How Meliora Integrative Medicine was Founded

I became a physician because I really wanted to take care of people and help those who are sick become better and stay healthy. As a neurologist, I found that conventional medicine relied too much on diagnosis and prescribing medications for symptoms and disease. Often times I found that it didn’t address the underlying root causes, patients still had side effects to the treatments and simply didn’t get better.

As a neurologist, I found that conventional medicine relied too much on diagnosis and prescribing medications for symptoms and disease.

Fellowship Training with Dr. Weil

As I would make my rounds at the hospital, I noticed younger patients being admitted to the hospital with strokes, undergoing extensive testing and leaving the hospital with a long list of medications. I knew there was a better way.

My search to make patients better began with a two-year Integrative Medicine fellowship with Dr. Andrew Weil.

Discovering Integrative Medicine

In integrative medicine, patients are placed at the center and the full ranges of influences (physical, emotional, mental, social, nutritional) on their health are addressed.

I studied and experimented with various modalities, all while collecting and expanding my toolkit with different methods to help my patients. Having a neurology background helped me understand how our body’s response to stress affected our digestive, immune and hormonal systems which uncovered many root causes of symptoms and disease.

Overall, Integrative Medicine simply made more sense.

In 2013, I founded Meliora Integrative Medicine. Meliora is Latin for better. Semper ad meliora, means “always towards the pursuit of better”. As a physician, I’m always looking to find a better way to practice medicine, pursuing better ways to help my patients.

Mission

Meliora Integrative Medicine exists to provide better ways for patients to achieve optimal health, healing and wellness.

Vision

To improve overall healthcare by focusing all efforts on optimization of quality of life and prevention of disease.

Our Team

Rowena Chua, MD

Owner/Medical Director

Dr. Chua is Board-Certified in Neurology and Integrative Medicine. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology at the University of California, Los Angeles and a medical degree at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines.

Dr. Chua completed neurological training at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University and Rush University Medical Center. After residency and fellowship training, she worked as a Neurologist in private practice for three years. From there, she worked as a neurohospitalist for five years, serving multiple hospital systems in the Midwest. She has been Board-Certified with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology since 2007.

In 2012, Dr. Chua began a two-year fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, under the direction of Dr. Andrew Weil. In 2015, she completed additional training from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) & Metabolic Medicine Institute (MMI) and Age Management Medicine Group (AMMG). That same year, she completed a clinical preceptorship at the Sajune Institute for Restorative and Regenerative Medicine. She became Board-Certified with the American Board of Integrative Medicine in 2017.

Dr. Chua is committed to lifelong learning on the latest innovations in medicine, focusing on the whole individual and their wellness.

Taylor Lake

Registered Nurse | Certified Phlebotomist

Taylor is Meliora Integrative Medicine’s registered nurse. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science & Wellness from North Park University and a Master’s degree in Nursing from UIC. Her passion for patient wellness is driven by the satisfaction of seeing patients feel and look their best. She truly believes that everyone deserves to live a healthy and happy life at every age and integrative medicine allows that to happen for patients. Taylor is devoted to building a strong patient relationship with you and guiding you through your health journey.