Amy Nett, MD

On Life’s Unexpected Twists

The call to healing arrives differently for every doctor. For me, it took hold during my college years at UC Santa Barbara. It was there that I became a student of nutrition and pharmacology, a nationally ranked competitive cyclist, and first discovered the beauty of a local farmers market. This interest in health and fitness, combined with my love of science, paved the way to Georgetown University School of Medicine, where I completed my M.D. with an additional year devoted to clinical research.

After graduation, I returned home to California, immersing myself in post-graduate training during an internship in internal medicine at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, followed by a residency and fellowship in radiology at Stanford University Hospital. 

But something was missing. As a practicing board-certified radiologist, I missed working directly with patients, and knew I could offer more to patients seeking answers along their paths to healing. I realized that successfully addressing their needs required a deeper, more personal connection.  

Motivated and informed by my own health struggles, I started to read intensely about functional and integrative medicine. Over the next year, I made the difficult decision to leave radiology, and started training under a variety of functional and integrative medicine experts and mentors. In late 2014, I began treating patients through a functional medicine approach at the California Center for Functional Medicine.

In early 2019, I completed the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) Certification Program, and in September 2020 I completed a two year fellowship program with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM). This education paved the way for my board certification through the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABPS) in 2021.

Each step along the way has allowed me to carefully blend my conventional medical training with a sound functional medicine approach, relying on evidence-based medicine and research when possible, while also incorporating healing practices from various traditional medical practices.

And now, in private practice since 2019, I continue to be as excited about learning more alongside, and often from, my patients. I’ll never stop growing as a physician, and am eager to continue this journey, seeing what unfolds in this next chapter of my career.

With Gratitude,

maria coggiola

As a first generation American, I learned from a young age that food and exercise are an essential form of self care, connection, and medicine. My Filipina nanay, who was also a registered nurse, would make me homemade ginger tea and chicken vegetable soup whenever I was sick. My Guatemalan abuela always emphasized being active and she practiced yoga until she passed at 95 years of age. The mind-body connection has always intrigued me. As I have matured and become more present in my wellness journey, I want to continue to learn, knowing that there is so much more knowledge to be discovered through my own experiences and from those around me.

It was my love of learning that led me to become a certified yoga instructor, certified personal trainer, and now continuing my education to become a nutrition coach. I have taught yoga all over the Napa Valley for the last thirteen years.

Maria currently lives in the Napa Valley with her husband and daughter. You can usually find the Coggiola family hiking, gardening, playing soccer, or enjoying the beach.

What is Functional Medicine?

searching for the source of symptoms,
rather than addressing only symptoms themselves

Functional medicine is a unique, individualized approach to care that looks at the root causes of illness. It’s about searching for the source of symptoms, rather than addressing only symptoms themselves. For example, if someone is having pain in their foot, conventional medicine would offer Advil to dull the pain, while functional medicine would look to remove the nail they stepped on, addressing the underlying source of the pain. Functional medicine is still evidence-based. We order labs for each person, and then use a holistic assessment to choose the best diet and lifestyle interventions, incorporating nutrient support, botanical supplements and even prescription medications where appropriate.

What is Integrative Medicine?

a journey to better understand the patient’s mental,
emotional and spiritual needs

Integrative medicine allows for a treatment plan that includes the best practices from a wide variety of medical traditions and healing modalities. For example, we can begin by using the best practices of Western medicine, and then, on a case-by-case basis, consider the value of working with a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, Ayurvedic practitioner, physical therapist or energy healer. Integrative medicine is also a journey to better understand the patient’s mental, emotional and spiritual needs, and how those needs affect their physical health and wellness. It’s about expanding the limits of traditional medicine and approaching our practice with a broader, more open mindset.

What is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)?

A natural form of balancing hormones

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a more natural form of balancing hormones. It’s used to treat men and women who have experienced a drop or imbalance in their hormone levels. Symptoms related to hormonal imbalance can happen for a variety of reasons, and are most commonly seen in women during the menopausal transition. Increasingly, research on hormone replacement therapy is also showing promise in supporting healthy aging, particularly in the context of improving bone strength and preventing osteoporosis, supporting brain health and thus lessening cognitive decline, improving sleep, and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease in women. Bioidentical hormones are identical in makeup to the ones our bodies produce naturally. BHRT is built into follow-up appointments as part of an overall functional medicine plan. BHRT is not right for every patient, and the benefits and risks must be discussed, with treatment tailored to the individual.