Sierra Integrative Medical Center

Clinic Profile

Sierra Integrative Medical Center (sierraintegrative.com) is a single location, freestanding outpatient integrative medicine center located at 521 Hammill Lane in Reno, Nevada. It is touted as “the nation’s foremost integrative medical clinic” because it is one of the oldest and most respected integrative medicine clinics in the country.

The center specializes in patients suffering from difficult-to-diagnose and chronic conditions, such as Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune disorders, neurological disorders, toxicity, HIV, Hepatitis-C, MS and fibromyalgia as well as weight loss, pain management, drug and alcohol detox and cancer support. The approach is root cause medicine that explores and remediates the underlying imbalances that cause each patient’s illness, instead of treating symptoms or masking the disease with pharmacologic therapies.

SIMC is a cash-pay clinic only, and does not accept insurance. The first consultation is a requirement of the 3-5 day in-person stay in Reno for full testing and evaluation.

Address: 521 Hammill Lane Reno, NV 89511

(Note: A second address at 9333 Double R Blvd, Suite 100, Reno, NV 89521 appears in some directories, likely reflecting a historical or additional location.)

Phone: (775) 828-5388 Website: sierraintegrative.com

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Hours:

• Monday – Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Friday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Saturday – Sunday: Closed

Background and History

Sierra Integrative Medical Center was founded in 1983 by Harvard trained physician Dr. Yiwien Chang in Reno under the name of Century Wellness Center. With years of experience, Dr. Chang began to have a disillusionment with allopathic medicine and turned to traditional Chinese medicine and homeopathy for answers. His practice grew to become a way of living that reflects this holistic approach to healing.

Dr. Bruce Fong, DO, HMD, was exposed to natural and homeopathic medicine at a young age and he shared his philosophy with his stepson, Dr. Chang. After the dissolution of its partnership in 2003, Sierra Integrative Medical Center was founded with the original staff and physicians and continued the service provided and its Reno location. From that point on, Dr. Fong has been the Founding Medical Director and has specialized in alternative treatment for immune-related diseases ever since, currently over 30 years.

It has been in operation for more than 40 years and it has been a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine nationally, using the best of conventional medicine, homeopathy, Chinese medicine, orthomolecular medicine, nutritional medicine, and neurotherapy in customized treatment recommendations.

Services and Programs

SIMC draws from all schools of medicine to create individualized treatment programs. All programs begin with a comprehensive 3–5 day initial evaluation including a complete history and physical, electro-diagnostic screening, and thorough laboratory analysis.

Weight Loss:

• Medical Weight Loss — confidential, medically supervised weight loss management; highly individualized; semaglutide (GLP-1) available when clinically indicated; multifaceted approach combining conventional and integrative tools; nutritional therapies, orthomolecular support, and behavioral medicine incorporated alongside medication
• Weight loss is treated as a root-cause issue — hormonal imbalances, gut dysfunction, thyroid dysfunction, and metabolic issues are evaluated alongside traditional weight loss approaches

Core Integrative Specialties:

• Lyme Disease (specialty)
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / ME-CFS
• Autoimmune diseases (MS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis)
• Viral diseases (HIV, Hepatitis-C)
• Neurological disorders
• Fibromyalgia / Osteoarthritis
• Environmental toxicity
• Cancer Support (alternative and integrative)

Treatment Modalities:

• Homeopathy — classical and German homeopathic medicine
• Natural and Biological Medicines — including mistletoe therapy, plant-based biologicals, and natural anti-infectives
• Orthomolecular Integration — high-dose vitamin, mineral, and nutrient therapy; IV nutrient infusions
• Parenteral Intravenous Therapy — IV detoxification of organs; immune system support and rebuilding
• Nutritional Therapies — individualized nutritional protocols targeting cellular function and immune support
• Traditional Chinese Medicine — herbs, acupuncture principles applied
• Behavioral Medicine — mind-body integration; stress, emotional and psychological factors
• Neurotherapy — brain and nervous system rebalancing
• Pain Management — chronic pain treatment using integrative protocols
• Drug Detox and Alcohol Detox — medically supervised, confidential detox programs
• Preventive Protocols — designed to avoid recurrence of symptoms and prevent development of new problems

Doctors and Medical Professionals

Dr. Bruce Fong, DO, HMD — Founding Medical Director. Osteopathy Doctor (DO) and Homeopathic Medical Doctor (HMD). He was introduced to natural and homeopathic medicine as a child in the care of Dr. Chang his step-father. Dr. Fong has long been at the forefront of the field of alternative medicine for immune-related ailments, and has developed and established a unique homeopathic, Chinese and conventional medicine treatment protocol. He believes in addressing underlying causes of disease instead of symptom management or symptom masking with medication. He has developed special treatment programs for complicated cases such as Lyme disease, chronic fatigue, viral diseases, immune disorders and cancer support.

Dr. Yiwien Chang, MD (Founder (Emeritus)). A Harvard educated physician and the founder of the practice in 1983 called Century Wellness Center. After practicing allopathic medicine for many years, Dr. Chang added traditional Chinese medicine and homeopathy to her practice. All SIMC treatment plans are based on his root cause, solution focused approach to wellness.

Sammy Valera, RN, APH – Registered Nurse and Advanced Practitioner of Homeopathy. B.S. in Nursing degree from Manila Central University, Philippines. More that 25 years of integrated medical experience and 12 years in Surgical/PACU at Renown Medical Center in Reno. A seasoned nurse who has the experience necessary to make treatments safe and effective for complex patient cases.

Dr. Ritu Dixon, MD – Physician on staff (confirmed by Healthgrades medical group listing for Sierra Integrative Medical Center)

Medical staff, physician (confirmed via Healthgrades medical group listing; Dr. Michael Westafer, MD).

Reviews and Patient Feedback

According to the latest update on Yelp (May 2026), Sierra Integrative Medical Center has 17 reviews. Patients’ reviews on the clinic’s website are significant achievements for those with complex and chronic diseases that have not been addressed by traditional medical treatment. The whole day or 3-5 day initial intake process that is used in the practice demonstrates the level of scrutiny conducted, something patients continually express as a primary difference from traditional medical appointments.

Testimonials and Quotes

The following testimonial was taken from the Sierra Integrative Medical Center home page:

• “Dr. Fong and the whole staff at Sierra Integrative Medical Center have made my life better. — Patient testimonial, sierraintegrative.com

Dr. Fong’s About page states, “Rather than symptomatically treat the symptoms or mask the illness entirely with symptomatic based pharmacologic therapies… Dr. Fong is concerned with attacking the root cause of the illness.

Pricing and Value Signals

Sierra Integrative Medical Center is a fee-for-service, cash-pay clinic — we don’t take insurance and we have chosen not to participate in Medicare. This fee arrangement is designed to allow the clinic to offer individualized, often time-intensive treatment, which is typical of their services.

Initial consultation fee: $550 (includes initial interview, comprehensive history and physical, and electro-diagnostic screening). Additional Lab ($200-$2,500 based on lab test ordered). Treatment fees are paid on a weekly basis while in treatment.

Patients may submit covered services to their insurance company for potential reimbursement from their insurance company. All documents needed by the insurance company will be delivered by the clinic.

Verification Notes

• Address (521 Hammill Ln, Reno NV 89511), phone ((775) 828-5388), and hours (Mon–Thu 9–5, Fri 9–2, closed weekends) confirmed from the Yelp listing (updated May 2026).
• Founded 1983 under Century Wellness Center name; re-established as SIMC in 2003 — confirmed from the official About Us page at sierraintegrative.com/about-us.
• Dr. Yiwien Chang (Harvard-educated founder) and Dr. Bruce Fong (DO, HMD, Founding Medical Director) credentials confirmed from the About Us page.
• Sammy Valera (RN, APH, Manila Central University, 25+ years experience, 12 years Renown Medical Center Surgical/PACU) confirmed from the About Us page.
• Dr. Ritu Dixon and Dr. Michael Westafer confirmed as staff physicians from Healthgrades medical group listing.
• The 3–5 day initial consultation requirement and $550 fee (plus $200–$2,500 labs) confirmed from the Treatments page (sierraintegrative.com/treatments).
• Fee-for-service only, no insurance, Medicare opt-out confirmed from the Treatments page.
• Semaglutide services confirmed from SemaglutideNearMe.org directory listing for Sierra Integrative Medical Center.
• All treatment modalities confirmed from the Treatments page and Yelp specialty description.
• “Nation’s foremost integrative medical clinic” claim sourced from the practice’s own homepage (sierraintegrative.com).