Easier Testing, Excellent Resources: How Dr. Autumn Dugas, ND Supports Montana Families

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and Regen ND

A: I'm a naturopathic doctor, and my practice, Regen ND, is here in Billings, Montana. We're a family medicine practice, but our heart is really with women and kiddos.

I went to Bastyr University in San Diego and finished my naturopathic doctorate in 2022. From there I did a dual residency at Frontier Cancer Center and Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic, so I got to train in both naturopathic oncology and family medicine, with a lot of focus on pediatrics, women's health, and regenerative medicine. That mix gave me a pretty wide lens, and I love that I get to see such a broad range of concerns in my practice now.

My whole philosophy comes down to this: when you treat a woman, you treat her entire community. Moms go home and teach their families what they've learned, and it ripples out from there to their kids, their partners, their friends. So if we can really feed and nourish a woman, we're supporting everyone around her too.

I also think parents have incredible instincts when it comes to their kids. They usually know when something's off, even before they can put words to it. I try to honor that. My job is to add the education and guidance so we can work together toward solutions that actually last.

At the end of the day, I'm always looking for the root cause, not just covering up symptoms. I want families to leave feeling empowered and equipped to grow and thrive, not just patched up until the next visit.

Q: How did you start using Tiny Health and  how has it helped your practice?

A:  I would say I do have quite a lot of kiddos with eczema, it’s very dry out here  {in Billings, MT).  Preconception, PCP, newborn on up. 

Q: Before Tiny Health, you used pcr testing - why did you decide to try shotgun testing with Tiny Health?

A:  I was using more of those things like the GI 360, but again, there were so many barriers. It was hard to do because of the cost. I feel like I get really similar results in terms of everything that's on there. I can retest a lot better with this test than a really expensive test. It's so easy. The recommendations are right there. There are links for us. There are nutritional things. The whole portal is just easy.

Q: How was the onboarding process to Tiny Health?

A: Onboarding was great.  I did quite a few review calls in the beginning to get used to it. The education section I have was introduced a month or so after I started and I've loved being able to go back to that. 

Q: How did you learn/leverage the prac. Resources?

A: I could put on [a webinar] in the car and listen to it like a podcast. I love it. The bookmarks are excellent.  It's great for my treatment plans. I don't have to be as extensive because it's in here and I'm just marking how we're starting.

Q: What do you want other practitioners who are considering gut health testing to know about Tiny Health?

A: I would say Tiny Health has the easiest instructions on how to obtain the samples and that's really great when you have little ones. It’s fast. They get the results really fast. The portal is very user friendly. Moms like to go back in and check [their results]. The moms that I have, have seen everyone [else] before. And so to them to have resources to go back and look and for us to be able to retest is amazing.

Most recent KIT review:

Complex new patient named “M” who has a history of partial large intestine removal, a colostomy reversal, a Crohn's disease diagnosis, and elevated Klebsiella and Pseudomonas levels, along with high  Oxygen Exposure and Short-Chain Fatty Acids. These  Tiny Health results required a strategic approach to manage symptoms and with some individualized supplements to re-balance these levels and replenish good gut bacteria, instead of just  straight to antibiotics.

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