A New Approach to Health Care
After practicing healthcare for the past two decades, the providers at Root Cause felt limited by the dictates of commercial insurance. The directives of how they practiced, what they prescribed and how much time they could spend with a patient took away the joy of practicing medicine. The practice was not sustainable. By the time they paid someone to document the visit, bill the insurance company, receive the rejection from insurance, re-submit the claim and then accept a small amount that didn’t cover the cost of the building, support staff, required electronic medical records system or supplies, practicing medicine was not worth it.
Out of all of this frustration with what is wrong with our healthcare system, Root Cause was born.
Straightforward Medicine
Root Cause removes the restrictions insurance dictates on healthcare. Patients have an easy way to communication with a provider, manage care and obtain answers. The cost of Root Cause is clear – there is no guesswork about co-pays or deductibles. We practice straightforward medicine – the way all medicine should be practiced.
Our providers rely on years of experience using functional methods. Our team also prescribes pharmaceuticals when needed. By blending traditional and functional treatment options, our patients thrive.
Our Providers
Trent Austin, MD
Several years ago, Dr. Trent Austin realized his blood pressure and cholesterol levels were high. He started prescription medications. They made him feel worse. The board-certified physician started researching alternative options to control his symptoms. It was then he realized treating the symptoms wasn’t the answer. He needed to find the root of the problem.
Dr. Austin watched as his parents were treated by standard medicine for chronic illnesses to no avail. He began learning about better options to manage chronic conditions associated with aging – including Alzheimer’s, dementia, depression, and diabetes. Helping care for his ailing parents changed the way he practices medicine. Researching opened doors to a wealth of information for this life-long learner. He and his team enjoy studying how to combine their love of the outdoors with the practice of medicine.
Keith Tenhundfeld, FNP
Practicing medicine is a calling to heal and in 1993, Keith started a journey into medicine. He kept an open mind as he went to nursing school and meanwhile learning about alternative therapies. He internalized the importance of addressing a person’s body, mind, heart and soul. This led him to be sensitive to all aspects of a person’s experience.
Over the next 20 years he continually worked to educate himself and eventually became a certified advanced nurse practitioner. He saw first-hand how following the chief complaint algorithm was a “cookie cutter” model and not the best way to heal a person. He wanted to get to the root of the “dis-ease”.
Beginning a career with AccuDoc in 2019 gave him the foundation to explore many avenues of healing process.
Emily Burton, FNP
With a solid background in critical care nursing, I became profoundly aware that the sickest patients in critical care often had prehospital baselines of poor health. This insight sparked my interest in preventative care, as I sought to address the underlying factors contributing to severe health crises.
I pursued my Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Xavier University, graduating in 2016. Since then, I have gained valuable experience working in various settings, including primary care, urgent care, and home health. While I deeply appreciated these experiences, I also encountered significant roadblocks within the conventional medical model that hindered my ability to help patients achieve and maintain optimal health.
Driven by a desire for more effective and holistic approaches, I have dedicated the past 2.5 years to studying functional and natural medicine through the School of Applied Functional Medicine. This journey has equipped me with the knowledge and skills to address the root causes of illness and promote overall wellness.
I am now thrilled to embark on a new chapter in an environment that fosters practitioners’ abilities to work towards their patients’ unique health journey goals, free from external influences, pressures, or constraints.