An Endocrinologist is a medical doctor who has been through medical school, 3 years of Internal Medicine training plus 2 years of Endocrinology training. Endocrinologists specialize in hormones, diabetes, thyroid function, weight management, gland and bone disorders, among other internal problems.

We do not accept medical insurance, including Medicare.

Our priority and focus are on the patient alone but to complete this mission, we must stand alone, without third party payors.

In the model of direct care, you will work directly with your physician who accepts a limited patient load in order to improve accessibility and meet your ongoing needs.

Because insurance is not used in any form, we are able to treat you from year to year, even if your network changes. This gives us the freedom to provide a wide range of services and focus only on you and the quality of your care.

Through the Tennessee Direct Endocrinology membership model, your care is at a flat fee with transparent costs for services. This allows you to be in charge of your care. The offering of inclusive membership covers office visits, direct access to Dr. Sarah and significant discounts on labs.

Payment to our clinic is at the time of service.

A growing number of patients find that their insurance coverage for outpatient services (visits, labs, diagnostics) is limited and adds up fast AND does not significantly contribute to their high deductible. Our model is for you!

Simple - your doctor. With your Tennessee Direct Endocrinology membership, communication is directly between you and the doctor. That can be through text, email or phone - which are all included in memberships.

Expanded hours of communication and flexibility to fit your needs are also an option as Dr. Sarah accepts limited patients and is not dependent on staff for member communication.

For non-members who choose our fee-for-service option, the communication that you are used to in the traditional medical model will be unchanged. Phone calls or mailed letters will be via office hours and with staff assistance if necessary.

Memberships are month-to-month. There are no long-term contracts. You can cancel your membership at any time. We prioritize putting you in charge of your care.

All we require is a 30-day notice prior to cancellation. No monies will be returned within this 30-day period.

We will ensure that you will receive 60 days of your medication refills from Dr. Sarah from your date of notification.

If cancel your membership and then desire to re-enroll, you will be charged a re-enrollment fee.

Yes, same or next day appointment are made available to TDE members! One of the many benefits of Tennessee Direct Endocrinology inclusive membership options is that same or next day appointments are available! This is a cornerstone of our Direct Endocrinology model.

For our members, we offer a wide variety of options to keep you on the go including video or phone visits, even outside of office hours. We are here to work with your schedule.

No, our direct care model is not insurance.

It is recommended that all patients carry some form of catastrophic, emergency insurance in the event of an acute illness, hospitalization, surgery or other high expense health care need.

No. Dr. Sarah is “opted out” of all Medicare plans. Medicare is not billed and patients cannot submit charges from our clinic to Medicare for reimbursement.

No. We do not bill Medicaid (TennCare) and our services cannot be submitted to Medicaid for reimbursement.

Yes. Our goal is to put you in charge of your healthcare.

Know your current plan. Dr. Sarah can provide orders for lab or diagnostics to carry to any location in our region. We will then request these records and notify you.

For our members, we do offer discounted labs and will help you find discounted diagnostic services though you are not required to use these.

TDE’s goal is to provide complete, individualized care. Restoration of your body’s natural hormonal function is our goal. We believe this is done through an individualized and multi-disciplinary approach including treatment of mind, body and spirit.

Medication, herbal therapies and lifestyle medicine will all be discussed at your office visits. You will participate in mutual decision making with Dr. Sarah to choose the plan and stepwise approach that is right for you.

Dr. Sarah does use medications when necessary though she does not prescribe controlled substances.

Yes. We do recommend that our patients maintain a relationship with their primary care provider.

Dr. Sarah will provide access and attention to your hormonal needs and does not provide care for infections, injuries, cancer screenings.

For members, Dr. Sarah will personally communicate with your primary care and team of medical providers around the region on your behalf.

We think you will quickly see that our direct care model sets itself apart without much explanation.

For members, Dr. Sarah is accessible directly bringing back the value of the patient-doctor relationship.

Our Endocrinology treatment plan is centered around preventative, holistic, and personalized care - not just quick visit, check box, chronic disease management. We want to work toward restoring YOU!

Tennessee Direct Endocrinology is our regions first physician supervised, designed and directed metabolic management service.

Our goal is your HEALTH, not just your weight.

Endocrinologists are the national experts in medical weight loss. Dr. Sarah is a native of East Tennessee and proud to bring her expertise home to her family, friends and neighbors.

This is not a quick fix - this is a lifestyle management plan designed by your physician and YOU. Our model includes ongoing management and monitoring for years to come.

We offer:

• Complete body composition analysis

• Prescription-only weight management products formulated to fight hunger and provide full nutrition support during weight loss

• Physician supervised labs and continual reanalysis of the plan to ensure ongoing safety and success

• Individualized lifestyle management

Whether you have 10, 50 or 150 pounds to lose, we can help!

Each plan is physician-designed for your weight loss AND to keep it off.

We are planning for your weight maintenance from day one. We are not just treating the body; we are also walking with you to turn over steppingstones to identify and treat the root causes of your weight gain and keep it off.

Yes! The post-partum period is a hormonal one. Dr. Sarah specializes in helping you lose weight during this season, safely and consistently, while preserving milk production if you are nursing.

HSAs are managed by your company’s HR department. In short, you should ask your HR department which services can be authorized. Typically, monthly membership is not covered, but this question should be directed to your HR representative.

If you will be using your HSA card at TDE, please bring written documentation of your employer’s allowance and we are happy to accept this method of payment for services specified.