The answers kept being the same — “We don’t know.”
Megan Bonney had been experiencing a concerning fluctuation of her heart rate and shortness of breath throughout the spring of 2022. She had to go to the emergency room for a heart catheter to see if there was any blockage, and it repeatedly showed heart rhythm changes that appeared to show a lack of blood flow to the heart.
Her husband, Dr. Dee Bonney, didn’t know what the issue was. Other doctors didn’t know either, until one of Dee Bonney’s colleagues, who specializes in a form of treatment called functional medicine, took a look.
By investigating further, they found Megan Bonney was suffering from exposure to mold.
“Conventional medicine wouldn’t have figured that out in a million years,” Dee Bonney said.
The experience motivated the Bonneys to add a new emphasis to the medical clinic they have operated for the past four years. Functional medicine, a focus on treating the root causes of disease rather than simply controlling the symptoms, is a new option for patients at Alpha Omega Wellness.
By looking at the broad view of someone’s health, they aim to provide hope to people who have struggled with long-lasting conditions without any answers.
“A lot of times, we treat the symptoms, and not the causes,” said Megan Bonney, a registered nurse at Alpha Omega Wellness.
The new focus on functional medicine coincides with Alpha Omega Wellness’ new home. The Greenwood office, which opened to patients just three weeks ago, will be on display for an open house, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Visitors can take advantage of specials on vitamin infusion, massage and body composition analysis throughout the day.
They can tour the new facility, and learn about all it offers. The center features three exam rooms where patients get treated.
A body composition scale reads body fat and muscle mass for patients, offering a clearer picture of a person’s health than a traditional scale. Individual rooms are assigned to massage therapy and IV infusions, with plans to add an infrared sauna.
The wellness center also provides ketamine therapy — the only legal psychedelic therapy available in Indiana, which has shown promise in treating depression in patients.
“We’ve seen remarkable improvements for people who have experienced depression,” Dee Bonney said. “I’ve not seen anything that moves the needle in the mental health space like it does.”
All of the services offered at Alpha Omega Wellness center around the core mission of individualized care for patients. Dee Bonney, who also works as an emergency department physician for Franciscan Health Indianapolis, and Megan Bonney, a registered nurse, opened Alpha Omega Wellness in 2019.
Their initial goal was to address the deepening opioid epidemic in central Indiana. At the wellness center, patients can be prescribed medications to help relieve symptoms of withdrawal and to medically treat the way addiction has changed their brain chemistry. At the same time, Alpha Omega uses Christian counseling and group therapy to heal the spiritual void.
The Bonneys continue to offer addiction services as a core of their mission. But they’ve expanded, adding direct primary care to the clinic in 2021. The program works as a health care membership plan that provides care for maladies such as broken bones, cuts, illnesses and wellness visits, all for a fixed monthly price.
Patients have responded favorably.
“Our patients enjoy coming and having the family feel and family environment, and joy we still have after all this time,” Megan Bonney said.
Functional medicine is an extension of those services. The approach takes a comprehensive approach to prevention, health, and well-being by treating the root causes of disease and restoring healthy function through a personalized patient experience, according to the Institute for Functional Medicine.
A large focus is on the gut and the biome of microorganisms that live in it. Practitioners look at how a patient is eating, sleeping, moving their body and more to determine the cause.
“When someone comes in with a problem, we want to find out why something was hurting — what are they consuming that is making their body angry?” Dee Bonney said. “A lot of times, we mask things so we feel better. Functional medicine tries to go upstream more and figure out what set that off to begin with.”
Large health care systems across the United States, including the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and Henry Ford Health in Michigan, have started implementing it.
But a dearth of functional medicine options on the southside of Indianapolis — plus Megan Bonney’s experience in 2022 — inspired the Bonneys to add it.
“Since we started doing the direct patient care membership, we were already moving towards that more functional, integrative space. After (Megan’s experience) happened, we were all in,” Dee Bonney said.
He went through a training program with the Institute of Functional Medicine, which allowed him to develop advanced skills and competencies in the treatment of patients with complex, chronic disease.
They found the new office space at the corner of State Road 135 and Stones Crossing Road, and renovated it to fit their needs. Patients started coming to the wellness center on July 24.
“It’s really invigorated my love for medicine,” Dee Bonney said. “We get to help people to be well. Our tagline has become ‘Find well’ — whatever that is for each person.”
AT A GLANCE
Alpha Omega Wellness
What: A membership-based medical practice that offers affordable, convenient, personalized care. An added emphasis has been placed on functional medicine, and the organization offers addiction treatment as well.
Who: Dr. Dee Bonney and Megan Bonney, his wife and a registered nurse.
Where: 1777 W. Stones Crossing Road, Greenwood
Open house: The wellness center will be open to the public from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. New clients can sign up for $99 vitamin infusion treatments or $70 massages, with one per new customer to be done within the next month. They can also take an InBody body composition analysis for $10 on-site Saturday.
More information: alphaomegawellness.com
