Show notes
Send us Fan MailHealthcare often waits for the crash, then celebrates the rescue. We wanted to explore the opposite: a model that treats prevention as the main job, not a side note. Dr Andrew Greenland sits down with Dr Russell Van Maele, a functional medicine physician and founder of Black Sheep Health, to unpack what he calls “longevity primary care” a proactive, data-driven, relationship-led approach designed to improve healthspan and daily quality of life. Russell explains why most conventional primary care struggles to deliver real lifestyle medicine: it is not a knowledge problem, it is a time problem. When appointments are rushed and incentives are reactive, patients feel unheard and clinicians feel boxed in. We dig into how a premium, high-touch virtual clinic creates space for shared decision making, personalised goals, and ongoing coaching. We also talk about the buzz and the substance in longevity medicine, including GLP-1s, cardiometabolic risk, insulin resistance, and why no single biohack replaces fundamentals. The conversation goes behind the scenes of telemedicine and medical entrepreneurship: HIPAA compliant systems, patient portals, EMRs, labs, pharmacy logistics, and the complexity of being licensed across all 50 US states. Russell is candid about the hype machine too, from influencers without credentials to the challenge of staying evidence-led when social media is loud. If you care about preventive healthcare, functional medicine, and the future of primary care, this is a practical look at what it really takes to make it work. If this raised questions about your own care, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find it. What would you want your doctor to track with you over the next 12 months?Guest BiographyDr. Russell Van Maele is a functional medicine physician and founder of Black Sheep Health, where he practises what he describes as “longevity primary care”- combining proactive prevention, health optimisation and personalised primary care through a virtual model.After completing his medical training around the emergence of widespread telemedicine during COVID, Russell transitioned into full-time virtual care. His approach emphasises healthspan, strong doctor-patient relationships, shared decision-making and understanding the individual goals and circumstances behind a patient's health.Russell has built a telemedicine infrastructure capable of serving patients across all 50 US states and has firsthand experience navigating the clinical, technological, regulatory and entrepreneurial challenges involved in independent medical practice.His longer-term mission includes growing Black Sheep Health around his faith and values while helping other physicians develop the confidence, infrastructure and independence to create practices of their own.Contact DetailsWebsite: https://blacksheephealth.comLinked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-van-maele-834511228/Subscribe on SubstackVoices in Health and Wellness is published on Substack, as part of The Diagnostician. Every episode lands there with written notes and reflections you won't find in the podcast feed. Free to subscribe.👉 https://thediagnostician.substack.com/s/voices-in-health-and-wellnessAbout the podcastVoices in Health and Wellness features conversations at the intersection of medicine, lifestyle, and human potential, with clinicians, scientists, and thinkers shaping the future of care.About Dr Andrew GreenlandUK-based medical doctor and founder of Greenland Medical, specialising in Integrative and Functional Medicine. Trained in both conventional and root-cause approaches, Andrew helps people optimise health, performance, and longevity, with a focus on cognitive resilience and healthy ageing.