Dr. Linder is board certified in functional medicine through the Institute for Functional Medicine, holding the Functional Medicine Certified Professional – Medical (FMCP-M) credential. Awarded in 2025 after completion of IFM's full clinical curriculum and certification examination, this credential recognizes physicians who have demonstrated advanced competency in applying functional medicine to patient care — identifying root causes of illness and creating personalized, systems-based treatment plans. Fewer than a handful of providers on Colorado's Western Slope hold IFM certification.

Local Experience

For the last seven years, Heather has been practicing medicine in San Miguel County and is aware of the health care needs or our area.  She realizes that insurance coverage does not always mean affordable care.  She initially worked for several years at Telluride Medical Center, and then served as Chief Medical Officer at the Uncompahgre Medical Center (UMC) for the last 5 years. While at UMC, she has worked hard to improve the quality of the care provided.  In 2019, UMC received the HRSA Health Center Quality Gold Award for the top 10% in clinical performance for all community health centers in the nation.

Why DPC?

Heather Linder, MD is transitioning to the direct primary care model because she wants to have more time to focus on her patients and to practice more functional medicine.  She enjoys getting to know her patients and trying to find the root cause of the problem.  Heather wants to practice more personalized medicine with a focus on nutrition, exercise, and mind-body medicine. She enjoys full-scope family medicine, from pediatrics to women’s health, to geriatrics.   She is looking forward to spending more time with patients, rather than on administrative tasks.  She is also looking forward to spending less time commuting and being more available to her kids.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, running, skiing, and swimming.

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