Local Service — Park Ridge, IL
SEMAGLUTIDE IN PARK RIDGE
Medically supervised semaglutide for weight loss. 60+ marker baseline panel, DEXA body composition scan, and in-person provider follow-up — not a five-minute telehealth visit and a shipped vial.
Written and medically reviewed by Missy Zammichieli, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC · Updated May 3, 2026
From the Provider
Missy Zammichieli, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Semaglutide is one of the most effective weight-loss tools we have. It is also routinely mismanaged. The pattern I see most often: a patient signs up with a telehealth-only company, loses 30 pounds in six months, and arrives at our clinic a year later having lost as much lean mass as fat. They feel weaker, their resting metabolic rate has dropped, and their lab work shows new patterns nobody warned them about.
That outcome is preventable. We start every GLP-1 patient with a 60+ marker baseline panel and a DEXA scan because the right question isn't just "how much did the scale move." It's whether you lost the right tissue, what your thyroid and lipids did along the way, and what your bone density looks like — especially for women in perimenopause.
Semaglutide isn't the problem. Running it without instruments is.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
The medication is one line item. The medicine is everything around it.
60+ Marker Baseline Panel
Thyroid (full panel including antibodies), lipids with ApoB and Lp(a), liver and kidney function, fasting glucose and insulin, A1c, sex hormones, inflammation markers, micronutrients, complete CBC. The panel that tells us whether weight gain has metabolic, hormonal, or thyroid drivers — and what to monitor as you lose weight.
DEXA Body Composition Scan
Medical-grade dual-energy X-ray scan that measures fat mass, lean mass, visceral fat, and bone density by region. Repeated at 90 days so we can see the ratio of fat to lean tissue lost — not just total weight.
In-Person Provider Visits
New-patient intake with Missy. Monthly check-ins included. We adjust dose, manage side effects, and coordinate with rehab or strength training to protect muscle.
Compounded or Brand-Name
We work with licensed 503A and 503B compounding pharmacies. Brand-name (Wegovy, Ozempic) available through external prescription if your insurance covers it. We discuss both at intake.
WHY IN-PERSON, NOT TELEHEALTH-ONLY
A vial without measurement is a guess
Telehealth GLP-1 companies generally don't run baseline thyroid panels, don't measure body composition, and don't repeat scans during treatment. You lose weight — possibly a lot — but you can't tell whether you lost the right tissue or whether your metabolism is set up to maintain it.
Lean mass loss is the silent failure mode
Without resistance training and adequate protein, GLP-1 patients can lose 20–40% of their weight loss as lean mass. That's why we DEXA at baseline and 90 days, and why we coordinate with strength programming on the same campus. Read our local GLP-1 guide.
Side effects get handled in person
Nausea, fatigue, gallbladder symptoms, injection-site reactions — call our front desk and we see you. See our semaglutide side-effect guide.
WHAT TO EXPECT
1. Pre-screen + book
Take our free GLP-1 eligibility quiz to see if you're a likely candidate. Then book your intake.
2. Baseline panel + DEXA
Done same-day at our Park Ridge clinic. Results reviewed by Missy at your intake visit, with a personalized plan based on what your labs actually show.
3. Start, titrate, monitor
Start at the lowest dose. Titrate up monthly based on response and tolerability. DEXA repeat at 90 days to confirm you're losing the right tissue.
Pricing
Program starts at $405/month, including medication, provider visits, and follow-up. One-time setup: $285 baseline panel + $150 DEXA. See full semaglutide cost breakdown. No insurance billed. HSA/FSA accepted.
COMMON QUESTIONS
How is this different from telehealth GLP-1 clinics?
Telehealth-only clinics typically run a BMI form and ship a vial. We run a 60+ marker baseline panel plus a DEXA scan, see you in person at intake and follow-up, and repeat the scan at 90 days. The molecule is the same. The clinical envelope around it is not.
How much weight will I lose?
Phase 3 trial averages for semaglutide are around 15% of starting body weight at 68 weeks. Real-world results vary widely based on dose, adherence, baseline metabolism, training, and protein intake. We don't promise outcomes — we promise a rigorous protocol.
Will I regain the weight if I stop?
Many patients do, partially. The sustainability question is what your habits and body composition look like when you discontinue. Patients who built lean mass during treatment and learned a sustainable eating pattern hold weight loss better than those who only lost weight.
What about tirzepatide?
We prescribe both. Tirzepatide tends to produce greater average weight loss; semaglutide has a longer real-world track record. Tolerability differs. We discuss both at intake. Read the comparison.
Do you take insurance?
No. We're a self-pay clinic. If your insurance covers brand-name Wegovy or Ozempic, we can write the prescription and you fill it externally — but our program (compounded medication + visits + DEXA) is not billed through insurance. HSA/FSA accepted.
START WITH MEASUREMENT
Book a semaglutide intake in Park Ridge. Baseline panel + DEXA + in-person follow-up.
Book an IntakeEducational information only. Not medical advice. Semaglutide is a prescription medication; eligibility is determined during intake based on history, BMI, comorbidities, and contraindications including personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, MEN2, and prior pancreatitis. Compounded semaglutide is dispensed through licensed 503A/503B compounding pharmacies; regulatory guidance can change. Treatment outcomes vary. Pregnant or trying to conceive: GLP-1 medications are not appropriate. Moonshot Medical and Performance is a licensed medical clinic in Park Ridge, IL. All evaluations are performed by Missy Zammichieli, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, who holds full practice authority in Illinois.