Building a Comprehensive Lipedema Clinic with Nurse Practitioner Sarah Cullen

Hosts Cindy and Kristy welcome Sarah Cullen, a doctorate-prepared family nurse practitioner with 21 years of nursing experience, who opened Akeso Health & Wellness and the Akeso Lipedema Clinic.Sarah shares how her own lipedema story, also affecting her identical twin drove her to create an integrative, education-heavy model featuring 90-minute intakes, individualized plans, extensive assessments, and a three-inch binder covering staging, compression, vein health, mental health, nutrition, exercise, hormones, supplements, and surgical options. She discusses limited provider knowledge, building referral networks for traveling patients, offering Virginia telehealth, and operating outside insurance to avoid time caps while providing superbills and insurance support for equipment. Sarah also recounts her self-pay 360 liposuction surgery after losing 70 pounds, the benefits and imperfections of outcomes, and collaboration with surgeon Dr. Kyle Xu.00:00 Welcome to the Show00:55 Meet Sarah Cullen01:58 Why Start a Clinic03:35 Building Lipedema Care06:12 The Education Binder11:34 Her Lipedema Story14:25 Learning to Treat It16:30 Referrals and Travel Patients18:09 Insurance and Time Based Care22:31 What the Eval Includes27:02 Patient First Care28:10 Team Based Empowerment29:29 Finding Real Support32:07 Saving For Specialists34:12 Avoiding Predatory Products37:26 Surgery Journey Breakdown40:13 Recovery And Results42:27 Twin Comparison Insights45:49 Loose Skin Decisions46:49 Local Specialist Network48:27 Clinic Mission And Name50:03 Advice And Wrap UpFollow us on Social media!!!Kristy's Contact information:IG⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dellalunawellness/⁠FB Group⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1F3pseJKUd/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠⁠⁠⁠Website  Kristy Dellacroce, MS,OTR/L, MLD-C⁠ Dellalunawellness.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lipedema Advocate 856-297-7437Cindy contact information⁠FB:⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/withcindyhowell⁠⁠⁠Private FB Group:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/7021999704562921⁠⁠⁠⁠IG:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_withcindyhowell/⁠Cindy Howell RN, CLT, MPCHWebsite:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.withcindyhowell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Lipedema advocate: 860-550-1161Top 5 Foods to Avoid for Managing Lipedema! Link:⁠ https://withcindyhowell.com/checklist/⁠Free surgery course: ⁠⁠https://l.bttr.to/6cATB⁠Dr. Sarah Cullen, nurse practitionerhttps://www.akesohealthandwellness.com/https://www.instagram.com/akesohealthandwellness/