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About Us
Our team
Whitney Cooley, PA-C met Dr. Chris Carls, D.O. at one of her clinical rotations.
Whitney was enthralled with the idea that medicine could consist of lifestyle coaching, eating for gut and immune health, and that many of the herbs that help improve our health are outside our front door. Headstrong and passionate about improving the health of each patient, she was persistent to coach lifestyle changes over offering up medications.
During her clinical rotation with Dr. Carls, she found that he, too, truly cared for the outcome of his patients. Regardless of overhead stress, he valued the quality of his patient visits and the care they received over meeting quotas dictated by insurance.
Whitney had a dream before her last day of clinicals with him that they ran a business together.
As her clinical rotations went on, Whitney's desire to start a DPC grew every day. She felt that with enough time with a patient, you get to establish a relationship and unroof the root cause of illness. She knew that to be the healthcare provider she wanted to be, she could not, in good faith, operate inside an insurance system that limited her passion. This is why she went back to school in the first place.
After graduation, Whitney reached out to Dr. Carls who had moved to Indiana to begin a farm and advocate for patients in a smaller hospital system. She asked him he would be interested in being her collaborating physician if she started a DPC. Months later, the idea started to become a reality when we were presented with an opportuned moment.
About Whitney Cooley, MMSC, PA-C
My name is Whitney Cooley. I graduated with honors from Yale University in May of 2024 with my Master of Medical Science degree in Physician Assistant (PA) studies. I will complete my Doctorate of Medical Science (DMS) from Butler University in December of 2024.
I began my healthcare career in 2010 as a respiratory therapist delivering adult respiratory care in intensive care, emergency, and long-term acute care settings. After two years of adult care, I made the leap to work at Cincinnati Children's Hospital & Medical Center with a goal of working with a less familiar neonatal population to broaden my clinical knowledge and skillset. I become a lead therapist in the neonatal intensive care unit, a member of the high-risk neonatal delivery team, and a member of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) team to deliver long-term heart lung bypass therapy. Eventually, I knew it was time to go back to school to continue my learning and be able to advocate for my patients on more than just respiratory care.
During my time in clinicals as a PA student, I found that my passion lied in educating patients about the pillars of our health and motivating lifestyle changes.
As a farmer and beekeeper, my interest in natural
health is deeply rooted.
The Covid era provided insight into a growing
population that felt unheard by providers and sought out alternative medicine. During my clinicals, I saw that there was an existing population that needed longer than ten-minute visits to unmask the root cause of their illness. People with vague fibromyalgia-like symptoms that were put through the conventional healthcare system bouncing from one
specialist referral to another, only to have symptoms temporarily hushed by immunosuppressants rather than ever addressing why these symptoms were present. I challenged my preceptors to explore outside the box and asked that they let me coach lifestyle changes rather than adding more medications. I submerged myself in functional medicine and learned as much as I could about alternative and holistic medicine while also completing PA school.
I believe that elements of both, conventional and
functional medicine are needed to provide a comprehensive explanation of healthcare screening, symptoms,
diagnoses, and treatments to our patients. I am very thankful for the opportunities and experiences that have led me to this moment where I can practice honest medicine with my patients’ optimal health in mind.
I am very excited to announce that I am taking the next step in my career to open a direct primary care practice starting JANUARY 2025 where patients will be encouraged to be key stakeholders in their health. My job as your provider is not to tell you what to do with your body, but to give you all the education and tools you need to make the best decisions for yourself. I recognize that change does not happen overnight, and we are all on a journey. I am excited to work in the city I live and promote health in my community! Thank you for taking the time to read this. I look forwarding to being your provider!
I have the opportunity of making this possible with the collaboration of one of my previous clinical preceptors, Dr. Christopher Carls, D.O.- an amazingly compassionate OB/GYN that I deeply respect for his altruism, intelligence, and kindness.
Thank you,
Whitney Cooley, MMSc, PA-C, CTP
About Dr. Chris Carls, D.O.
Dr. Carls is an OB/GYN in the greater Indianapolis area. Influenced by the birth of his three beautiful children to enter into women’s health, Dr. Carls became very passionate about obstetrics.
Throughout training, Dr. Carls continued to tap into his osteopathic roots, relying upon the idea that health should truly be a holistic, whole body and lifestyle focus.
He has since become very passionate about health through lifestyle, food as medicine and patient education. Dr. Carls has become so convinced that a natural and holistic approach to health is the best way forward that he and his family now grow a lot of their own food, raise their own meat and dairy, and have adopted a more healthful way of living.
When Dr. Carls and Whitney crossed paths years ago, he realized that the vision for a direct primary care center that was holistic and lifestyle focused was possible. And, through Whitney’s hard work, commitment, and incredible attitude, it is now become a reality. We are so excited to assist you in anyway possible towards a more healthful way of life.
Drawing by Whitney Cooley, PA-C for her clinical rotation with Dr. Carls, D.O.
Drawing by Dr. Carls, D.O. at clinical rotation.
About Natural Health Direct Primary Care, LLC
Healthcare to Empower You
Natural Health Direct Primary Care, LLC is a primary care practice designed for patients seeking a long-term care provider that encourages optimization of our bodies. Patients are empowered to become stakeholders in their health through nutrition, lifestyle changes, exercise, muscle strengthening, and education. We use an integrative medicine approach (both, conventional and functional) so that we can discuss the various options available to you. While continuing to prescribe your current medications, we will work together to make healthy lifestyle changes, target underlying issues, optimize your body, and taper off the medications that mask illness rather than treat it.
This style of medicine requires motivated patients seeking improvement of their health. We strive for prevention and reversal of disease to promote longevity and health span instead of chronic illness and numerous comorbidities accrued under the conventional insurance model.
Natural Health Direct Primary Care, LLC does NOT take insurance.
This practice model allows for longer visits, discussion of healthcare options, and patient education. This business is not incentivized by insurance company demands or the number of diagnosis codes. We function off membership fees and the drive to boost the health of our community. Many of the labs and supplements ordered are not covered by insurance. Insurance does not cover lifestyle interventions. The goal is to optimize your body and health so that you are not burdened with chronic illness and disease.
Have questions? See our FAQs, stop in, email, or give us a call!