Regimen Sanitatis, in Six Steps
“Sex res non naturales.”The six non-naturals — the medieval Christian frame for daily health.
From first inquiry to follow-up, a Vitae telemedicine visit follows the same six categories by which the medieval Christian West taught the body. These are the sex res non naturales of classical regimen sanitatis — air, food, motion, sleep, evacuation, passions — which we use to organize the visit itself.
The six non-naturals were the governing categories of Christian preventive medicine from Galen through the Tacuinum Sanitatis through the Renaissance. They named what we would now call the modifiable determinants of health: the things a body does every day. Vitae uses them as the skeleton of a well-child visit, the skeleton of a chronic-condition follow-up, and the skeleton of this page. You will see them three times.
The Six Non-Naturals
The medieval Christian vocabulary for everything a body does between meals and bedtime. Not specific to telemedicine — just specific to being a person.
Air
Aer
Atmosphere, climate, ventilation, what surrounds the body.
Food & Drink
Cibus et Potus
What the body takes in, and how much and when.
Motion & Rest
Motus et Quies
Exercise, labor, stillness. The body's pace.
Sleep & Waking
Somnus et Vigilia
Rhythm of consciousness. The body's clock.
Evacuation
Repletio et Excretio
What the body gives back — digestion, elimination.
Passions
Affectus Animi
Emotions, stress, joy, grief. The body feels them first.
Six Steps to Care
From the moment you book to the moment the follow-up arrives in your inbox. One non-natural for each step.
Book & Prepare
Begin on the Book a Consultation page. Choose visit type — wellness, chronic-condition, developmental, parent-coaching, or bioethical counsel. Select a time. You receive a confirmation email with a secure video link, a brief intake form, and any relevant pre-visit materials. Fees are clarified in writing before your visit; ESA and school-choice funds are accepted where applicable.
- Online scheduling, 7 days a week
- Secure HIPAA-compliant video platform
- Pre-visit intake form (5–10 minutes)
Intake & Clinical Review
Before the visit, Prof. Rodriguez reviews your intake: medical history, current concerns, medications, prior records if shared, family history, school situation. If you are an established patient, she reviews prior notes. A well-prepared clinician is a body well-fed before it works.
- Intake form review
- Prior records integrated if provided
- Visit agenda confirmed before call
The Visit Itself
You and your child join the secure video at the scheduled time. The visit is structured but unhurried. Prof. Rodriguez examines what can be examined by video, listens carefully, asks the questions the standard intake form does not ask, and talks with parents as adults. If prayer is welcome, the visit begins and ends with it. If not, it does not.
- Typically 30 minutes for standard visits
- 60 minutes for complex / special-needs visits
- Parent present for all pediatric visits
Plan & Prescriptions
At the end of the visit, Prof. Rodriguez summarizes the clinical assessment, the plan, and any prescriptions. Prescriptions are routed electronically to your pharmacy. If labs, imaging, or referrals are needed, orders are placed. You receive a written after-visit summary by secure email within 24 hours.
- Electronic prescriptions (within scope)
- Lab & referral orders as needed
- Written after-visit summary within 24 hrs
Billing & Documentation
After the visit, the charitable-fee tier is applied and you receive a simple invoice — or none at all, for families at or below 200% FPL. We provide an itemized superbill for out-of-network insurance reimbursement on request. For Arizona ESA and Wisconsin school-choice-eligible encounters, we prepare the documentation your program requires.
- Sliding-fee invoice or none, per tier
- Itemized superbill available
- ESA / school-choice documentation
Follow-Up & Ongoing Care
You are not discharged — you are enrolled in a working relationship. Follow-up visits are scheduled where clinically appropriate. Messages between visits are answered within two business days. If you transition Vitae into your primary medical home, we coordinate cheerfully with your other providers. The passions of a family are what the visit is finally about.
- Follow-up visit scheduling
- Secure messaging between visits
- Coordination with other providers
“Honor the physician with the honor due him, according to your need of him, for the Lord created him; healing comes from the Most High. The skill of the physician lifts up his head, and in the presence of great men he is admired.”Sirach 38:1–3 · RSV-CE
Before You Book
And for all this, nature is never spent; There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; And though the last lights off the black West went Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —
Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ · 1877