BIOgraphy
Dr. Melinda (Mindy) White grew up in Soquel, and after graduating from Soquel High School she earned a B.A. in Geography/Environmental Studies at UCLA, where she focused her studies on environmental and socioeconomic determinants of individual and community health. She spent her junior year in Granada, Spain, where she became fluent in Spanish. In 2002 she earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at Touro University in Vallejo, CA, while also serving as president of her class for 2 years. She then completed a 3 year residency in Internal Medicine at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco in 2005. While completing her studies of internal medicine, Dr. White also pursued additional training in traditional osteopathic manipulation, studying with Drs. Viola Frymann, James Jealous, Hugh Ettlinger, and many others. Â
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Dr. White moved back to Santa Cruz in 2005 where she has practiced primary care and traditional osteopathic in Capitola, and hospitalist medicine at Dominican Hospital, for 21 years. She served on the Board of Directors of Physicians Medical Group and Santa Cruz Medical Group, and currently serves as adjunct faculty for the Morehouse School of Medicine Dominican Hospital Family Medicine Residency. She received the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s Reader’s Choice Award for Best Family Physician in 2025. Dr. White has always enjoyed helping her patients maximize their potential for wellness through open communication and education, and she is honored to practice in the community where she grew up. Her 24 years in practice, while specializing in both internal medicine and traditional osteopathic manipulation, has given Dr. White the tools to help patients with complex medical problems.Â
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She and her husband have 2 daughters. When she isn’t working or raising her family, Dr. White enjoys getting outdoors, practicing yoga, reading, and playing ball with her dog Lulu.Â
Osteopathy
After suffering chronic pain in high school due to orthodontic braces, difficult wisdom teeth extractions, and a car accident, Dr. White discovered osteopathy. Osteopathic medicine was the key to her recovery from chronic headaches, back pain and brain fog, and she knew she had to learn this gentle yet powerful manual form of medicine.
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Osteopathic medicine focuses on treating the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—rather than just symptoms. It is a philosophy of medicine developed by Dr. Andrew Still over 130 years ago, and is based on several tenets, including that the body is a group of interconnected parts that make up a whole, that lifestyle and environmental factors impact well-being, and that the body has the capacity for self-healing. Osteopathic doctors have all of the same training as MDs, however they have additional training in musculoskeletal disease and treatment. Â
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Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is gentle and not painful. It uses a variety of manual techniques, including stretching, gentle pressure and resistance, with direct and indirect approaches, to identify and release areas of strain and restriction in the tissues. It works at the level of the bones, muscles, nerves, vascular and lymphatic systems. It is used to treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal complaints and systemic dysfunction. The goal of osteopathic manipulation is to restore ease of motion and health to the tissues.
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For more information on osteopathy visit:
https://osteopathic.org/
Fees
Primary care membership per person is $250/month
This includes rapid access to physician services via electronic communication, same and next day appointments, an executive physical annually, and reduced pricing on osteopathic treatments. This fee enables Dr. White to limit the number of patients in the practice, so time can be maximized with each patient providing comprehensive, personalized care.Â
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Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment:
Scheduling will be limited in the first year.
New OMT consult 90 minutes: Member $300/Nonmember $400
Follow up OMT 30 minute:Â Member $150/Nonmember $200
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Payment for osteopathic treatment is due at the time of service. Our office cannot bill insurance (including medicare) for osteopathic treatment.  A superbill with diagnostic and procedure codes will be provided that can be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement. Insurance coverage for osteopathic treatment varies widely between plans and insurers. Check with your plan administrator for any questions about coverage .