Health and Life Missouri, a Park Hills, Missouri-based telehealth company, was voted by Greenway readers as the easiest to use cannabis clinic. The company, founded by Debra Ahsbahs (pictured, right), offers easy to navigate telehealth appointments with Festus-based physician Dr. Luis Mertins.
“As soon as I realized how few and far between doctors who were willing to recommend or certify patients, I decided to create life Health and Life Missouri to provide patients with a safe and easily accessible medical marijuana-friendly doctor to help with the physician certification process,” Ahsbahs told Greenway.
Founder Ahsbahs is an entrepreneur, veteran, and mother passionate about helping others. “I found cannabis to be helpful in treating my anxiety, sleep problems, and pain,” Ahsbahs said. “I want to make sure other people have the opportunity to explore it as an option to see if it can help provide relief for them.”
Physician Dr. Mertins (pictured, right) has been a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist for over 30 years. “I believe that medical marijuana can safely help patients with a lot of medical conditions, especially those that involve the use of dangerous narcotics, barbiturates and any medication that can increase any risks of dependence, overdose or death,” Dr. Mertins said.
From listening to patients, the Health and Life team has observed patients are interested in being able to have a greater sense of freedom and control in the selection and disbursement of their medication. With traditional medication, it is administered on a regimented schedule, taken in a precise dosage, and should only be changed or discontinued as determined by a patient’s physician. “That is both a fantastic and unpleasant side effect of modern medicine,” Ahsbahs said. “Medical cannabis, however, can be administered in a similar fashion to how over-the-counter medications are used, where dosages, and the frequency at which it is taken, can be modified to match how the patient is affected at a given time and can be discontinued based on the patient’s schedule or needs.”
Ahsbahs and Mertins see telehealth as having a few benefits over a traditional brick and mortar clinic. Telehealth, a new industry in Missouri as well – being legalized in Missouri within the last 5 years – affords a patient a high degree of convenience. It can circumvent some of the social, emotional, and mobility concerns, in addition to transportation issues, that some patients experience when attending an appointment at a doctor’s office. There is also an added level of flexibility as far as scheduling, allowing the world to be the waiting room.
Dr. Mertins, an approachable and caring physician, has a passion for educating and caring for patients. He believes that medical cannabis is a safer alternative to some of the over-prescribed medications and that educating patients can empower them to manage their symptoms or conditions.
Professionalism and compassion are the company “watchwords.” “Our team is interested in taking time to help the patients with whatever their needs,” Ahsbahs said.
The publisher of this publication and author of this feature, Rachael Dunn, used Health and Life Missouri for her certification and is happy other Missourians also had a great experience. She was not compensated in any way for this recognition. Winners were chosen by Greenway reader’s categorical nominations for Best of the Industry.
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