Dr. Marissa Boyd Joins NWRTW

December 23, 2022

Dr. Marissa Boyd is a Naturopathic Physician who specializes in physical medicine modalities, functional medicine, and energetic medicines like craniosacral therapy and homeopathy. She joined Northwest Return to Work (NWRTW) about six months ago and has already made a positive impact on the Occupational Medicine Program. With years of experience managing claims, from open to close, she takes the time to really listen to her patients and enjoys educating them about their condition.

Before becoming a doctor, she was a scientist, working in an immunogenetics laboratory testing DNA, HLA antigens, and antibodies to find matches between organ donors and recipients. This diverse experience facilitates Dr. Boyd with a unique view of problem-solving and patient care.

Her approach is unique and allows her to see things differently. “I’m not limited by box or expectation,” she explains, “my solutions and problem-solving techniques for common and uncommon injuries are unique and innovative.”

Working with injured workers is not new to Dr. Boyd. Despite being told in school that working with injured workers was difficult for Naturopaths and that Naturopathic medicine is not always respected in this area, she found that her unique skill set was the perfect fit. She took the approach that everyone should have access to exceptional healthcare and be able to choose the type of doctor they’d like to work with, even for those receiving care in a state-funded plan like workers comp. When she first started working with injured workers, she felt limited because even though Naturopaths can work with many modalities of care, there are some exceptions. For example, Naturopathic physicians in the state of Washington can prescribe most medications but not narcotics, which are often prescribed for pain. Many of the natural therapies used for pain management are not part of L&I’s drug formulary, but by making connections on a direct level with her patients she was able to overcome this limitation; creating her own approach to nonopioid therapies.

“Naturopathic medicine is about the patient, not the dysfunction,” says Dr. Boyd. “I am not looking at your sprained ankle, I’m looking at you with a sprained ankle. There’s a difference.” This approach quickly gained her a strong reputation in the field, and her workload began to grow.

The case management system for injured workers can be complex, and many times lack of communication can create bottlenecks to achieving care. Prior to joining our team, Dr. Boyd learned that Northwest Return to Work was different; communicating exceptionally with attending providers. As she referred more of her patients, she found that every referral was followed up on, providers and patients were called, and she always knew what was happening with her patients. She started talking and working more with the therapists at NWRTW and eventually joined NWRTW full-time.

“I came to NWRTW for their excellent communication and wealth of knowledge for helping the patient. Patients can receive care in multiple modalities and get all their appointments together in the same place, often on the same day. That’s unheard of in terms of L&I case management. NWRTW is unique in its approach, which is why I knew it was the right place for me.”

One of the occupational medicine spaces at NWRTW is known as Suite 104. Since her arrival, Dr. Boyd has worked hard to make Suite 104 a calming and inviting space. One of the values at NWRTW is hospitality, and she wanted everyone to feel at home, welcome and comfortable. The space was painted in calming colors and special lighting was installed, making it the opposite of white and sterile. There are 8 treatment rooms, with ample space for relaxing, and the atmosphere is reassuring and comforting.

Currently, Suite 104 is home to a Chiropractor (Dr. William Marson), two massage therapists, an acupuncturist (who is also a massage therapist), and Dr. Boyd. With plans to expand by adding more alternative medicine providers over time.

“We have exceptional doctors here at NWRTW, and we are always encouraging ideas on how to create treatment plans that are more of a work of art than simply a list of a standard of care. When you allow creative approaches to medicine, guided by standards of care, providers can feel creative with their medicine and use their tools artistically, creating beautiful plans of care for their patients.”