Back to Better

How Functional Medicine Partners is Redefining Wellness in Syracuse

Photographer / Jessica Whitehead

For more than two decades, Dr. Carol White worked in some of healthcare’s most demanding settings, from ICUs and long-term care facilities to rehabilitation units. She’d seen the system up close, and while she helped countless patients recover, she noticed something troubling: the system wasn’t built for healing.

“I was becoming burned out,” Dr. White says. “It felt like we were just masking problems with prescriptions instead of making people better.”

The realization that something needed to change — along with her own health struggles — led White to functional medicine, a discipline that looks for the root causes of illness rather than treating only the symptoms. In 2025, she founded Functional Medicine Partners, a practice in Syracuse dedicated to helping patients regain their health through education, lifestyle changes, and science-backed treatments.

From Frustration to Fulfillment

White’s journey began when she faced her own health struggles and sought help.

“I needed hormone replacement therapy, but I was frustrated by the process,” she says. “That’s when I decided I could make a difference.”

So she did. White retrained, earning functional medicine certification and creating a practice that combines medical precision with a personal touch.

At Functional Medicine Partners, the approach begins with listening — really listening.

“Most of my patients come in saying, ‘My doctor says my labs look fine, but I still feel awful,’” Dr. White says. “That’s when it’s time to dig deeper.”

A Partnership in Healing

True to its name, Functional Medicine Partners operates through collaboration. White doesn’t see herself as the authority but as a partner walking alongside her patients.

“They have to be ready,” she says. “Ready to stop feeling sick and start understanding what’s causing it.”

Each new patient begins with a discovery call to ensure the practice is a good fit. From there, the process becomes deeply personalized: comprehensive lab work, an hour-long consultation, and a tailored plan that may include dietitian-guided meal plans, personal training sessions, or targeted supplementation.

The emphasis, White says, is on sustainability.

“If someone just wants a quick fix for weight loss, that’s not us,” she says. “We’re about creating habits that last.”

A Team Approach

While White leads the medical side, she’s the first to admit she doesn’t go it alone. Her team includes two registered dietitians, a personal trainer, and a licensed counselor. Together, they design holistic plans that address every layer of a patient’s well-being.

“The gut, the mind, the body — they’re all connected,” Dr. White says. “Food is medicine, movement is therapy, and education is empowerment.”

Patients receive hands-on guidance, from grocery lists to personalized fitness programs. There’s even a small on-site gym for one-on-one training, adding accountability and encouragement to each patient’s journey.

Bringing New Life to an Old Space

When White and her husband found an old pier shop for sale in Syracuse, they saw more than a rundown building — they saw potential. They renovated the space into a modern, welcoming clinic and the local community has taken notice.

“The town has been behind us,” Dr. White says. “We wanted to create something special.”

Her husband, a wealth management adviser, will soon move his practice into the same building. The pairing, White joked, makes perfect sense.

“He focuses on financial wellness, and I focus on physical wellness,” she says. “Together, we’re helping people build better futures.”

A Growing Vision

Though the doors opened this fall, White’s plans are expanding. In 2026, she hopes to introduce salt therapy and infrared sauna treatments, furthering her mission to make holistic wellness accessible in northern Indiana.

She also wants to host community education sessions — open-to-all gatherings that explore hormone health, digestive wellness and the long-term effects of common medications.

“So many people don’t realize how everyday habits affect their bodies,” Dr. White says. “Education is where change begins.”

Heart, Science, and Hope

So, what’s her secret ingredient to wellness?

“Gut health,” she says. “It’s amazing how much starts there — your mood, your immune system, your energy. What you eat matters.”

For White, the reward is watching her patients reclaim their vitality.

Functional Medicine Partners is located at 602 S. Huntington St., Syracuse, Indiana. For more information, call 877-241-7367 or visit functionalmedicinepartners.com.