Dr. Anderson grew up wanting to be a doctor as far back as she can remember. Her childhood dream took her to Michigan State University, where she channeled her medical aspirations into dietetics. She was inspired to take this path after years of struggling with her own weight and gut issues as a child. She believes, “For better or for worse, your body responds to everything you put into it.”
Dr. Anderson graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Michigan State. From there, she did a yearlong residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit Michigan, with rotations in every major specialty. Having successfully completed her residency, Dr. Anderson became licensed as a Registered Dietitian and was ready to help make a difference in the world. It was just the beginning of her journey.
Dr. Anderson began her 20-year career in the medical field after accepting a position at a long-term care facility specializing in Alzheimer’s and dementia. She was a clinical dietician and director of food service. She remains an expert in meal planning and “all things” having to do with nutrition.
Dr. Anderson relocated to Florida when Boca Raton Community Hospital hired her to serve on their team as a clinical dietician. The position included a major focus in the surgical and cardiac ICU’s where she specialized in tube feedings, including when it is the patient’s single source of nutrition. She was part of a care team with the pharmacist, doctor, and speech therapist.
Wanting to broaden her experiences, Dr. Anderson took a position with a startup company called Sensei that was creating health and wellness apps for Humana Insurance. She was responsible for developing detailed weight loss programs and managing social media. Humana continues to use the apps to this day.
Dr. Anderson has also worked with Lifetime Fitness as a dietician in their personal training department and did private weight loss counseling for Principal Nutrition. She became a yoga teacher 10 years ago, and still teaches it privately.
After those accomplishments, Dr. Anderson still held the vision of becoming a doctor. Her experiences working in western medicine fueled a desire to help create real change. She decided to go back to school at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine to become a Naturopathic Doctor. She was also trained in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. After graduation, she moved to Hawaii and started her own practice as a primary care and concierge doctor, where she met Dr. Taketa-Wong.
Today, Dr. Anderson specializes in pediatrics, women’s health, gastrointestinal conditions, hormones, autoimmune disease and IV therapy. In addition, she teaches at the Institute of Clinical Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Honolulu, where she is a professor of pathophysiology, anatomy, pharmacology, nutrition, research, and a new class she is designing called diagnostic testing.
“What I love most is empowering my patients and students to take charge of their own health,” said Dr. Anderson. “I enjoy the challenge of diagnosing and tackling the complicated cases and solving them.” She stressed that being a good doctor is both an art and a science. “Anyone can learn the science of it,” she stated. “The art comes from within and it’s what makes us healers.” Dr. Anderson emphasizes that “Naturopathic medicine connects the doctor with the individual and the family. Our medicine really helps people and I consider it an honor to be trusted with my patients’ health. It’s a huge responsibility and one that I take very seriously.”
Dr. Anderson graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Michigan State. From there, she did a yearlong residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit Michigan, with rotations in every major specialty. Having successfully completed her residency, Dr. Anderson became licensed as a Registered Dietitian and was ready to help make a difference in the world. It was just the beginning of her journey.
Dr. Anderson began her 20-year career in the medical field after accepting a position at a long-term care facility specializing in Alzheimer’s and dementia. She was a clinical dietician and director of food service. She remains an expert in meal planning and “all things” having to do with nutrition.
Dr. Anderson relocated to Florida when Boca Raton Community Hospital hired her to serve on their team as a clinical dietician. The position included a major focus in the surgical and cardiac ICU’s where she specialized in tube feedings, including when it is the patient’s single source of nutrition. She was part of a care team with the pharmacist, doctor, and speech therapist.
Wanting to broaden her experiences, Dr. Anderson took a position with a startup company called Sensei that was creating health and wellness apps for Humana Insurance. She was responsible for developing detailed weight loss programs and managing social media. Humana continues to use the apps to this day.
Dr. Anderson has also worked with Lifetime Fitness as a dietician in their personal training department and did private weight loss counseling for Principal Nutrition. She became a yoga teacher 10 years ago, and still teaches it privately.
After those accomplishments, Dr. Anderson still held the vision of becoming a doctor. Her experiences working in western medicine fueled a desire to help create real change. She decided to go back to school at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine to become a Naturopathic Doctor. She was also trained in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. After graduation, she moved to Hawaii and started her own practice as a primary care and concierge doctor, where she met Dr. Taketa-Wong.
Today, Dr. Anderson specializes in pediatrics, women’s health, gastrointestinal conditions, hormones, autoimmune disease and IV therapy. In addition, she teaches at the Institute of Clinical Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Honolulu, where she is a professor of pathophysiology, anatomy, pharmacology, nutrition, research, and a new class she is designing called diagnostic testing.
“What I love most is empowering my patients and students to take charge of their own health,” said Dr. Anderson. “I enjoy the challenge of diagnosing and tackling the complicated cases and solving them.” She stressed that being a good doctor is both an art and a science. “Anyone can learn the science of it,” she stated. “The art comes from within and it’s what makes us healers.” Dr. Anderson emphasizes that “Naturopathic medicine connects the doctor with the individual and the family. Our medicine really helps people and I consider it an honor to be trusted with my patients’ health. It’s a huge responsibility and one that I take very seriously.”