Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners Jane Snyder and Mary Ellen Francescani are kindred spirits. They met while working together in the intensive care unit at St. Joe’s Hospital more than 20 years ago and quickly bonded over their shared philosophies on whole person wellness. Their parallel journeys in training and passion for holistic care ultimately inspired them to open MiddleWay Wellness, an integrative direct primary care practice dedicated to empowering adults 18 and older to achieve optimal health.

During their time in conventional health care, Snyder and Francescani saw the strengths of allopathic medicine but couldn’t ignore a glaring gap—it often overlooked the role of lifestyle-based approaches in achieving lasting health. Seeking a more holistic perspective, they completed a fellowship at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, where they embraced the foundational idea that “food as medicine” is key to maintaining good health.

They deepened their expertise by completing comprehensive training through the Institute for Functional Medicine, mastering all the functional medicine modules. This dual training allowed them to merge conventional and complementary approaches seamlessly. In October, Snyder and Francescani brought this vision to life by opening MiddleWay Wellness, where they offer patients a balanced path to holistic health.

At MiddleWay Wellness, integrative medicine combines the best of conventional treatments with evidence-based holistic methods, including herbs, supplements, nutrition and other modalities, to optimize health and wellness. This comprehensive approach focuses on preventive lifestyle measures and aims to create lasting benefits for patients.

Snyder explains that while working in conventional health care, there wasn’t enough time in a 15-minute appointment to fully address a patient’s health concerns. Through her integrative medicine fellowship, she developed the ability to offer individualized care with treatment plans incorporating various modalities, depending on what the patient needs.

MiddleWay Wellness offers a broad range of services, including primary care such as annual checkups, sick visits, mental wellness and chronic disease management; gynecological care such as pap smears and pelvic exams; procedures like ear wax removal and simple suturing; and preventive care services like nutrition counseling, weight-loss support and general health and bone health management.

Francescani adds, “We also do functional medicine testing. We take a deep dive into nutritional supplementation. We try to get underneath the problem and meet the patient where they are.”

The practice operates through a direct primary care model, where patients pay a monthly membership fee that covers all services, including in-office visits, virtual visits and phone consultations. This model ensures transparent pricing and gives providers the time to form meaningful relationships with their patients, spending 30 to 90 minutes during each visit.

“We can do a lot of virtual visits and telephone consults because we’re not incentivized to have everyone come to the office so we can get reimbursed through insurance,” Snyder explains. “Direct primary care was born from a desire for medical providers to establish solid relationships with patients.”

To make care even more convenient, MiddleWay Wellness features an onsite lab where patients can have their blood drawn. Patients can use their insurance for labs or opt for MiddleWay’s negotiated cash rates, which offer significant savings.

Francescani shares that the Lancaster community has embraced the practice with enthusiasm. “Patients are so grateful and express that they feel safe, cared for and listened to. We’re accessible and provide what patients should experience every time they walk into a healthcare facility. It’s a completely different paradigm of care.”

Snyder emphasizes that having ample time with patients allows them to understand their lifestyle, the joys or stressors they’re facing, and how lifestyle changes like proper nutrition and better sleep can support whole wellness.

“Direct primary care allows us to practice good family medicine the way it should be practiced,” Snyder says. “It’s a bit of a mind shift, but people are ready for it. I take joy in empowering patients to have control over their health and well-being and seeing them thrive.”

Francescani reflects on how the practice has allowed her to follow her passion for sharing knowledge about complementary modalities. “Jane and I wanted other people to have access to this information about botanicals and supplements, or alternative therapies. I feel like the circle has closed and I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”