Kara Nance, MD FACP is double board certified in both internal medicine and bariatric medicine, which is the practice of nutrition and weight management. Dr. Nance grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she graduated as valedictorian in 1992. After graduation she attended Princeton University where she graduated with honors as a molecular biology major in 1996. Dr. Nance also concentrated in the neurosciences while at Princeton, and did her senior thesis on the genetic basis of alcoholism which culminated in two published research papers in the journal, Nature Genetics. After Princeton, Dr. Nance attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine where she graduated second in her class in 2000. Dr. Nance completed her internal medicine residency in 2003 from the University of Chicago, and then came to the Northwest Chicago suburbs to practice primary care.

Dr. Nance is a strong advocate for patient centered care and controlled health care costs. In addition to her role as a clinician, Dr. Nance travels annually to Washington DC to lobby for health reform. Dr. Nance believes that we can only achieve the goals of better care for the individual, lower healthcare costs, and better population outcomes through the utilization of technology in healthcare. Dr. Nance is proud of practicing in a paperless environment that utilizes every technological advance to better communicate with her patients. Because of her expertise in healthcare technology, Dr. Nance has been called on to consult with local healthcare organizations, and has been a speaker at eClinicalWorks National and Regional User Conferences. Dr. Nance can often be found at conferences that explore using technology and data to drive better health outcomes. She has recently collaborated on a behavioral health project which will result in another published paper on the use of technology to help individuals improve their wellbeing by encouraging positive daily addictions.

In 2011 Dr. Nance opened her current practice, Wellessence MD, with the objective of providing personalized care in a highly progressive environment. Dr. Nance strives to empower individuals to adopt lifestyle changes that can keep them well and limit the need for prescription medication or expensive medical treatments. Because we now live in a country where 1/3 of the population is obese and 2/3 are overweight, Dr. Nance embarked on an intensive study of nutrition and weight management, and passed the American Board of Obesity Medicine exam in November 2012.

Dr. Nance is currently undergoing certification to use Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for the treatment of stress related disorders like depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and insomnia. She has already become certified in the use of Mindfulness Based Eating Awareness Therapies (MB-EAT) on her weight management patients, and currently has several active seminars running. Because of her multi-disciplinary approach, Dr. Nance sees incredible success in her weight management patients. Dr. Nance is a true student of wellbeing and also offers personalized coaching services for individuals looking to improve their lives in a wide variety of personal and professional domains. On a personal note, Dr. Nance has also been blessed with four active children and enjoys watching them grow up in her free time. She enjoys her roles as girl scout leader for her daughter, and a Sunday school teacher for her sons. Dr. Nance is also an avid fitness nut, and enjoys running, yoga, lifting weights, healthy cooking, and playing tennis. She also loves to travel and is always open to new experiences!