Questions
The things people ask before they book.
How care works at NorthStar, who you'll be working with, and what to expect. If your question isn't here, just ask.
Telehealth and Massachusetts
Where is NorthStar Integrative Medicine located?
NorthStar Integrative Medicine is based in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and serves patients across the state through secure telehealth.
Do you see patients in person, or is everything virtual?
Care is primarily delivered through telehealth. You meet with Amy by secure video from wherever you are in Massachusetts, so there's no commute and no waiting room. In-person visits are available on request.
Do I need to be in Massachusetts for my visit?
Yes. You need to be physically located in Massachusetts at the time of your appointment.
This isn't a preference, it's a licensing rule. Amy is licensed to practice as a Physician Assistant in Massachusetts, and clinicians can only treat patients who are physically present in a state where they hold a license. The same rule applies to every telehealth practice in the country.
In practice, that means you can live anywhere, but you need to be in Massachusetts during your visit. If you're traveling out of state on your appointment day, we'll reschedule. You'll confirm your location when you check in.
If you split your time between states, mention it at your first visit and we'll work out the timing together.
What parts of Massachusetts do you serve?
All of it. The practice is based in Newburyport, on the North Shore, but telehealth means location isn't a barrier.
Patients come to NorthStar from across the Commonwealth, including Greater Boston, the North Shore, the Merrimack Valley, MetroWest, Worcester and central Massachusetts, the South Shore, and Cape Cod. If you live in Massachusetts, you can be seen.
What do I need for a telehealth visit?
Not much. A private space, a stable internet connection, and a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera.
Labs are ordered to a lab near you, so you do your bloodwork locally and the results come back to Amy for review.
Your provider and your care
Who will I be working with?
You'll work directly with Amy Patterson, MMSc, PA-C, a nationally board-certified Physician Assistant licensed in Massachusetts, with more than 25 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master of Medical Sciences from Emory University School of Medicine and is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
Amy specializes in hormone therapy for perimenopause and menopause, and in medical weight management. You see her at every visit, not a rotating panel of clinicians.
What services does NorthStar offer?
Hormone replacement therapy, medical weight management using GLP-1 medications, and combined care that treats both together.
Integrative care at NorthStar means combining hormone therapy, GLP-1 medications, and lifestyle strategy under one licensed provider, using lab-based data and evidence-based prescribing to build a plan that's personalized to you.
Is NorthStar a functional medicine practice?
No. NorthStar takes an integrative approach, combining conventional, evidence-based hormone therapy and weight management with personalized, whole-person care.
Integrative here means looking at your hormones, metabolism, and lifestyle together rather than in isolation. As a licensed Physician Assistant, Amy prescribes hormone therapy, GLP-1 medications, and other treatments directly, so your plan can be carried out in one place with one provider.
This is not a supplement-based or non-prescribing functional medicine model.
What conditions and symptoms do you treat?
Patients come to NorthStar for:
- Perimenopause and menopause symptom management
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Sleep disturbance and insomnia related to hormone changes
- Mood changes, irritability, and brain fog
- Fatigue and low energy
- Low libido and decreased sexual desire
- Vaginal dryness and genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM)
- Low estrogen and related symptoms
- Weight that won't respond to diet and exercise
Treatment may include bioidentical and compounded hormone replacement therapy, testosterone therapy for women, and GLP-1 medications for medical weight management.
What makes NorthStar different from a large telehealth company?
You receive personalized, one-on-one care from the same clinician at every visit, not a rotating panel of providers.
Care is relationship-based and built for ongoing management, with treatment decisions, medication adjustments, and follow-up guided by how you respond over time, rather than a transactional or prescription-only approach.
Getting started
What happens at the first visit?
Your first visit is 60 minutes.
Beforehand, you'll complete an intake form covering your health history, along with financial policy forms and telehealth consent, and you'll confirm that you're located in Massachusetts.
During the visit, Amy reviews your history, your symptoms, what you've already tried, and your goals, and you build a treatment plan together.
Do you take insurance?
NorthStar is a direct-pay practice and does not bill insurance. This keeps your care private, unhurried, and focused on you rather than on insurance requirements. Payment is by credit card.
Many insurance plans do cover your prescriptions and lab work, and we provide whatever your pharmacy needs to check your coverage. Lab testing and medications are billed separately.
How much does care cost?
The initial consultation is $325 for a comprehensive 60-minute evaluation. Ongoing care is structured as a monthly membership: $175/month for hormone therapy and $195/month for medical weight management, each with a three-month minimum.
How do I become a patient?
Book your first visit online, complete your intake forms, and meet with Amy by secure video.
How do I reach you between visits?
PLACEHOLDER — pending confirmation.
Still have a question?
Book an initial visit and we'll talk it through properly, or send a note and we'll get back to you within two business days.
Book an Appointment