Kasia Kines MS CN CNS LDN Licensed Clinical Functional Nutritionist

Medical Nutrition Therapy

Virtually

Tel: 443.926.6841

Fax: 800.207.3128

Integrative & Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy

Welcome Kit - 2015

Welcome to Holistic Nutrition Naturally Medical Nutrition Therapy. I would like to commend you for taking a big step forward in your journey to good health.Many people have achieved tremendous results through this program. This program will bring positive change in your life as well.

Each program is customized to fit your needs. Our work together will include Medical Nutrition Therapy as the primary focus, with nutrition education and elements of life coaching if needed. You are an active partner in this process and as such, you will be better educated and thus empowered to make good choices regarding your health from here forward. In general, the more active role you take in your own health, the better your long-term results will be. You may be asked to read books, keep a journal, exercise, manage stress, take supplements short or long-term, etc.

I do recommend that you acquire a binder and/or a notebook dedicated to our work together.Each week, find a quiet place and have paper and pen ready for note taking during our session. If you have questions in between sessions, jot them down and I’ll address them at our next visit. Please be sure to read the Correspondence section. In general, you are expected to take notes and do whatever homework is assigned as well. Remember, this is an active partnership. I can’t do it without you! I type everything we discuss while we talk and after each session (notes to myself, my recommendations etc.) in your electronic medical record system called Practice Fusion, and as courtesy I can send you each Plan in encrypted email. On your end, you will have to create a password to be able to retrieve the document in PDF. It takes some learning to do it first time. I have to do that for HIPAA compliance and protection of your medical information.

My contact Information:

Kasia Kines

5607 MattfeldtAve Baltimore MD 21209

443-926-6841 office voicemail

800-207 3128 office e-fax. I pay extra for a fax that follows HIPAA guidelines. What this means is that when you fax me a document,I get an email notification, but the fax document is actually not in my email (this would not be HIPAA compliant). I have to visit my fax website to retrieve it so that I am not in HIPAA violation.When I send a fax from my fax provider’s website, I am also in compliance with HIPAA guidelines on my end. It is much easier and most secure to use USPS and overnight all your documents for the first appointment to my home office address above. If you choose to fax or email me your documents for the initial session or future sessions, please know that while I am HIPAA compliant on my end, your fax or email may not be secure. Also, so many pages to fax may cause fax errors. You can ask your doctor’s office to fax labs directly to me.

Communications

I currently do not have a virtual assistant, but I am in the process of looking for one. This person will be like the office manager at your doctor’s office and will handle a lot for me so that I can focus on direct patient care. At this time, I am still the one processing all the communication issues. I will let you know as soon as this is set in place. The virtual assistant will be , but this is not yet available.However, once that is up and running, you should know that this email account will only be monitored once per day and usually in the morning. If there is a logistic question that needs answering, is still the email to use, until I hire my assistant.

If you try to call me during a time outside our scheduled appointment, it likely will go to voicemail. My schedule is full and I have had to structure my day for other parts of my business...or I’d never get anything done! This is a complex business to run and can be overwhelming if it is not planned well. It is all about balance!

HIPAA

All information disclosed within sessions is confidential as outlined in the HIPAA notice of Privacy Practices. My privacy policy is available at “Schedule/Resources”.

Program Overview

I am committed to your success and am anxious to assist you in any way I can. I appreciate and honor your willingness to share your life during the weeks of our scheduled appointments. There are several principles that will make our work together a success.

1. Accountability

I have built in time so that I can prep for each appointment on my end and I have built in time to research your particular situation, create a protocol, write a letter to your doctor requesting labs, etc.

On your end, please be ready for each scheduled session. Only YOU can implement the recommended changes. And only you are responsible for the quality of life you have. Assume responsibility for your own success and decisions. I am not suggesting that every treatment strategy we try will be 100% successful, but without 100% effort on your part, we are doomed to fail. Once I identify what works and what does not, you are welcome to eat and behave in support of (or against) your goals. It is important that until we determine if what I have found and treated is the root cause of your issues, yougive it your best efforts.

2. Scheduled Sessions

We will book the sessions in advance during the first appointment, with the goal of predictable days and times- e.g. we may pick every other Monday at 3pm. I will be the one calling you.

3. Cancellation Policy:

I have a very structured system in place for my own work/life balance. I juggle running a home, two businesses, taking care of my own wellness goals, and doing doctoral work, so I have a pretty tight schedule each week. Because it’s now more important to me to have time with each patient than to see a high number of patients (which I used to do), I also have a limited appointment schedule. I literally only take a few patients at a time.

Because we both know your appointment times weeks and months in advance, please do your best to schedule other things around our appointment times. If you absolutely need to re-schedule a session, please give me several weeks’ notice so that I can open that spot up for another patient. Because there are a limited number of you at any one time, it’s possible it will go unfilled.

If you have an emergency, please advise me promptly using the office number of 443-926-6841 so that the message is delivered to me in a timely manner. I respect emergency situations and will do all I can to accommodate your needs. I consider emergencies to be: death in the family, emergency room visits, or acute sickness of you or a family member. I’m open to discussing other unforeseen circumstances as well. Remember, some of the best learning opportunities present themselves as your world is crumbling around you...this is exactly when you need more support, not less.

4. Session Packages -Terms and Conditions

Please see your specific Program outlines for specifics of your contract. The sessions are truly Use-It-or-Lose-It within your contracted time frame (i.e. if you bought a 4 month package we DO need to use your sessions within those 4 months).

I already know my conference schedule for the year and have scheduled you around that. I also will schedule any vacation around our appointments.

If you are traveling, I DO actually expect to still have our sessions. They are virtual and only 45 minutes, so it seems possible we can fit that in. It is when life is most unstructured that people need more help, not less. And it keeps our momentum going. And because of the virtual nature of our work, we can keep moving forward. Life will always happen and it’s too easy to let time and your motivation slip away.

I’ve adopted this philosophy after years of private practice. I think we’re all guilty of “not being ready” and procrastinating. I’ve had many experiences where a patient is too busy/not ready/whatever, and I truly can’t help you when this happens. Too much happens and we’re (just) putting out fires. You hired me because I’m different and this is part of it. Our bi-monthly session approach allows us to get in, get after it, immerse you in new habits, encourage you, and get you feeling better.

Packages are pre-paid unless you’ve opted for a payment plan. In either event, packages are 100% non- refundable after we’ve completed our 1st session unless you state in that 1st session that you wish to quit. In that case, I will deduct the number of hours I spent on the preparation. Why do I have such policy? I will have spent several hours prepping for our 1stsession, and will be sending test kits andinstructions on lab work and will be researching your case, typing letters to doctors if needed, reviewing new labs, getting 2ndopinions from colleagues, etc. I am committed to spending the time it takes on my end to give you the best possible outcomes. What I mean is that there’s a lot of behind the scenes work that you don’t see. It would be extremely difficult to start figuring out just what I’ve “spent” on you time- wise if you choose not to complete the program. Each session is more than just our 45 minutes together.

If we get through the tough stuff – testing and treatment – and you would still like some additional sessions, ask me about a continuing or maintenance package. They are substantially less in cost as we might now be coasting. You’ve come this far, so consider not risking all you’ve gained. It takes time to unwind the disease process and it takes time before this is all second nature for you.

5. Communicate

Once we begin our work together, if there are issues not being addressed, adjustments that need to be made, or concerns that arise, please jot down any questions you have in your designated notebook so that you can ask them at our next session. Be honest about what is working and what is not. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on. Honor your gut feeling if you think I am missing something. I will be the first to admit if I have. We are both human and with all right intentions, an important part of your story may be misheard or misinterpreted by me, and we need that corrected. Especially at the beginning when I build the case, I am trying to understand your life, your story, and what happened. I am learning who you are. The more help I get with this process, the better I can help you.

6. Access between scheduled appointments

Once you are an established patient, our communication will only be during our scheduled appointment times (i.e. no email medicine). Unfortunately, due to the time constraints of my schedule, an email sent to me between appointments may result in a non-response on my part: as mentioned before, until I hire my virtual assistant, I will respond to logistic questions at . However, I cannot answer clinical questions unless I specifically ask you to email me feedback. As easy as it seems to you when asking a “simple question”, I really can’t remember the minute details of what you can eat, what you can’t eat, what supplements you are on, etc. and so I need to pull your chart in order to answer your question. If you save your questions for when we talk next, you will have my full attention, your chart is right in front of me, and I can be better prepared. Truthfully, much of the success in this line of work depends on details, and I am not able to address them over email.

All of this said, I’m nothing without you and our work together is about YOU. Doing this work with you is a gift and my calling. I am dedicated to helping you accomplish your goals. You have been offered a package because I believe we are a good fit and that I can help you. You have invested in a partnership. In the areas of your life that are going well, I will support you. In the areas of your life that you are uncertain about or needing education, I will help you identify the steps to take and the what, why, and how so that you can move forward.

Depending on your history and your goals, I will teach you, nudge you, challenge you, empower you, and hold you accountable. I’ll help you overcome obstacles and fears that hold you back in behavior change. Each session will focus on areas of concern, celebrations and milestones, and brainstorming. Commit to spending time each week reviewing your goals, reading assigned materials, journaling, and completing exercises as assigned. Welcome the opportunity to learn new recipes – it’s your highway to health. Food is not just nourishment in our society, it affects all aspects of what I do: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, traveling, celebrations, mourning occasions...food is medicine but it is also so much more than that. If your diet changes significantly because of a medical issue, you may grieve your old, easy ways of eating. Oftentimes, we are changing thinking, behavior, reactions, etc. It can be a big deal.

Before and during sessions, I ask that you take a moment to prepare. Collect your thoughts, turn off call waiting and cell phones, and take steps to prevent interruptions. Be open to questions or observations. You can achieve real self-discovery if you’re open to the process.

Most of all, ENJOY! You will experience great success and long-term health if you commit to the program.

7. Package Inclusions/Exclusions

As mentioned above, there is a great deal of work that goes into preparing for and carrying out a nutrition session with you. The following services are included in the package prices:

  1. Any prep time required for our sessions including review of past or current labs
  2. Our actual appointment times
  3. And the time involved to research and provide you with your own treatment protocol

Please note that depending on your personal situation, the following may or may not be needed but are not included in any package:

  1. The cost for any testing if it was not specifically included in your package; this includes lab draw fees
  2. Email support
  3. The design or cost of custom supplements unless they were bonuses in your package
  4. Supplements

Paperwork for Initial Session

Before our first session, complete:1.Virtual Patient Medical Intake Form, 2. Timeline (print 2-3 pages; check the sample), 3.Food log. Print Handy Portions, and a few copies of Toxicity/Inflammation QuizRetake for future reassessments. All forms are under the tab “Scheduling/Resources”(dropdown to“Forms”) or.Make sure you complete the list of natural and pharmaceutical drugs you are currently takingin detailas part of the Intake Form.

It is necessary that your paperwork be back in my home office (use the address provided on page 1) at least 48 hours before our 1st session in order for me to be adequately prepared for it. It’s best to USPS mail it due to fax errors with so many pages, as I explained above. After the initial set of paperwork, faxing or emailing small documents typically works fine (depending if they contain medical information).

Payment

Currently payment is made in full or you’ve accepted the terms I have for payments. I accept checks, PayPal, and credit cards (excluding Discover and AmEx)

Social Media

I am not as active in social media as I would like to due to the busy schedule with patients AND the doctoral work for another 2 years. However, I offer a newsletter and I encourage you to sign up for it so that you at least get the opportunity to be included in specials and know when I’m in or out of the office, etc. I post more rarely due to current doctoral workload, but I still do share articles, videos, audios, or a new exciting recipes – things that may be relevant to you. I post relevant things on Facebook under Kasia Kines, but I will eventually migrate to Kasia Kines – Holistic Nutrition Naturally. Over the last decade, I have been known on FB as Kasia Kines although I have a business FB account as Kasia Kines – Holistic Nutrition Naturally. I will be migrating from the personal to the business FB. You can join both.

Ordering Nutritional SUpplements

You also may be advised to use a nutritional supplement for your medical condition. I use two websites, where we will find most of the supplements for your needs. Each one provides different perks for you. Please read the whole page so that you know why I am using them, and what unique benefits they have for you as a patient. Here are some logistic details that may be helpful for you. I have extensive training in nutritional supplements and their therapeutic value in medical nutrition therapy. I am very picky about the potency, quality, components of formulations, and quantity needed for the needed therapeutic effect. I like to use products that work.