The 2025 Restorative Health Consortium: A YEAR IN DETOX

The F.A.C.E.S. Leadership Board recognized Dr. Leslie Valle Montoya as one of the most committed clinicians on the front lines of occupational health. Practicing in California, she has seen firsthand the devastating toll that wildfires inflict not only on communities but on the very responders who rush into danger. Following the most recent Los Angeles wildfires, her clinic was inundated with firefighters and first responders presenting with respiratory distress, endocrine imbalances, toxic accumulation, and stress-related illnesses. Rather than treating these cases as isolated incidents, Dr. Valle recognized them as part of a systemic crisis: an epidemic of exposures unique to emergency responders.

Her mission has since crystallized around mitigating health issues from occupational exposures through a model that blends diagnostics, detoxification, and resilience-building care. At the meeting, she described how traditional systems of medicine rarely address toxic load directly—especially in those whose exposures are repeated and unavoidable. Insurance reimbursement gaps and narrow treatment protocols leave responders with limited options. In response, Dr. Valle established a nonprofit platform dedicated to firefighter detox programs, bringing otherwise inaccessible care into reach.

This mission has now evolved into a broader collaboration through the creation of the Restorative Health Consortium—a multidisciplinary initiative launched in partnership with F.A.C.E.S. Founder  Captain Chris Conner, President Dr. Lennard Goetze and guided by technical advisors who bring military-grade expertise in toxic exposure. Among the most influential is Daniel Root, whose pioneering work in detoxification protocols for veterans exposed to Agent Orange, Gulf War toxins, and burn pit exposures has become a foundation for today’s firefighter programs. Root’s system, which includes high-dose niacin, sauna therapy, and structured nutritional support, demonstrated that toxicants stored in fatty tissue could be mobilized and safely excreted—an innovation that inspired clinicians worldwide.

By combining Root’s legacy with the latest diagnostic and therapeutic innovations, the Restorative Health Consortium represents a new generation of detox care tailored to first responders. Its educational mission is as important as its clinical one: firefighters, EMTs, and law enforcement personnel are often unaware of the long-term effects of cumulative toxic exposures. Through workshops, online courses, and peer-to-peer training, the Consortium aims to provide responders with practical knowledge about detox strategies, self-care, and when to seek clinical guidance.

Dr. Valle’s programs emphasize measurable outcomes. Before initiating detox, responders undergo screening with tools such as the OligoScan for heavy metals, thermometry for systemic stress mapping, and heart rate variability monitoring for resilience. These data points create individualized baselines, against which the impact of detox cycles can be measured. Treatment protocols typically combine high-dose niacin mobilization with sauna-based elimination, hydration support, glutathione repletion, and targeted mineral replacement. Responders also receive access to bioenergy modalities—including pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy and near-infrared light—which support mitochondrial recovery and immune balance.

Complementing Dr. Valle’s frontline detox framework, Dr. Angela Mazza, an integrative endocrinologist from Florida, has developed a parallel set of detox protocols designed with endocrine resilience in mind. Her approach begins with the recognition that toxins are not only carcinogenic but also profoundly disruptive to hormonal pathways—particularly the thyroid, adrenal, and gonadal axes that regulate metabolism, stress response, and reproductive health.

Dr. Mazza emphasizes that detoxification must be practical and sustainable for first responders. She integrates daily strategies such as optimized hydration, nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory diets, and liver-supportive botanicals to support the body’s natural clearance systems. For responders with heavier burdens, her protocols include antioxidant therapy, glutathione support, micronutrient repletion, and supervised chelation, always with an eye toward maintaining hormonal balance. Importantly, she educates patients on sleep hygiene as a cornerstone of detox, recognizing that disrupted circadian rhythms—common in fire service—impair the body’s ability to clear toxins.

What sets Dr. Mazza’s framework apart is her insistence that detox is not just about eliminating chemicals but also about restoring hormonal harmony. By protecting thyroid and adrenal function during detoxification, she ensures that responders regain both resilience and energy—transforming detox into a vehicle for whole-body recovery and long-term health.

Together, the protocols advanced by Dr. Valle Montoya and Dr. Mazza form a dual-pronged model: one directed at external clearance of toxicants and the other focused on internal restoration of endocrine balance. Both share a commitment to noninvasive diagnostics and patient empowerment. Their strategies acknowledge that while firefighters often wait for disease to be diagnosed—whether through a cancer biopsy or hormone collapse—proactive detoxification can shift the paradigm toward prevention and resilience.

The Consortium’s opening series of detox educational programs will spotlight several priorities:

• Awareness – teaching responders how toxins disrupt endocrine, cardiovascular, and neurological systems.

• Protocols – demonstrating safe, structured detox methods validated through decades of military and occupational health experience.

• Integration – showing how detox aligns with psychiatric care, endocrine management, and imaging diagnostics to create a whole-body prevention strategy.

• Advocacy – working with unions, departments, and legislators to expand recognition and insurance support for detoxification as an essential part of firefighter health.

By anchoring this initiative within the F.A.C.E.S. movement, the Consortium positions detox at the forefront of firefighter health innovation. It reflects a philosophy shared across the board: that resilience is not accidental—it must be cultivated, measured, and supported. And for firefighters facing the toxic legacy of both flames and fumes, detoxification may be the most critical safeguard of all.

Image-Guided Detox: Dr. Robert Bard’s Evidence-Based Approach

For decades, detoxification programs have often been evaluated through subjective impressions: patients report that they “feel better,” have more energy, or notice improvements in sleep and mood. While these experiences are valuable, the lack of measurable clinical endpoints has long been a barrier to broader acceptance in mainstream medicine. Dr. Robert L. Bard, a cancer diagnostic imaging specialist known internationally for his work in advanced ultrasound, has addressed this gap by pioneering an Image-Guided Detox protocol—an integrative framework that validates detox outcomes with hard data.

Dr. Bard emphasizes that INTEGRATIVE CLINICAL VALIDATION is essential for detox to be taken seriously within conventional medical circles. In his practice, he merges patient-centered care with a robust suite of diagnostic technologies to determine whether detox therapies are achieving their intended effect. This model not only provides reassurance to patients but also offers practitioners the evidence needed to refine protocols, identify risks, and expand credibility with insurers, policymakers, and the wider medical community.

At the heart of this approach is ultrasound imaging. Dr. Bard employs high-resolution, 3D Doppler and elastography to assess tissues most vulnerable to toxic injury—such as the liver, kidneys, thyroid, and vascular system. For example, elastography can reveal changes in liver stiffness, a marker of fibrosis caused by toxin accumulation. Doppler ultrasound can map microvascular blood flow, identifying improvements in tissue perfusion after a course of detox. These real-time, noninvasive images give physicians and patients alike a visual confirmation that therapies are not only relieving symptoms but also reversing or mitigating structural and functional damage.

But imaging is only one dimension of the Image-Guided Detox model. Dr. Bard integrates epigenetic testing to evaluate how toxic exposures have altered gene expression patterns. Firefighters and first responders, for instance, may show methylation changes linked to inflammation, cancer susceptibility, or hormone disruption. Tracking these biomarkers before and after detox interventions provides a molecular-level perspective on efficacy. Similarly, heavy-metal testing—using technologies such as OligoScan or laboratory-based assays—offers quantitative evidence of toxin mobilization and clearance, complementing what ultrasound and blood flow studies reveal.

Another critical layer is the monitoring of liver and kidney function, the body’s natural detoxification engines. Blood chemistry panels (ALT, AST, creatinine, GFR) are routinely performed alongside imaging to ensure that detox regimens are not overwhelming the organs tasked with processing mobilized toxins. In this way, Dr. Bard’s framework safeguards patients from potential side effects while building a comprehensive evidence record of therapeutic success.

The implications of Image-Guided Detox extend well beyond the individual patient. By establishing a reproducible system of before-and-after metrics, this protocol has the potential to standardize detox research, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, and set the stage for insurance recognition. It also bridges the divide between integrative and conventional medicine: practitioners rooted in functional care gain scientific validation, while mainstream clinicians gain access to noninvasive, quantifiable tools that can support prevention and wellness.

For firefighters and first responders—whose exposures are both acute and cumulative—Dr. Bard’s protocol represents a new paradigm of accountability and precision. Instead of relying solely on subjective outcomes, responders can see their vascular flow, liver elasticity, and toxic burden improving in real time. This not only motivates adherence but also builds trust across departments, unions, and insurers who demand proof of benefit before expanding coverage.

Ultimately, Image-Guided Detox is about turning anecdote into evidence. Through ultrasound, epigenetics, heavy-metal testing, and organ function tracking, Dr. Bard demonstrates that detoxification can be rigorously validated, reproducible, and safe. His model elevates detox from an alternative concept to an evidence-based cornerstone of occupational health—aligning perfectly with the F.A.C.E.S. mission to protect and empower those who protect us.

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Part 2: 

The Liver as the Body’s Master Filter

From a DetoxScan News interview with Dr. Robert L. Bard

When it comes to scanning for hidden disease, no organ provides more information than the liver. As the body’s largest filter, the liver processes toxins, regulates hormones, and manages countless metabolic functions. Its condition often reflects the overall health of the body—making it a central target for advanced imaging technologies like ultrasound elastography.

Dr. Robert Bard emphasizes that the liver is both sentinel and scorekeeper. Whether the insult comes from alcohol, viral infections, or environmental toxins, the damage leaves measurable traces. With elastography, physicians can detect those traces long before routine bloodwork or symptoms reveal a problem.

Seeing What Blood Tests Miss

Traditionally, liver health has been evaluated through blood markers—enzymes like ALT and AST, bilirubin levels, or clotting profiles. While useful, these markers only rise after substantial damage has already occurred. A patient may appear “normal” on paper even as fibrosis silently builds within the liver. Elastography fills that gap. By measuring the stiffness of liver tissue, it identifies fibrosis and scarring at their earliest stages. The result is a quantitative readout that can be tracked over time, turning subjective suspicion into objective evidence.

Dr. Bard points out that this shift is crucial for patients undergoing detoxification protocols, chemotherapy, or long-term medication use. “Blood tests tell you when function is failing,” he explains, “but elastography tells you when structure is changing. That’s where early intervention can make the biggest difference.”

A History of Innovation

The origins of elastography highlight its unique value. First developed in Chicago as a physics experiment, the technique was refined in Europe in the early 2000s. Italy and France became early adopters, using FibroScan technology to evaluate fibrosis caused by alcohol abuse and hepatitis.

Today, elastography is globally recognized as the non-invasive alternative to biopsy. Unlike traditional liver biopsies, which carry risks of bleeding and infection, elastography is painless, repeatable, and immediate. Patients can see results in minutes without hospitalization or recovery.

Detecting Toxins, Tracking Progress

One of elastography’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to track changes over time. For patients exposed to burn pits, industrial chemicals, or long-term alcohol use, regular imaging creates a timeline of organ health. Physicians can see whether scarring is worsening, stabilizing, or even improving under treatment.

This is particularly valuable for validating detox strategies. Bard stresses that non-invasive imaging provides proof where anecdote alone is not enough. If a therapy is working, elastography will show improvement in tissue stiffness. If it is failing, it will reveal progression before the patient reaches the point of irreversible damage.

The Liver as a Health Barometer

The liver’s role as the body’s largest filter makes it a natural barometer of systemic health. Inflammatory conditions, toxic exposures, viral infections, and metabolic disorders all leave their imprint. By scanning the liver, clinicians gain a window into both the cause and consequence of disease.

For Bard, this is where imaging transforms care. “The liver is the early warning system,” he says. “By looking at its structure with elastography, we are not just diagnosing disease—we are measuring resilience, vulnerability, and the body’s ability to recover.”

Conclusion

As Part 2 of this series underscores, the liver is more than an organ—it is the body’s master filter and an essential target for modern diagnostics. With elastography, clinicians can see the hidden scars of toxins, alcohol, and viruses long before symptoms appear. This ability to detect, quantify, and monitor damage redefines liver care, turning reactive medicine into proactive protection.