New year, new you! There is great news for anyone whose New Year’s resolutions include goals for longevity and healthspan (which is everyone, including all of us who jingle-jangled our way through the holidays).
Concierge medicine and longevity-focused care are having a moment, and a great option is as close as Mission Metabolic Health on Harper Avenue in St. Clair Shores near the border with Grosse Pointe. The practice is based on a model that emphasizes proactive routine preventative care, not reactive care. And if someone gets sick or needs more urgent attention, same-day and next-day appointments are available, as well as access to the doctor’s cell phone and email when the patient needs them most.
“Our approach is to look at what barriers might arise to a person’s wellness, and plan how we can get ahead of it,” says founder Dr. Sean Cassleman.
He and his staff at Mission Metabolic Health offer full-service, individualized healthcare management as well as in-house coaching on exercise and nutrition. This consists of executive-style annual physicals and longer routine appointments tailored to a patient’s needs (featuring ample time for patient interaction to discuss lifestyle choices and goals), rendering treatment for medical issues, strategizing and ordering tests, coordination of healthcare with outside medical specialists (Dr. Cassleman will even sit in with other medical specialists’ appointments to coordinate care when needed) to help provide clarity around making vital health decisions.
The team also makes use of state-of-the-art testing and equipment to obtain accurate body composition measurements, hormone levels, in-depth lab testing, and more. An individualized personal diet, sleep, and fitness plan are central to Mission Metabolic Health’s approach. Dedicated onsite coaches oversee scheduled custom workouts and strength and mobility benchmarking in a clean, bright gym.
“Measuring a person’s cardiorespiratory capacity, strength, stability, and mobility are essential to planning for their future health,” says Dr. Cassleman.
The vibe throughout the sleek new facility (which opened a year ago) is visually pleasing and Zen. The reception room is spotless and airy, with limited seating by design, equipped with a self-serve pantry offering gourmet coffee, tea, water, and protein shakes.
Dr. Cassleman established Mission Metabolic Health to carry out his vision of delivering high-level primary care for a seamless, stress-free experience where patients do not have to wait to get care. That vision is centered around a multidisciplinary approach focusing on the foundational lifestyle components of diet, exercise and sleep to achieve results. He came to believe in the tremendous power of that connection while completing his residency in Internal Medicine at Sinai Grace Hospital/DMC Medical Center in Detroit and practicing internal medicine in a primary care setting in Saint Clair Shores.
“It was a wonderful place to train because I saw the full spectrum of disease,” Dr. Cassleman reports. “I also began to see the impact I could have on people’s lives through primary care.”
Where traditional primary care falls short because of the time limitations and lack of focus on planning for the future, Mission Metabolic Health excels. Time and expertise allow for better planning around preventing what Dr. Cassleman calls the “axis of chronic disease.”
He holds a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and a Bachelor of Science from John Carroll University (where he played football). Dr. Cassleman began to see the limitations of traditional patient care that doesn’t necessarily address the root of a patient’s problem.
“My vision is to help patients better understand how their health and fitness now can impact their goals around how long and how well they live,” Dr. Cassleman explains. “Physical fitness and medical health are very tightly linked.”
Dr. Cassleman has a passion for helping each patient achieve their personal best level of wellness, and Mission Metabolic Health carries out his vision.
The practice is unique in many ways. Dr. Cassleman maintains a low patient panel (less than 250) in order to provide the quality of care required to help patients achieve their personal best health and wellness goals. This means same-day and next-day appointments, easy access by way of cell phone, email, and coordination of care. Health insurance is accepted. There is an additional membership fee.
“I have seen the wonderful things that can happen when a patient receives excellent care,” Dr. Cassleman points out. “Mission Metabolic Health is a vehicle to do just that.
“My vision for Mission Metabolic Health is to help patients better understand their goals around health so they can have the best quality and duration of life possible. Oftentimes, simple but overlooked interventions with supplementation, finding a convenient dietary change, a solid sleep strategy, and analyzing the need for each medication can make a huge impact,” Dr. Cassleman says.
People who want longevity-focused care will find it here. Dr. Cassleman completed fellowship training in Obesity Medicine and has a particular interest in hormone testing and treatment. MMH’s tailored approach includes working with individual patients to find the best way to manage and prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, cancer, neurodegenerative, metabolic disease (such as diabetes or overall frailty), and cancer. Dr. Casselman will coordinate advanced testing, including in-depth lab panels, whole body MRI, liquid biopsy, and advanced cardiovascular screening, and help patients navigate the results.
Sometimes patients can seek this testing or obtain treatment online, but Dr. Cassleman cautions, “Who is following up on what is found?” He points out, “We are here to integrate those elements for our patients.
“We can have a great impact when we listen to patients, and appropriately test and treat. There is so much opportunity to improve quality and quantity of life for men and women,” he adds, including helping patients navigate the rapidly evolving options for peptide treatments and the often confusing realm of supplements.
The process begins with foundational elements of sleep, diet, and exercise. “We have a staff of coaches to help and an in-house gym where people learn to lift weights with excellent form and progress their abilities,” he reports. MMH offers an osteoporosis weight-lifting class led by its lead trainer, Rosi Reeves, called Onero (they were first to offer it in Michigan).
“We are not just trying to deliver more years of life, we are delivering higher quality years,” he points out. That involves working with patients to find areas in their life to improve: diet, exercise, sleep, optimizing use of medicines, reducing stress, integrating supplements, and being a resource if things go wrong.
Dr. Sean Casselman and his wife, Dr. Carly Cassleman (she is a dentist), both grew up in Grosse Pointe, so it was a natural choice to set up practice here. He enjoys staying fit by spending time outdoors and going on walks with their five-year-old daughter, playing basketball and wing foiling, making pizza in his outdoor oven, and continuing to lift weights and stay active.
Mission Metabolic Health has three coaches on staff who are certified in nutrition and strength training. It is located at 21444 Harper Avenue in St. Clair Shores. Hours are Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Check out their website at: Missionmetabolichealth.com
Ready to go from a sedentary life to living your best life? Here are suggestions from Dr. Sean Cassleman: “Start by thinking about what you want. What do you want the next year, five years, or 20 years to look like? What small changes can you make right now?”
- Sleep: Sacrificing sleep in order to be productive can backfire; aim for at least seven hours.
- Diet: Try cutting back on processed foods. Focus on lean, protein-rich foods. Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store.
- Exercise: Start small and build momentum. Go for a 10-minute walk. After a week, can you increase the distance or frequency of your walks?
- Find an accountability partner. This could be anyone, a spouse or other family member, a friend or coworker, someone to check in with about your new routine. If you need more help, seek a coach or trainer.
- Be consistent. Building a new routine and sticking with it every day matters more than intensity or duration. You are building ‘muscle memory’ for a strong new life foundation.
- Drink water. Water can help keep fatigue and hunger cravings at bay. A good rule is to divide your body weight in half and drink at least that many ounces daily (more if you work out really hard or it’s very hot.
“My vision is to help patients better understand their goals around health so they can have the best quality and duration of life possible.”
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution from a medicine or lifestyle perspective. It is my job to find opportunities for improvement for each patient.”