Business

Beating chronic disease and breaking through a few decades of accumulated bad health habits may require more than a fainthearted New Year’s resolution.

Practiva Health Center came into being to give at-risk people a place to get coaching on diet and exercise. Heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and chronic pain are all problems the new center addresses.

Part gym and part counseling center, the center has a staff specializing in one-on-one care, tailoring each program to the client’s specific needs.

“A lot of times, corporate-offered wellness programs are just virtual,” said Julie Cornelius, the center’s head of marketing. “Some people need more help than that.”

Practiva Health began eight years ago as a wellness program offered to corporate clients. The San Antonio-based company has a Web-based program with companies in several states.

The health center that opened in January is its first physical location and is an extension of the virtual program. It is focused on providing motivated people with preventive health assistance, or as site manager and exercise physiologist Lauren Miller calls it, “prehab.”

The center’s motto is “Learn It, Own It, Live It.”
The “Learn It” phase is an eight-week program during which clients work with Miller and a registered dietitian. The client’s health and lifestyle habits are fully assessed and an appropriate exercise and diet prepared.

The 16-week “Own It” phase involves internalizing the program. Along with constant communication with the center, clients gradually replace bad habits with good ones.

 The “Live It” phase involves 18 months of practicing adopted lifestyle habits, with regular progress tracking.

About the business: Practiva Health Center is a lifestyle coaching center for people with chronic health issues.

Location: 5282 Medical Drive, Suite 205-A at Westgate Medical Center

Contact info: Center manager Lauren Miller, (210) 949-0070, or info@practivahealth.com

Ownership: A medical investor group: Gilbert Meadows, a spinal surgeon; Gijs van Oort, an exercise physiologist; and Peter deSmidt, a physical therapist.

(Adolfo Pesquera/Express-News)

Exercise physiologist Lauren Miller works with client Letty Sandoval at Practiva Health Center, whose motto is "Learn It. Own It. Live It."