SIE Medical · Atlanta & Austin
Autoimmune conditions are not all the same, and they rarely have a single cause. At SIE Medical, an integrative evaluation looks at what is sustaining immune dysregulation, gut health, hormonal patterns, nutrient status, environmental load, sleep, and metabolic function, to build a plan around what is actually modifiable for you. Care is led by Dr. Kimberly Williford, NMD, MS, RD/LD, in Atlanta and Austin, alongside your rheumatologist, endocrinologist, or gastroenterologist.
Autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system loses tolerance and begins attacking the body's own tissues. An integrative evaluation looks at what is driving that immune dysregulation rather than managing the immune attack alone. Most patients arriving at SIE Medical already have a diagnosis. What they are looking for is a different layer of clinical thinking, one that examines what is sustaining the immune pattern and whether anything can shift it. Gut health, hormones, environmental load, and nutrient status are consistently the highest-yield areas.
You have a diagnosis and are under conventional care, but fatigue, brain fog, gut issues, or flares remain difficult to manage.
Flares are increasing in frequency or severity and you want a more complete picture of what is driving them.
Autoimmune conditions cluster. If you carry more than one diagnosis, a whole-terrain evaluation can look at the shared drivers across conditions.
You have elevated markers or immune-related symptoms without a confirmed diagnosis and want a more thorough evaluation.
SIE Medical works across a wide range of autoimmune and immune-mediated conditions. Many patients carry more than one diagnosis, or have unresolved immune symptoms without a clear label.
The most common autoimmune thyroid condition. Antibodies attack thyroid tissue over time, producing fatigue, weight changes, brain fog, and cold intolerance, even when TSH looks normal. Evaluation includes antibody trends, gut health, selenium and zinc status, and immune triggers.
A multi-system autoimmune condition affecting skin, joints, kidneys, blood vessels, and the nervous system. Flares are often tied to identifiable triggers: infections, sun exposure, hormonal shifts, stress, gut imbalance. Identifying those drivers is central to the integrative approach.
The immune system targets synovial lining in joints, producing progressive inflammation and pain. Evaluation looks at gut permeability, microbiome patterns, inflammatory food exposures, nutrient deficiencies, and environmental and metabolic factors.
An immune-mediated response to gluten that damages the small intestinal lining and drives systemic inflammation. Beyond gluten removal, many celiac patients carry residual gut permeability, microbiome dysbiosis, and nutritional gaps requiring ongoing attention.
An autoimmune hyperthyroid condition in which antibodies stimulate the thyroid to overproduce hormone. Symptoms include rapid heart rate, heat intolerance, anxiety, and weight loss. Integrative support addresses the immune terrain sustaining antibody production.
These conditions often present with fatigue, joint involvement, inflammatory changes, and immune complexity. Many patients carry unresolved drivers across gut, hormonal, and environmental domains that a whole-terrain evaluation can surface.
You are welcome to reach out. A Discovery Call is a brief, no-obligation conversation to see if SIE Medical's integrative approach is a good fit for your situation.
Contact Us / Discovery Call →Atlanta (404) 236-6234 · Austin (512) 788-9941
Approximately 70% of immune tissue is located in or around the gut. Imbalances in the gut microbiome, intestinal permeability, and chronic gut inflammation have documented relationships with immune dysregulation and autoimmune disease activity. Gut health is consistently one of the highest-yield areas in an integrative autoimmune evaluation.
When the microbiome is disrupted, when the intestinal lining becomes more permeable, or when chronic gut inflammation is present, the immune system receives abnormal signals that can alter its behavior over months and years. Many patients with Hashimoto's, lupus, RA, or celiac notice that symptoms worsen during gut distress. That is not coincidence, it is the gut-immune axis at work.
An integrative evaluation at SIE Medical examines the whole terrain, not just the autoimmune diagnosis.
| Area | What Is Assessed |
|---|---|
| Gut and Microbiome | Permeability, dysbiosis, gut inflammation, and absorption capacity |
| Hormones | Estrogen, cortisol, thyroid, and adrenal patterns |
| Nutrient Status | Vitamin D, zinc, selenium, magnesium, B vitamins, and iron |
| Inflammation Markers | Beyond standard panels: immune activity and systemic inflammatory load |
| Environmental Load | Mold, heavy metals, chemical exposures, and toxin history |
| Sleep and Stress | Nervous system load, cortisol rhythm, and repair capacity |
| Metabolic Function | Blood sugar stability, mitochondrial health, and energy production |
| Food Sensitivities and Diet | Dietary patterns and reactivity as immune inputs |
SIE Medical does not replace your rheumatologist, endocrinologist, or gastroenterologist. We do not promise remission or cure through supplements or protocols alone. A Discovery Call is a fit conversation, not a full clinical consultation. We also do not provide legal or expert-witness services for environmental litigation.
Does integrative care replace my rheumatologist or specialist?
No. It is designed to work alongside conventional care. Patients with autoimmune disease should continue appropriate monitoring and treatment with their medical specialists. SIE Medical adds a terrain and functional layer on top of that care.
What can trigger autoimmune flares?
Common triggers include infections, poor sleep, hormonal shifts, inflammatory foods, gut imbalance, toxin exposure, stress surges, and nutrient deficiencies. Triggers vary considerably between individuals, which is why a personalized evaluation matters.
What labs might be included?
Depending on the patient and condition, evaluation may include inflammatory markers, antibody panels, full thyroid assessment, nutrient levels, gut health markers, hormonal testing, environmental toxin screening, and metabolic markers. The panel is individualized, not templated.
How does gut health connect to autoimmune disease?
The gut houses approximately 70% of the body's immune tissue. Microbiome imbalance, intestinal permeability, and chronic gut inflammation can send abnormal signals to the immune system and may contribute to or sustain autoimmune activity. Gut evaluation is consistently a high-priority area in this work.
Is telehealth available?
Telehealth is available for appropriate patients depending on state licensing and clinical fit. In-person care is available in Atlanta and Austin. Please reach out through the contact page to discuss which format makes sense for your situation.
NMD, MS, RD/LD · Fellowship in Environmental Medicine · Member, AAEM · Terrain Certified Practitioner, MTIH
Dr. Williford completed her NMD at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and holds a Master of Science in Nutritional Science. She is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, placing her at the intersection of naturopathic medicine, clinical nutrition, metabolic health, and environmental medicine.
Her approach is individualized rather than protocol-driven. No templated care plans. The evaluation is built around what the findings show for that patient, in that body, at that time. Most patients have already seen multiple providers and been told their labs are normal. Finding the functional picture behind those results is where the work begins.
A Discovery Call is a short, no-obligation conversation to see if SIE Medical is a good fit for your situation. No pressure.
Contact Us / Discovery CallAtlanta (404) 236-6234 · Austin (512) 788-9941
Educational content only. Not medical advice. Individual results vary. Please consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health plan.
A Naturopathic, root cause and integrative approach allows us to identify root causes and other impacts by Autoimmune Disease as well as your body’s health. We treat the Whole You not just one body system.
We start by understanding your Digestive System and your body’s processes as they are today.
The Physician creates individualized plan of health that takes into account your gut and other issues you may be experiencing.
We create a Plan of Health, that takes your body’s processes and options as indicated into account. We use a more natural approach for your body’s designed composition and internal terrain.
With our Integrative and Holistic approach, you work with a Naturopathic Medical Doctor that takes into account a broader understanding of your individualized body’s processes both strengths and weaknesses.
As part of your personalized care, we will use test to further define a detailed understanding of your body’s processes.
Dr. Williford’s practice focuses on integrative functional wellness to treat metabolic dysfunction, digestive health, hormone imbalance, longevity/anti-aging, and chronic disease including cancer support and Alzheimer’s. She earned her Master’s degree in Nutritional Science, Magna Cum Laude, from Texas Tech University. She earned her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree (N.M.D.) from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, one of only four accredited, four-year naturopathic medical schools in the United States.
“I never understood the sophistication of the immune system and the impacts that my lifestyle, diet, gut had on it. Without a healthy immune system, I had an unhealthy life. SIEM has helped me return to a lovely life. “
– S.I.E.Medical Patient
