Mark Sivieri, MD in Baltimore: Integrative Medicine With Conventional Credentials

Mark Sivieri holds an MD and practices integrative medicine in Baltimore, blending conventional medical training with naturopathic and botanical protocols. He runs a small outpatient practice focused on chronic disease management, metabolic health, and preventive care rather than acute emergency medicine or same-day illness visits. This approach sits between traditional primary care and purely naturopathic practices, making it relevant for patients already seeing a conventional doctor but seeking a second opinion, those with treatment-resistant conditions, or people interested in reducing medication dependency under medical supervision.

What integrative medicine means in Sivieri's practice

Integrative medicine, as practiced by an MD, differs from naturopathy in one critical way: diagnosis and monitoring still rely on conventional lab work, imaging, and evidence-based guidelines. Sivieri orders blood tests, interprets them, and refers to specialists when appropriate. The integration involves adding botanical medicines, nutritional protocols, and lifestyle modification alongside or sometimes instead of pharmaceutical treatment.

This matters for Baltimore patients considering alternatives to primary care. A naturopath may lack the medical license to order certain tests or prescribe controlled substances. Sivieri can do both, which means he can supervise tapering from medications, manage complex drug interactions, and coordinate with your cardiologist or rheumatologist. The tradeoff: insurance coverage depends on plan design and how diagnoses are coded, and out-of-pocket costs reflect the longer consultation model.

Services and typical costs

Sivieri's practice emphasizes first appointments lasting 60 to 90 minutes. Initial visits typically cost $300 to $500 out of pocket; some insurance plans reimburse at the primary-care rate if the visit is coded as an internal-medicine consultation. Follow-up visits run 30 to 45 minutes at $150 to $300. Prices reflect time spent and the complexity of compiling a full dietary and supplement history, not just an illness complaint.

Treatment protocols often center on four areas. Metabolic health includes managing insulin resistance, blood sugar, and weight without assuming a single diet works for all patients. Chronic pain management combines anti-inflammatory botanicals (curcumin, frankincense, omega-3 protocols) with conventional pain assessment, potentially reducing opioid use but not replacing surgery when warranted. Autoimmune conditions receive a combination approach: identifying food sensitivities via elimination diet, supplying micronutrient deficiencies uncovered by labs, and sometimes reducing medication load if inflammation improves. Fatigue and mood are evaluated for thyroid function, B-vitamin absorption, sleep architecture, and hormonal balance before reaching for stimulants or antidepressants.

Compounded supplements and herbal preparations add cost beyond the visit: a three-month course of a personalized herbal extract or micronutrient blend might range from $200 to $600, depending on ingredients and frequency of dosing.

How Sivieri's practice compares locally

Baltimore has conventional primary-care doctors scattered across Mercy Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital affiliates, and independent practices; most first visits are 20 to 30 minutes. There are also licensed acupuncturists and naturopaths (requiring a master's degree in most states but not an MD) operating independently or through wellness centers.

Choose a conventional primary-care doctor if your main need is fast diagnosis of acute illness, coordination of medications for multiple chronic diseases under a standard insurance network, or a five-year relationship with one provider who knows your full medical history. These relationships work well for managing hypertension, diabetes, and routine preventive care.

Choose Sivieri's style of integrative medicine if you have been on the same medication for years with persistent side effects or residual symptoms, if you want to explore whether diet or supplements might reduce your condition before or instead of additional drugs, or if you distrust generic pharmaceutical options but respect medical credentials. Expect longer wait times for appointments (often weeks, not days) because the model depends on limited availability and long visit blocks.

Choose a naturopath if you want a supplement-first approach, cannot afford the integrative-medicine price point, or have a condition your conventional doctor has dismissed as "not serious enough to treat." Naturopaths are uninsured out of pocket, usually cost $150 to $250 per visit, and can spend time on symptom details a rushed MD cannot. The downside: they cannot prescribe most medications, order advanced imaging, or manage your interaction with your cardiologist.

Who this practice suits, and who it does not

Sivieri's practice works well for people 40 and older managing one or two chronic conditions (high cholesterol, prediabetes, chronic migraine, osteoarthritis) who want to reduce medication without abandoning medicine entirely. It also suits patients with gastrointestinal complaints, food sensitivities, or hormonal imbalances that blood tests have not clearly explained.

It does not suit patients needing emergency care, those who cannot afford $300+ per visit or do not have flexible insurance coverage, or people wanting a quick fix. It also is not a fit for patients who distrust anything outside strict pharmaceutical treatment or who prefer a high-volume, transactional doctor's visit. Patients with acute infections, chest pain, or psychiatric crises requiring medication adjustment should see their regular doctor or go to the ER.

What the first appointment involves

Bring medical records, a list of all supplements and medications (with doses and how long you have taken each), and notes on any dietary changes or stress you associate with your health. Sivieri takes a detailed dietary history, asking what you eat most days, how much water you drink, your sleep schedule, and your stress tolerance. He will order labs if they are not recent or if your current condition suggests new testing is needed.

The visit is conversational rather than rapid-fire forms. Much of the appointment goes to understanding how your lifestyle, digestion, energy, and mood fit together, which standard medicine separates into different specialists. At the end, you will receive a written plan: specific supplements (with doses, brands, and timing relative to food), dietary changes (often eliminating specific foods for 4 to 6 weeks to test), and sometimes a medication adjustment strategy if that is appropriate.

Hours, parking, and getting there

Sivieri's practice operates by appointment only Monday through Friday, generally 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., though hours may vary seasonally. Confirm availability when scheduling; wait times for new patients often run 4 to 8 weeks. Street parking is available on nearby blocks. The practice does not have its own lot, so plan accordingly if you use public transit or rideshare.

Sivieri's MD credential and long consultation model make him a logical choice for Baltimore patients frustrated with rushed conventional medicine but nervous about practitioners without medical training.