Find a Top Family Doctor Near Me in Elyria, OH – Book an Appointment Instantly

I am Dr. Carmen E. Gota, MD, an experienced internal medicine, rheumatology, and weight-loss specialist and the founder of SlimWell. I am double board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology and care for adults aged 18 and older.

I was born in Transylvania, Romania. I completed my medical training at Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, România, where I graduated as a valedictorian. I did an Internal Medicine Residency, then joined the University staff as an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine. In that capacity, I taught medical students the discipline of semiology and how to recognize the signs and symptoms of diseases.

I completed my US Internal Medicine residency at Lenox Hill Hospital on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. There, I learned how different the American healthcare system was from the one I just left. I also noticed that being curious, kind, and compassionate matters the same no matter where you practice medicine. 

Throughout all these years of practice, I struggled with the frustrations related to the limits of our care. I wondered in many instances about the wisdom of treating conditions without treating the root cause – the disease of obesity. So, I decided that I needed to learn more about Obesity Medicine.

I always believed and tried to help my patients comprehensively. As obesity is the root cause of many conditions, I realized that managing weight could be the key to more effective comprehensive health care for a lot of my patients. 

SlimWell is the product of this vision for a healthcare model that delivers comprehensive integrative care by targeting weight loss with the goal of major downstream health benefits. 

On a personal level, I believe my relationship with my patients is a partnership where we work together towards improved health.  

I began my nursing career as a bath girl at an assisted living facility when I was 20 years old. When I was 22, I decided it was time to go to college and further my career. I went to school at NCSC to obtain my Licensed Practical Nursing degree. I began working at MedCentral hospital on an orthopedic/pediatric unit. I spent time working on the Medical Surgical floor and floating to different areas of the hospital such as the step-down units, and endoscopy as well as the urgent cares and working some in Shelby on the floor as well. I went back to Marion technical college to obtain my Registered Nurse degree through their transition program. I immediately got a job back at MedCentral on orthopedics again and the hospital was soon bought out by OhioHealth. I worked in ortho for 3 years and decided to advance my skills to the Emergency Department. I spent 5 years in the Emergency department while I got my BSN. I also spent three years of that time working as a Sexual Assault Nurse

We are a small privately owed practice and we see patients of all ages. We strive to serve and treat patients as professionally as we can and yet treat them like family.

Dr. Deol has multiple interests in the following areas: Dr. Deol majored in Nutrition & Food Science in her undergraduate studies & uses nutrition as a major emphasis for disease prevention and treatment. Integrative & Holistic Medicine based on Osteopathic Philosophies which view the mind, body, and spirit as inseparable in disease treatment and prevention. Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) focused on treatment of muscles, nerves, bones, & the body organs as a single unit to ultimately restore harmony. Manual manipulation is aimed to restore the body’s natural alignment, improve mobility, & improve blood/ lymphatic flow. It is proven to decrease pain & dependence on pain medicine overall. Trained by the Osteopathic Cranial Academy in specific cranial osteopathy techniques for an alternative no-pill treatment of migraines, headaches, sleep disturbances, TMJ, anxiety, depression, trauma/injury recovery, pelvic pain, stomach/intestinal disorders, etc.

Healing Family Functional Medicine provides comprehensive Functional Medicine care to men, women and children in and around the Pepper Pike area. Functional Medicine specialist, Seema Patel, MD, MPH, IFMCP, incorporates lifestyle strategies, nutritional counseling, hormone balancing, gut healing treatments, and detoxification into personalized management plans to optimize health and well-being.   

Dr. Patel graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a degree in economics. She spent a year teaching in Nairobi, Kenya before attending medical school at The Ohio State University in Columbus. She finished her Family Medicine residency at The University of Illinois in Chicago.  A few years after her medical training, Dr. Patel returned to the University of Michigan to earn her master’s degree in public health.

Soon after practicing Family Medicine, she realized that conventional medicine wasn’t helping her patients. After Integrative Medicine training, Dr. Patel opened an Integrative Health practice focused on nutrition and lifestyle changes, hormone replacement services and cosmetic treatments.  Her family moved to Northeast Ohio when her husband accepted a position at The Cleveland Clinic. 

In Ohio, Dr. Patel trained in Functional Medicine and joined Mark Hyman, MD at The Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. At The Clinic, she created customized Functional Medicine strategies to address the root cause of chronic physical and mental health conditions for patients of all ages. She brings this wealth of experience to Healing Family Functional Medicine to develop personalized care plans for individuals and families to optimize physical, mental and emotional health.

In addition to men’s health, women’s health and pediatric care, Dr. Patel specializes in preconception services to support a healthy pregnancy.  She created the First 1,000 Days of Life program to help parents build a strong foundation for children starting at conception to two years of age.  This unique family group visit is designed to educate and empower families on the importance of nutrition, lifestyle and stress management for optimal functioning, growth, and development. 

Healing Family Functional Medicine also offers holistic strategies to manage mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Dr. Patel’s root-cause approach to mental health includes comprehensive laboratory testing for nutritional and vitamin deficiencies, food sensitivities, gut microbiome testing, hormone evaluation, as well as possible toxin exposures. Healing Family Functional Medicine is the first to offer a unique group visit combining the powerful specialties of Functional Medicine with holistic therapy. This group incorporates the best of Functional Medicine with mind-body skills training to calm the body and allow healing to occur.

Dr. Patel collaborated extensively with The Cleveland Clinic’s ReCOVer program for long COVID. She created the first post COVID group and presented the Center for Functional Medicine’s findings to the National Institutes for Health (NIH) to support the recovery of individuals nationwide. Using this experience, Dr. Patel created group visits for long COVID patients at Healing Family Functional Medicine to manage persistent symptoms of shortness of breath, fatigue, brain fog as well as their increasing risk of developing autoimmune conditions and heart disease.

Call Healing Family Functional Medicine in Pepper Pike, Ohio to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online today. 

Dr. Deol has multiple interests in the following areas: Dr. Deol majored in Nutrition & Food Science in her undergraduate studies & uses nutrition as a major emphasis for disease prevention and treatment. Integrative & Holistic Medicine based on Osteopathic Philosophies which view the mind, body, and spirit as inseparable in disease treatment and prevention. Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) focused on treatment of muscles, nerves, bones, & the body organs as a single unit to ultimately restore harmony. Manual manipulation is aimed to restore the body’s natural alignment, improve mobility, & improve blood/ lymphatic flow. It is proven to decrease pain & dependence on pain medicine overall. Trained by the Osteopathic Cranial Academy in specific cranial osteopathy techniques for an alternative no-pill treatment of migraines, headaches, sleep disturbances, TMJ, anxiety, depression, trauma/injury recovery, pelvic pain, stomach/intestinal disorders, etc.

Dr. Deol has multiple interests in the following areas: Dr. Deol majored in Nutrition & Food Science in her undergraduate studies & uses nutrition as a major emphasis for disease prevention and treatment. Integrative & Holistic Medicine based on Osteopathic Philosophies which view the mind, body, and spirit as inseparable in disease treatment and prevention. Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) focused on treatment of muscles, nerves, bones, & the body organs as a single unit to ultimately restore harmony. Manual manipulation is aimed to restore the body’s natural alignment, improve mobility, & improve blood/ lymphatic flow. It is proven to decrease pain & dependence on pain medicine overall. Trained by the Osteopathic Cranial Academy in specific cranial osteopathy techniques for an alternative no-pill treatment of migraines, headaches, sleep disturbances, TMJ, anxiety, depression, trauma/injury recovery, pelvic pain, stomach/intestinal disorders, etc.

Tina Joyce, DO, is a skilled and compassionate family physician, offering comprehensive medical practice with her nurse practitioners and a private concierge medical service for patients who are looking for what is becoming lost in medicine. Both of these avenues care are for patients of all ages.  Furthermore, Dr. Joyce offers alternative and aesthetic options through the Concord Health and Wellness Center in Concord, Ohio. 

Dr. Joyce provides both diagnostic and treatment services for a variety of acute illnesses and chronic diseases through her concierge practice. She combines alternative and holistic therapies with traditional medicine to achieve the best outcome. Dr. Joyce values the importance of preventive health care and specializes in routine wellness exams focused on the unique needs of pediatric patients and women. She also has a special interest in the treatment of Lyme disease, West Nile virus, chronic fatigue, fatty liver, and dementia.

Dr. Joyce holds an affiliation with University Hospitals and the Lake Health System in Ohio. She is currently serving on board positions in both systems, including a recent four-year tenure as the president of the Family Medicine Department for the Lake Health System.

Graduating magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Joyce went on to complete her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine while simultaneously finishing a teaching fellowship at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio, where she later served as an assistant professor. Before starting her family practice, Dr. Joyce served as the chief resident at University Richmond Medical Center in Richmond Heights, Ohio.

In addition to providing a wide range of family medicine services, Dr. Joyce now offers the latest in noninvasive technologies by InMode to address age-related skin imperfections, urinary incontinence, and hyperhidrosis. She is also partnering with a provider that has extensive experience in other cosmetic services, including injectable fillers and Botox®. 

When not serving her patients, Dr. Joyce spends time with her five children. She stays active competing in local road races and can often be found jogging with her dogs.