Jessica Cardona RN: Renewing Patients with Functional Health
Jessica sought answers the way any trained clinician would — and was told everything was normal. Labs normal. CT scan normal. Physical exam normal. The same word, over and over, for a body that clearly was not. Sound familiar?
"I knew something was wrong. I wanted to know what — and more importantly, WHY." That question led her to IIN, a certified health coaching program, which opened the door to functional medicine. The moment she discovered it, she knew it was exactly what she was meant to do. Her husband thought she was crazy to start an entirely new path after everything she had already built. She enrolled anyway.
At her lowest point, she became a patient of Dr. Craig Mortensen herself. Going through the functional medicine process firsthand — and experiencing the difference it made in her own health — only deepened her conviction. When Dr. Mortensen mentioned he was looking to expand his practice, Jessica knew it was not a coincidence. She joined his team, was mentored by Dr. Craig directly, and has been helping patients find their own "why" ever since.
Jessica is a mother of five, a lifelong learner, and someone who has always been driven by a desire to give patients the experience she wished she had received herself. Her path to healthcare wasn't a straight line — she explored emergency medicine, considered OB/GYN, and it wasn't until after the birth of her first son that her true calling became clear.
Her own difficult labor and delivery experience lit a fire in her to become the kind of nurse she had needed. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Cal State Fullerton and went on to complete her Master's degree in Midwifery — also from CSUF — in 2019, raising a family and deferring admission for a pregnancy along the way. By any measure, she had achieved what she set out to do.
But shortly after completing her program, her own health began to unravel in ways she couldn't explain. She developed severe stomach pains that left her curled up and unable to function. Debilitating headaches sent her to the ER — something she describes with a laugh as "embarrassing for a nurse." She developed acne rosacea as an adult, a form of autoimmune dysfunction, despite never having had acne as a teenager. Recurring canker sores became so painful she couldn't eat, drink, or speak.
Jessica brings warmth, patience, and a perspective shaped by real life. Patients consistently describe feeling genuinely heard and cared for in her presence.
Contact us to book an appointment with Jessica today!