Biography
Doctor Méndez is a double board certified gastroenterologist and internist. She specializes in digestive disorders, which include liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and nutrition based-disorders, such as obesity and constipation. Her approach to patients and their diseases is holistic and comprehensive; her goal is not just to treat the symptoms, but to get to the root cause of an ailment and provide lasting relief. All her methods are evidence-based and she is a proponent of lifestyle changes first to promote wellness.
Dr. Méndez attended Harvard University, where she obtained a B.A. in Latin American Studies, with a minor in pre-medicine. From there, she began her medical training at the ACGME accredited Universidad Central del Caribe in Puerto Rico, completed her Residency in Internal Medicine at University of Miami/ Jackson Memorial Hospital, and her Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. She has also trained in Epidemiology through Florida International University, and in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University.
She was awarded a visiting fellowship at the Mayo Clinic through the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation where she received special training in inflammatory bowel diseases. She has also helped lead multiple fund-raising walks to raise awareness for Crohn’s and Colitis in the Miami area. Dr. Vanessa Mendez was awarded Physician Champion at the Takes Steps Walk 2019 for the GastroHealth Team.
Frequently Asked Questions
You must be registered with Planted Forward to make an appointment. There is no charge to register and no commitment after you register. Once registered you will login to the portal then select “My Appointments”, you will then see:
Step 1. “Selecting a provider”,
Step 2. “Selecting your appointment type”,
then Step 3. “Selecting your appointment time.”
Visits with Dr. Mendez include:
- A complete history and assessment of your medications and supplements
- A review of labs, endoscopy and imaging
- Evaluation to pinpoint the root cause of your disease
- Education on optimizing your diet and lifestyle
- Ordering of prescription medications if needed
- A handbook on how to optimize your health
- Meditation & belly breathing techniques
- And, coming soon, our Inflammatory Bowel Disease Protocol to patients.
Dr. Mendez takes insurance when she sees patients in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
For patients in California, Florida, Maine and New York, she does not take insurances and is out of network with all commercial insurances. You can find out from your insurance how much it is to see an out of network physician and how much you can get reimbursed from your insurance.. Dr. Mendez can generate a superbill that includes a summary of your visit with diagnosis, charges, and other services to give to your insurance. We recommend contacting your insurance to understand your benefits before scheduling with us.
When Dr. Mendez orders you labs, medications, and imaging, those orders go through your insurance. The only time you will be paying Dr. Mendez directly during your visits.
Dr. Mendez services patients from coast to coast. She is currently licensed in California, Florida, Indiana, Maine and New York and will be obtaining more licenses in the near future.
Yes, through innovative avenues such as telemedicine and our patient portal, we do offer services internationally.
Yes, a secure HIPAA compliant telehealth platform will allow us to securely text, video chat, and more.
Telehealth offers a timely and affordable healthcare option to everyone. It allows Dr. Mendez to spend more time with you while respecting your busy schedule. It also gives you easy access to a healthcare professional without the long travel times, long waits, or time off from the other important things in your life.
It is safe, too! Our telecommunications network is powered by a HIPAA compliant carrier, meaning that your personal information is secure.
Dr. Mendez charges $250 for a 30 minute appointment and $400 for an hour.
We recommend a 60 minute consultation for all first time patients, as we cannot guarantee that initial evaluations can be completed within 30 minutes.
If you cancel your appointment with at least 24 business hours notice, there will not be a cancellation fee. Cancellations without a 24 business hour notice may be subject to a $50 no show/late cancellation fee.
Dr. Mendez does not take insurance. Upon request, we can provide you with an invoice if you wish to seek reimbursement.
Medical Specialties
- Digestive Diseases
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Nutrition
Fatty Liver Disease
Internal Medicine
Colonoscopy and Endoscopy
Medical Specialties
- Digestive Diseases
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Nutrition
Fatty Liver Disease
Internal Medicine
Colonoscopy and Endoscopy
Biography
Doctor Méndez is a double board certified gastroenterologist and internist. She specializes in digestive disorders, which include liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and nutrition based-disorders, such as obesity and constipation. Her approach to patients and their diseases is holistic and comprehensive; her goal is not just to treat the symptoms, but to get to the root cause of an ailment and provide lasting relief. All her methods are evidence-based and she is a proponent of lifestyle changes first to promote wellness.
Dr. Méndez attended Harvard University, where she obtained a B.A. in Latin American Studies, with a minor in pre-medicine. From there, she began her medical training at the ACGME accredited Universidad Central del Caribe in Puerto Rico, completed her Residency in Internal Medicine at University of Miami/ Jackson Memorial Hospital, and her Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. She has also trained in Epidemiology through Florida International University, and in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University.
She was awarded a visiting fellowship at the Mayo Clinic through the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation where she received special training in inflammatory bowel diseases. She has also helped lead multiple fund-raising walks to raise awareness for Crohn’s and Colitis in the Miami area. Dr. Vanessa Mendez was awarded Physician Champion at the Takes Steps Walk 2019 for the GastroHealth Team.
Frequently Asked Questions
You must be registered with Planted Forward to make an appointment. There is no charge to register and no commitment after you register. Once registered you will login to the portal then select “My Appointments”, you will then see:
Step 1. “Selecting a provider”,
Step 2. “Selecting your appointment type”,
then Step 3. “Selecting your appointment time.”
Visits with Dr. Mendez include:
- A complete history and assessment of your medications and supplements
- A review of labs, endoscopy and imaging
- Evaluation to pinpoint the root cause of your disease
- Education on optimizing your diet and lifestyle
- Ordering of prescription medications if needed
- A handbook on how to optimize your health
- Meditation & belly breathing techniques
- And, coming soon, our Inflammatory Bowel Disease Protocol to patients.
Dr. Mendez takes insurance when she sees patients in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
For patients in California, Florida, Maine and New York, she does not take insurances and is out of network with all commercial insurances. You can find out from your insurance how much it is to see an out of network physician and how much you can get reimbursed from your insurance.. Dr. Mendez can generate a superbill that includes a summary of your visit with diagnosis, charges, and other services to give to your insurance. We recommend contacting your insurance to understand your benefits before scheduling with us.
When Dr. Mendez orders you labs, medications, and imaging, those orders go through your insurance. The only time you will be paying Dr. Mendez directly during your visits.
Dr. Mendez services patients from coast to coast. She is currently licensed in California, Florida, Indiana, Maine and New York and will be obtaining more licenses in the near future.
Yes, through innovative avenues such as telemedicine and our patient portal, we do offer services internationally.
Yes, a secure HIPAA compliant telehealth platform will allow us to securely text, video chat, and more.
Telehealth offers a timely and affordable healthcare option to everyone. It allows Dr. Mendez to spend more time with you while respecting your busy schedule. It also gives you easy access to a healthcare professional without the long travel times, long waits, or time off from the other important things in your life.
It is safe, too! Our telecommunications network is powered by a HIPAA compliant carrier, meaning that your personal information is secure.
Dr. Mendez charges $250 for a 30 minute appointment and $400 for an hour.
We recommend a 60 minute consultation for all first time patients, as we cannot guarantee that initial evaluations can be completed within 30 minutes.
If you cancel your appointment with at least 24 business hours notice, there will not be a cancellation fee. Cancellations without a 24 business hour notice may be subject to a $50 no show/late cancellation fee.
Dr. Mendez does not take insurance. Upon request, we can provide you with an invoice if you wish to seek reimbursement.