Shirley Olson, NP-C, IFMCP
At Ridgway Center for Whole Health, Shirley Olson NP-C, IFMCP, is a functional medicine specialist and board-certified nurse practitioner serving patients in Ridgway, Colorado. Shirley has extensive experience helping patients achieve the greatest outcomes in their health and wellness through her expertise in functional medicine and patient-centered care.
After Shirley finished her baccalaureate degree in nursing from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 1994, she worked as a registered nurse in roles that included supervising nurses in a corporate capacity, direct patient hospital and home care, and teaching. She then completed her Master of Science in Nursing in 2008 from the University of Colorado at the Colorado Springs Beth-el School of Nursing. Shirley is board certified by the Institute for Functional Medicine and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
Building upon her advanced education, Shirley also has extensive experience as a direct primary care provider at local family practice clinics she has managed with her husband, David Olson, MD. She is additionally certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and has received training in The Bredesen Protocol™, an advanced functional medicine approach to identifying imbalances in your body that cause cognitive decline.
Shirley’s personal experience in experiencing the benefits of functional medicine allows her the empathetic, compassionate lens with which she views all her patients in need of an alternative form of health care. It is with this first-hand experience that she deeply understands the importance of personalized medicine grounded in functional medicine principles.
When she is not practicing medicine, Shirley enjoys spending time with family and close friends, and making time for hiking, physical fitness, and relaxation.
Why Functional Medicine
Like many of my patients, I too have needed an alternative model for health and found this in Functional Medicine. Several years ago, an intensely stressful period in my life created the perfect storm to develop digestive issues and abdominal pain that was life-changing. Fortunately, my training through the Institute for Functional Medicine prepared me to investigate my personal time-line and apply specialized testing and concepts to understand better what was causing my discomfort. By understanding the pathology, and emotional and physical connection, I was able to create a self-treatment plan and incorporate adjustments to improve my symptoms. I continue on this journey to wellness today. As I have taught many of my patients and close friends, these changes are for life and this is why we call it lifestyle change.
Because of this experience, I understand first-hand the importance of personalized medicine grounded in functional medicine principles. I believe each person has their own story to tell and their own set of issues that requires careful review and analysis by an interested, motivated and specially trained clinician.
My Philosophy of Care
My professional philosophy is that optimal health is born from an understanding and treatment of the root cause of ailments, often arising from multiple stressors in one’s life. The process for finding the “root cause” takes time and a collaborative, trusting relationship with my patients. Solutions are focused on bringing them from imbalance to equilibrium with multi-faceted plans which may include a combination of nutrition, movement, relaxation, meditation, and spirituality. With my compassionate care and support along the way patients are able to make lasting lifestyle changes to optimize their health and wellness.
I have purposely decided to keep my practice small, which means I have time to customize your care, provide test results to you personally, answer questions about your treatment plans, and listen to and validate your concerns. My patients have an easy, direct line to me for questions or urgent matters and enjoy extended visits and communication by video, telephone, text, email, or in person. This health care practice model removes many of the stressors that typically burden patients and providers, and it facilitates true wellness and prevention.
On a Personal Note
I enjoy spending time with family and close friends. With my different way of providing health care, I look forward to having more time for physical fitness, hiking, and relaxation!
Caitlin Lawshe, NP-C
Caitlin is originally form Mississippi, where she received her undergraduate degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women. After practicing as a Registered Nurse for ten years, she received her master’s degree in nursing from Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She majority of Caitlin’s career has been working with adults with chronic health problems. She has a passion for preventative medicine through healthy lifestyle and would like to help other achieve their healthcare goals and prevent disease and illness. She also has an interest in mental healthcare and is currently pursuing her Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification. Caitlin and her husband Will have been living on the Western Slope for the last twelve years. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside hiking and camping with her two young daughters and husband, cooking, and gardening.
Sarah Kelley-Spearing
Hi, I am Sarah Kelley-Spearing, an osteopathic physician with training in rural family medicine and integrative medicine, as well as osteopathic manual medicine. My experience in sports medicine and use of an integrative approach is an integral part to helping patients manage and prevent injuries.
I first fell in love with this community while participating in a college semester in Ouray and the Himalayas. I also spent a summer in Ladakh studying Tibetan Medicine. The philosophy of approaching health as overall balance, physical, mental and emotional, still guides my medical practice.
I find inspiration and balance in exploring these beautiful mountains in which we live, and love helping others maintain health and balance and the ability to keep exploring.
I offer a comprehensive approach to injuries or chronic pain with hands on treatment, thorough evaluation, ultrasound diagnosis, injections, coordination with specialists, and a holistic view of how your whole health, nutrition, and mental well-being are integrated.
I look forward to meeting you to discuss strategies for optimizing your health.
Also see me at www.kelleyspearingwellness.com
Education:
Residency in Rural, Full-Spectrum Family Medicine, Swift River Rural Track, ME. 2015-18
University of Arizona’s Integrative Medicine in Residency Program
Training with Multiple Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Groups
Training in Musculoskeletal Ultraound and Orthobiologics
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, D.O., Rural and Wilderness Medicine Honors Track. 2015
Georgetown University, M.S. in Physiology with an emphasis on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2010
Spine Research Coordinator, Steadman Hawkins Research Foundation
Johns Hopkins University, B.A. Biology, June 2005
Study of Tibetan Medicine in Ladakh, India