dr. Andrew Weil in the 1990’s when faced with a personal health crisis of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. A functional medicine approach helped her address her own underlying health issues associated with gut infections, food sensitivities, hypothyroidism, hormone imbalance and environmental toxins to ultimately heal and stop her chronic pain. As a result of this long health journey, she’s devoted her professional life to helping others find and treat the root cause of their medical issues to restore their highest quality of life.
Ms. Mason was born and raised in Georgia by parents who promoted an active lifestyle and good nutrition. Her father was an industrial chemist and raised his children to always think deeper, ask big questions, and seek the truth in scientific inquiry. Her mother had a keen interest in the work of Dr. Linus Pauling and was interested in supplementation for the optimization of health years before it was mainstream practice. This upbringing inspired an interest in natural medicine at an early age and she attended The University of South Alabama, earning her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. She then earned her nurse practitioner degree (N.P.) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and completed training with integrative, anti-aging and functional medicine practitioners.
When Ms. Mason was later introduced to functional medicine to address her own health concerns, she knew it would become the focus of her practice. She devoted countless hours to studying and began her training with the American Academy of Anti-Aging and the Institute for Functional Medicine. This journey gave her to the tools she was missing in her conventional training, and reignited her passion for medicine. She opened her own independent practice in Chattanooga as a way to give back to the community where she was raised and feels that the tri-state area deserves to have the best options for cutting-edge medical treatment.
In her free time she’s probably driving kids, reading a book about functional medicine, or hanging out with her family… but you may also find her at a local farmer’s market, in a Pilates studio, or hiking in the beautiful mountains surrounding Chattanooga.
"The voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust
Our Approach
Our treatment approach is focused on the system of functional medicine. This philosophy is built around the notion that each individual is unique and their disease, condition, or ailment is best treated not by focusing on the disease itself, but by understaning the interactions amoung a patient's genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that contributed to the disease development.
There are 7 defining characteristics of functional medicine:
- Patient centered versus disease centered
- Systems biology approach: web-like interconnections of physiological factors
- Dynamic balance of gene-environment interactions
- Personalized based on biochemical individuality
- Promotion of organ reserve and sustained health span
- Health as a positive vitality-not merely the absence of disease
- Function versus pathology focus
We walk hand in hand with our patients to collect a thorough medical history, discuss their lifestyle choices, and determine the best course of treatment moving forward. It is not enough simply to identify the illness and prescribe medicine to alleviate its symptoms; instead, our team partners with our patients to help them review their past to positively impact their future and encourage healing.
If you are looking for more from your medical provider than a quick visit and a prescription, maybe it’s time you contact Brio. We offer advanced diagnostic testing including traditional blood testing, genetic testing, food allergy testing, nutritional counseling, diet plans, and effective weight management programs. Our goal is to partner with you, to offer you support, and to help you achieve your healthiest life.
Brio Functional Medicine offers a unique approach to medicine – one as unique as you.
Isn’t it time you demand the healthcare you deserve? Contact us today to learn more about our approach and to schedule your first appointment.
