Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathaniel Franley.
Hi Nathaniel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Jefferson, OH, just across the border. My grandfather delivered 4,000 babies in our hometown area as a family medicine doctor. Between him, my father as a dentist, and other grandfather as a veterinarian I learned about the service of medicine and developed a love for the day to day way healthcare can impact our patient’s lives. I saw the deep relationships each of them had with the families they cared for. I went to undergraduate at John Carroll University, followed by medical school at the University of Toledo. I then trained in family medicine and completed my sports medicine fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic. I spent the first decade of my career working in Ashtabula, OH for a Cleveland Clinic affiliate. Between all the training and research opportunities, as well as connections I made at the Cleveland Clinic, and all they did for my father when he developed brain cancer I developed an appreciation for the excellence of care provided. I felt so fortunate to be able to train at a top tier hospital like that.
At my practice in Ashtabula I was Medical Director of Sports Medicine as well as Occupational Medicine. I continued to see family medicine patients as well and had a pretty robust practice, sometimes seeing up to 36 patients a day. When my wife, Brittney, was pregnant with our third child and working as a Physician Assistant in Urology at AHN we found an amazing property on the lake in Fairview, which allowed us to be in a fantastic school district and community closer to Brittney’s work. I had my eyes on a few buildings and after commuting to Ohio for another 4 years took the leap to open my practice in Fairview on West Ridge Road.
We provide care to family medicine patients in a concierge medicine model, which is monthly membership based and allows me to spend more time with patients. I can also get patients in the same day or next day for the most part, patients also have my cell phone number. It is a way to create a relationship much like my father and grandparents had, when the focus of medicine was doing the right thing for the patient instead of clicking buttons on a computer. Having a private practice has also allowed me to incorporate some of dreams in to the practice. For example, we have an athletic trainer, Alicia Lyon (Fairview High School graduate), who is also a personal trainer and a gym. We take pride in helping arm people with the tools they need to improve their fitness and health in ways that are research-based and in synch with the doctor’s recommendations. This mindset allows me to blend my sports medicine and family medicine training in a way that provides a one-stop shop for medical care with a focus on living longer better, not just prescribing medications (which we also do).
We have now been able to provide care to a variety of patients, including women needing help with the perimenopausal phases of life, men seeking to balance their hormonal status and life goals, patients with simple dermatology needs such as skin lesion removal and cryotherapy, sports medicine for adults and children, and sick and well care for children. We also have a female physician assistant, Ashley Madura (Mercyhurst Prep graduate), who is a registered dietitian, running athlete, and engaged in women’s health to round out our team. Our awesome staff has enabled us to also provide family medicine care to companies and all of their employees and family members. This enables a company who is really looking for a benefit to their employees that sets them apart to give all of those perks to their staff.
Now I feel I can provide patients with all the resources they need to supplement a life they feel good about. I’m blessed to have found this community. Our children love Erie and Fairview. We enjoy the outdoors, biking at Presque Isle, going to The Erie Zoo, and spending summer days on the beach.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been anything but a smooth road, from my perspective. The first major setback in my life was when we were on vacation in Florida when I was 7 years old. My dad began to have headaches and was seen at an ER. He had a brain scan and the doctors told us to leave vacation early and get back home for him to begin treatment on newly diagnosed brain cancer. He had surgery, chemo, and radiation, and did fairly well until I was 17, although there were some irregularities along the way. When the guy, my dad, who had been my coach most of my life and never missed a game didn’t come to my game to see me pitch against our biggest rival in high school I had a feeling my life would never been the same. That year he had a recurrence, and while he lived another20 years or so he could no longer work and had a lot of personality changes.
As a professional I started our business, Peak Performance in December of 2024. I left a very stable job and took a huge risk while we had three young kids and a great life to try and accomplish a dream. The practice has developed into more than I could have imagined at the time. We try and provide a great environment for our staff and patients, I’m driving to continue to do so and provide opportunities outside of the traditional healthcare model. There’s days that it’s still not easy to operate outside of the typical model, but those challenges are what make it fun. We can make decisions that we feel provide something special for our patients without having to clear it through layers of administration.
We’ve been impressed with Peak Performance Sports and Family Medicine, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We provide comprehensive concierge medicine family medicine services that incorporates lifestyle factors like fitness and nutrition as pillars of our care. Our staff and facility allow us to demonstrate exercises and help make a plan for patients to take action on their health or maintain through different seasons in life. I’m thrilled to be able to care for a whole family and person. Being able to spend more time to get know a patient and provide them with access to us through cell phone and same day or next day appointments has been a game changer in helping patients to have a place they can call home for their care instead of going to urgent cares and ER’s for simple illnesses when their doctor is not available or booked for weeks on end.
I can still see sports medicine patients for illness and injury that are not part of our family medicine model as well. For those we can bill insurance like a typical visit. I have been able to offer advanced sports medicine treatment such as shockwave and PRP ultrasound-guided injections in addition to the typical arthritis care, fracture care, etc.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Our family is thrilled to become more and more engrained in Erie. We love all that there is to do. I have always come out this way to cross country ski and bike. There are so many opportunities for biking and recreational activities.
Pricing:
- Silver plan: $85/month with 2 covered visits a year and a Functional Biomarker Assessment
- Gold plan: $150-$250/month, 4 covered visits a year and a Functional Biomarker Assessment, and additional access to our trainer and services such as shockwave and recovery treatments
- Platinum plan: $400/month with unlimited access to training and our staff
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.peakperformancemed.net
