Inspiring Conversations with Sheila Fogel, Stacie Kelly and Jeremiah Yerton of Rooted Health KC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheila Fogel, Stacie Kelly and Jeremiah Yerton

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The three of us met while working in the hospital over 10 years ago. We have all worked for various hospital based corporations and corporate physician groups during our careers. When we started talking about moving into a wellness practice over 2 years ago, one of the most important concepts we identified was bringing medicine back to the community in a way that prioritizes people over profits. Traditional corporate-based medicine often limits time with patients, making it difficult to truly connect, listen, and provide personalized care. Our approach is different. We believe in spending time with each individual and family, using shared decision-making to create a care plan that fits their unique needs. By exploring alternative therapies alongside traditional treatments, we focus on addressing the root causes of health concerns rather than just managing symptoms. Our goal is to provide accessible, compassionate care where patients feel heard, valued, and empowered in their wellness journey.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been plenty of challenges, as new, small business owners, the bumps in the road have been learning lessons along the way. Learning about how to run a small business, avoiding gimmicks or people who were out to “sell” healthcare versus provide it were initial challenges. We have been fortunate to have a wonderful client base along the way.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Rooted Health KC has been open for about 1.5 years. Stacie Kelly, APRN, Sheila Fogel, APRN and Dr Jeremiah Yerton all came together to form a new type of practice, We have been referral based since we opened.
We believe that you can’t just treat one symptom or disease or problem without directly affecting another body system. We believe that both mental and physical health need to be addressed simultaneously to have the greatest effect on a person’s wellbeing.

Rooted Health KC providers use a relationship-based medicine model. This goes beyond quick visits and one-size-fits-all care—it’s about truly knowing our patients, understanding their stories, and working together to find the best solutions for their health. This includes mental health, which many times is overlooked in healthcare settings. By spending more time with each person, using shared decision-making, and focusing on root causes, we create a care experience that is compassionate, personalized, and built on trust. Because when medicine is built on relationships, better health naturally follows.
We are proud that we have stayed true to ourselves throughout this business, we have had opportunities to deviate into more corporatized structure, increase pricing when demand was happening and get involved with people outside the healthcare world looking to brand and franchise what we have done. We have held true to our goals and mission in treating people.

Rooted Health KC offers a variety of individual services as well as concierge medicine. Concierge medicine is a membership, which gives patients direct access to their provider without the limitations of traditional medical practices. Unlike corporate-based healthcare, concierge medicine typically involves longer appointment times, same-day or next-day visits, and a more customized approach to care.

We also offer a variety of services for clients and concierge patients, including hormone therapy, medical weight loss and management, ketamine therapy for the treatment of mental health symptoms, wellness and vitamin therapy and some aesthetic services. Our goal with each of these services is individualized care, working with each patient to discuss and create personalized, attainable goals.

We want more people to be educated about ketamine therapy. We encounter many patients whose primary providers, therapists and psychiatrists are hesitant with their patients to start ketamine therapy due to a lack of direct experience or knowledge. However, they are also at a crossroads as their patients are not responding to what they consider “standard” treatments and have less options available. The protocols used at Rooted Health for ketamine therapy make it a safe treatment option for most people. After a consultation and screening, patients meeting criteria for ketamine therapy follow a specific treatment protocol at Rooted Health. All of our providers have direct experience with ketamine therapy.

What to know about ketamine therapy? Ketamine therapy is a lesser known treatment option for people living with a wide range of barriers to their well-being including anxiety, depression, PTSD, grief, trauma, ADD/ADHD, palliative care and repetitive head injury. While ketamine therapy is widely known for treating severe or treatment resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety, it’s not just for those facing serious mental health struggles. It can also be beneficial for individuals dealing with chronic stress, burnout, or even situational anxiety—helping to reset the brain, improve emotional resilience, and enhance overall well-being. IV ketamine therapy offers a safe approach to improving mental health, providing an option for those looking to feel better, gain clarity, and regain a sense of control in their lives. One of the things that sets our clinic apart is that all of our providers are board certified. Our providers are made up of a physician and nurse practitioners with years of experience. We have worked hard to maintain a safe and calm setting, where our patients can feel relaxed and right at home. You do not need a referral or prescription to schedule your initial consultation.

The wellness aspect of Rooted Health KC incorporates natural peptides, vitamins and supplements to help balance out the body, promoting wellness, immunity, energy, focus and overall health. Some of these are gaining traction in Kansas City and our goal is to give each client the information we have so they can make an informed decision that is best for them. We use our years of experience as providers to help our clients feel better and improve overall quality of life.

Come in and talk to us! Our consults for medical weight management and ketamine therapy are free and we will take as much time as needed to answer any and all questions.

What matters most to you? Why?
Stacie Kelly (nurse practitioner), Sheila Fogel (nurse practitioner) & Jeremiah Yerton (MD) are the founding members of Rooted Health KC. We also have two amazing nurse practitioners, Aimee Miller and Amanda Merino who work with us. We share a common bond in our practice and all believe in the goals and mission of Rooted Health KC. We love the time that we get to spend with patients. There is no quota of patients here and each treatment plan is different. We involve our patients in all aspects of their care.

All 5 of us, watched as healthcare changed during COVID. All of us have Emergency Medicine backgrounds in our careers. When COVID happened, not only was was the unknown of working through COVID frightening to us, we watched the relationships providers have with their patients decline in many of the corporatized settings. We have watched medicine become reactionary, treating symptoms, finding a “pill for an ill”. Our goals at Rooted Health KC are to look at each unique individual, use both wellness and traditional medicine approaches to find a treatment plan that is best for that specific person. We are passionate about sharing our knowledge and empowering people in their health journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rooted.health
• Instagram: rhkc_aesthetics
• Facebook: Rooted Health KC