Naturopathic doctor and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist · Birmingham, Michigan
My work runs through two places that rarely talk to each other: the operating room and the naturopathic clinic. I still practice in both.
As a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, I have spent decades keeping people stable through surgery, and I am still in the operating room a few days a month. It is work that leaves you with a very literal understanding of physiology, dosing, and what happens when a body is pushed to its limit. I also went back to school, graduated valedictorian of my class at National University of Health Sciences, and became a naturopathic doctor. Most of my week now goes to the other end of that spectrum: working out why someone feels unwell long before anything lands them on an operating table.
Both are in the room when I see you. I am comfortable ordering and reading comprehensive labs, and equally comfortable telling you that the answer is sleep, food, and eight weeks of consistency rather than another prescription.
How I work
Most people who come to Natural Care Institute have already been somewhere else. They have normal lab results and abnormal symptoms. They have been told their numbers are fine, or handed a prescription that treats the complaint without touching the cause.
So I start by looking harder. That usually means comprehensive functional lab testing — a far wider picture than a standard annual panel — and a long first conversation about your history, not a seven-minute visit.
From there we build a plan you can actually follow. Sometimes that is targeted nutrition and supplementation. Sometimes it is IV therapy, because nutrients given intravenously reach levels that oral supplements cannot. Sometimes it is hyperbaric oxygen. Usually it is a combination, adjusted as your labs and your symptoms move.
The anesthesia training shows up in small ways that matter. Every IV at Natural Care Institute is placed gently, with numbing, always. I have started more lines than I can count, and there is no reason an infusion should be the uncomfortable part of your day.
I tell patients the same thing at the first visit: this is a partnership, and it takes time. Nothing I do works on someone who is handed a protocol and left alone with it.
What I focus on
- Functional medicine — comprehensive testing and root-cause plans for fatigue, gut problems, hormone imbalance, and the symptoms that come back normal on standard labs
- Naturopathic and integrative oncology — support for patients in or after cancer treatment, working alongside their oncology team
- IV therapy — vitamin and mineral infusions, including high-dose vitamin C
- Mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy — in-office sessions for recovery, healing, and inflammation
- Ozone and oxidative therapies — administered in-office by a certified practitioner
- Thyroid and hormone health — including menopause and perimenopause
- Fertility support — preconception preparation and support alongside fertility treatment
- Medical weight management — metabolic and hormonal, not calorie sheets
- Preventative and anti-aging care — testing and planning aimed at staying well, not just treating what has already gone wrong
Training and credentials
Degrees and licenses
- Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, National University of Health Sciences, 2017 — Valedictorian
- Licensed Naturopathic Physician, State of Vermont
- Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia, Minneapolis School of Anesthesia, 2000
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Detroit Mercy, 1994
Certifications
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist since 2000, in active clinical anesthesia practice
- Ozone and Oxidative Therapies
Teaching and clinical roles
- Clinical Instructor, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2015–2022
- Internship, Primary Care Integrative Medicine Clinic, National University of Health Sciences
- Surgical and cardiac intensive care nursing
- Continues to provide anesthesia at surgical centers across metro Detroit
Professional memberships
- Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP)
- Michigan Association of Naturopathic Doctors (MAND)
- American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA)
Continuing training
- Integrative and naturopathic oncology — AAMP conferences, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025
- Endocrine assessment — AAMP, 2022
- IV Nutritional Therapy for Physicians
- Fundamentals of Functional Blood Chemistry
- Functional endocrinology and thyroid management
- Insulin management
- Integrative fertility
- 100 hours of acupuncture training
Naturopathic medicine is not currently licensed in Michigan. Dr. Skurnowicz holds her naturopathic license in Vermont, one of the states that does license naturopathic doctors, maintains her nurse anesthesia certification, and provides care at Natural Care Institute under physician medical direction.
What a first visit looks like
Your first visit is long — plan on real time, not a quick appointment. We go through your history, your previous testing, and what you have already tried. If comprehensive labs make sense, we order them then and review them together once they are back.
Natural Care Institute does not bill insurance. I want you to know that before you call rather than after. What it buys you is the appointment length and the testing depth that insurance-driven practices cannot offer. Many patients use HSA or FSA funds, and we can provide documentation for you to submit yourself.
I came to naturopathic medicine the way a lot of my patients come to me: by working through my own health problems and finding that the answers were in the cause rather than the symptom. Root-cause medicine became a passion, and eventually a second degree. What I have seen since is that most people do best when conventional medicine and holistic options are used together — not when they are asked to choose between them.
Ready to start?
New patient consultations are booked by phone so we can make sure the visit is the right length for what you need.
Call (248) 845-8516 or request an appointment online.
Natural Care Institute · 1925 Southfield Road, Birmingham, MI