DUTCH Provider Spotlight: Dr. Alycia Policani
by Clinical Consulting Team
Dr. Policani is a licensed Naturopathic Physician. She received her Bachelor of Science in Human Biology from Eastern Washington University in 1996 and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, OR in 2000.
DUTCH: What inspired you to become a healthcare practitioner?
Dr. Alycia Policani: I was attending undergrad and was thinking of majoring in chemistry. I needed a biology credit and ended up taking an anatomy and physiology class. I could only get into the third class in a series of three, and this class dealt with the full systems of the body and had cadaver lab. I completely fell in love with and was amazed by the human body and decided right then to become a physician.
DUTCH: What is your training?
Dr. Alycia Policani: I am a naturopathic physician. I have a bachelor’s degree in science from Eastern Washington University and then four years of post-grad training at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, where I obtained my doctorate in naturopathic medicine. The curriculum is similar to that of conventional medical schools but we learn all of the natural therapies on top of the conventional therapies as well as learn a holistic view of the body and how to approach healing it.
DUTCH: Describe your medical background/practice?
Dr. Alycia Policani: I have been in private practice for 17 years. My practice has mainly focused on primary naturopathic care and in recent years I have been focusing on hormones and thyroid health.
DUTCH: What other functional testing do you use in your practice?
Dr. Alycia Policani: In addition to using DUTCH for hormone and adrenal function testing, I order standard lab chemistries, thyroid function testing, food allergy testing, comprehensive lipid testing, DNA PCR stool analysis, GI Health tests
DUTCH: How have you incorporated DUTCH Testing into your practice?
Dr. Alycia Policani: DUTCH test is a cornerstone of our practice. Since my associate and myself focus so much on sex hormone and adrenal health, the results we receive from the DUTCH have been invaluable in helping patients obtain optimal wellness.
DUTCH: What are the changes you have seen in your patients and practice since incorporating the DUTCH Test
Dr. Alycia Policani: The big changes are that I am using a lot less progesterone and diagnosing significantly less adrenal fatigue now that I am getting accurate results. The results I get from the DUTCH correlate much more accurately to the patients’ clinical picture than testing I have used in the past.
DUTCH: Where do you see functional/ integrative medicine 20 years from now?
Dr. Alycia Policani: Wow, great question. There are already so many amazing developments and research coming out now. I hope to see functional/integrative medicine as mainstream in twenty years. The current paradigm is not working and Americans are becoming incredibly unhealthy. A marriage between the two philosophies is what I feel is necessary for keeping people healthy.
DUTCH: What do you like to do outside of work?
Dr. Alycia Policani: I love to travel, that’s my passion. I also bike, hike, horseback ride, garden, cook, woodwork, make jewelry. I’m a little ADD about my hobbies.
