Destination Vitality Ltd



Meet Dana...



I help you overcome unexplained symptoms and restore your health using advanced diagnostic testing and combined strategies from allopathic, alternative and functional medicine.





Dana is a Nurse Practitioner, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and Health Consultant.



Functional Medicine saved my health when western medicine had no explanations or solutions for me, even after I became a Nurse Practitioner and could appreciate and validate the effort that was made. It also saved my career when I was seriously considering doing anything else in the world as long as it wasn’t working in a traditional healthcare setting that has been ruined by corporate greed and micromanaged by insurance companies.





Fitting into a healthcare setting seeing 40 + patients a day and feeling like I truly can’t help any of them, having to recommend blanket prevention and treatments across all populations, ages and conditions that changed by the day and not being allowed to share my honest apprehension is not a setting that I belong in.



I empower people to be able to make their own health decisions, I am sure that I am sharing all of the information that I have. I am happy to answer questions, and find the answers for you if I do not know offhand.



Healthcare resources needed improvement prior to the pandemic, post pandemic strain has made the weak areas even more evident and undeniable. One of these areas is the true promotion of health – There is a population of “well” people that are systemically neglected. Age 21-50 years with no significant diagnosis might see a primary care provider once a year for 15 minutes or so, maybe they get a seasonal illness and stop by an Urgent Care. Other than that, for roughly 30 years, what health guidance is out there for this population? This is a critical time to be making appropriate lifestyle choices and make changes now that will impact how you age.



Getting older is not a diagnosis, and it is not an acceptable explanation for symptoms that are experienced when one is barely halfway through the average life expectancy.



It all started when I was personally and professionally let down by modern healthcare...



Since being old enough to be aware of my body, I felt like something was off…



I was probably around 13 the first time I discussed my lack of metabolism with my healthcare provider, I ate pretty well, I was involved in plenty of sports… the calories in – calories out explanation was not making any sense as to why despite my efforts I was carrying extra weight. Being at an age where body image is so critical, this wasn’t a “I hate the way I look…” issue, at times I did, but this was legitimate concern about why it seemed like I would gain 10 pounds if I looked at a cheez-it.


I ate the vegetables, the fruit. I exercised. I was tired all the time, one of the times I was positive for mono. But it seemed I had been waiting for the fatigue piece of that virus to resolve for a decade plus. About every 3 years or so it would build up to a point of impact that would lead me inquiring about these symptoms again, having some labs done, to be normal, or even a little abnormal but not diagnostic. I was dysfunctionally functional so it was hard to prove how awful I felt because I was still getting things done. For the most part,my motivation was the idea that not getting those things done was only going to make me feel worse which was the last thing I needed.


But it provided an excuse, “of course your tired, you have practice and school and work..” “of course you’re stressed, it’s senior year.” This then became “of course you’re tired, you just had a baby.” I was tired, but I got used to being tired. Then there were mood swings, skin changes, migraines, IBS symptoms. So, I became a nurse, knowing so much more about the human body, my lab results didn’t make any sense to me.


How could I feel so chronically run down and have near perfect labs. I needed to know more I saw gastroenterology and neurology, more tests, no answers. I became a Nurse Practitioner. Throughout school, learning about most uncommon disease processes made me wonder if that was my answer, it was a great study tool, but didn’t help me. I was able to review my lab work and agree that nothing explained my battle with my metabolism or my other symptoms.



But then everything changed...



After more than a few, "If I ran the zoo" moments in my healthcare experience both as a provider and a patient over the past decade I have decided to embark on a journey that I believe will be a welcomed breath of fresh air for many.


For many years I have dreamed of a practice in which patients have a say in their care, have a provider who thoroughly reviews health history, are not embarrassed or ashamed to admit their use of cinnamon, eucalyptus or some other home remedy to their doctor in an attempt to resolve an ailment (without the use of expensive prescription medications with unkind side effects) and are truly encouraged to take control of their health.


Demographically, options are limited. There are great providers in this area, but hard to get into, often overbooked, not accepting new patients or bound by practice policies that prevent them from doing what they wish they could for their patients.


Imagine having a health care provider who listened to your concerns and together you develop a reasonable plan that works for you. Your current primary care provider likely manages between 2000 and 3000 patients per year.


Imagine being one of a limited number of personally known patients, and knowing that when you call your call will be answered by or will soon be returned personally by your provider, not short tempered support staff who leave you with unanswered questions and talk to you like you're an uneducated feral cat. You will not be put on hold for 20 minutes to "accidentally" be disconnected. You will not be bullied into preventative therapies that you don't want and you won't be made to feel uncomfortable for your decisions. You will be provided with information and welcomed with opportunities to gain clarification.



Imagine a provider who acted more like your healthcare travel agent....




Listens to your needs, your beliefs - helps you figure out a plan

orders only necessary tests & thoroughly considers your financial situation to provide the most feasible resolution

will look into options - even if they are not well known - and will prescribe solutions that are appropriate and most affordable - will take the time to determine and advise if the testing or medication you need is available for less at a different location based on your personal financial / insurance situation

Will continuously read and improve herself to be able to provide you with the most up to date information / resources / services




bio



Taking care of my hometown. Born & Raised in Beach Lake, PA & grew up to be a Nurse Practitioner who is back with a plan and hopes to make a difference



Following graduation from Honesdale High School in 2008, I attended Northampton Community College for Criminal Justice - with plans to attend police academy shortly after graduation it seemed like getting my EMT certification to have some solid first aid skills in the line of duty and be more marketable as a female in law enforcement was a good idea, so I did that too. Before graduation, I learned that I was pregnant with my son & this became quite a plot twist, but I returned home to Wayne County in 2010 to be closer to family & recognized easily that this was where I wanted my son to grow up.


As a new mom, law enforcement was no longer appealing to me. I worked as an EMT for several local ambulance companies and it wasn't long before I realized I wanted to do more. After contemplation between Paramedic and RN as the obvious next steps --nursing would take longer but would allow me to continue up the ladder in EMS and offer many other opportunities in nursing, so I chose that. I worked as a PHRN while I continued my nursing education and obtained my BSN. When I applied to Master's programs they demanded "in-hospital" experience, which is how I found myself working in the Emergency Department, which has been home to me since 2015. I completed MSN - Executive Leader & Post Master's Certificate - Family Nurse Practitioner. I have taken many other certification courses and continuing education along the way. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support, S.T.A.B.L.E. , Neonatal Resuscitation, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Certified Emergency Nurse, Pre-Hospital Registered Nurse, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Certificate and attended many virtual seminars on various topics. Most recently I have completed an intense and astounding program to obtain my Certified Functional Medicine Provider certificate. I have had additional informal trainings in other areas of interest to include nutrition, hormone balancing, gluten sensitivity and trigger point disruption. I LOVE learning new things, new ways to help my patients and am already looking into my next areas of knowledge expansion which may include epigenetics, manual pain management techniques, energy healing, regenerative medicine, advanced biohacking/superhuman techniques and professional writing.


I was welcomed into advanced practice by the COVID 19 pandemic and have been employed in the Emergency Department since as well as maintaining a virtual urgent care role. I also teach online for Lackawanna College.


I am a mom, a wife, a daughter, granddaughter, sister, horse/dog/cat/goat mom. I am creative & occasionally artistic, I like to do some hobby photography / woodworking. I enjoy challenges and problem solving. I love learning, reading, nature, stargazing, day dreaming, aromatherapy and meditation.


As a family we are active in 4H, Honesdale Little baseball, WHYFO football and cheerleading, Biddy Basketball and Cheerleading, cubscouts and other local youth activities.


My most recent role in the ER throughout the pandemic has taken more than I am willing to give long term out of me & leaves me feeling like there is more I can do. My years in the ER have taught me more than I could list and I am abundantly grateful but most recently has helped me realize that the current values, forceful approaches, and scare based medicine do not align with any of my personal beliefs or what had made me want to become a Nurse Practitioner. I do not believe in broad blanket recommendations and I do not believe in "science" that didn't exist six months prior to being labeled as such. I believe in empowering patients and I do not believe in making people feel uncomfortable in their decisions just because they are different than mine. I do not condemn lifestyle choices that may not be the best, I promote change and if change is not feasible at the time, I promote combatting the impact of those choices. I believe in answering questions and providing guidance and I believe that anyone who was apprehensive of new guidelines during a scary uncertain time had every right to be. My authenticity as a human being and frustration with the facade of the current state of healthcare has made it clear that even though owning my own functional medicine / alternative therapy practice was my "ten-year" goal, there's no reason I shouldn't start early. Truth be told, if not for finding functional medicine when I did, there would have been a major career change to an occupation far away from nursing, and I'd still be exhausted, emotional, battling with my metabolism (or lack there-of) and wondering why I felt like complete crap most of the time.




A journey awaits...



310 Sunrise Ave. Honesdale PA 18431


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Dana Gallik MSN, CRNP, FNP-C, CFMP