Plain-spoken poems

Nathan Graziano talks about his latest project

Manchester author Nathan Graziano discusses his new collection of poetry, Born on Good Friday.

Tell us about Born on Good Friday.

I was actually born at exactly three o’clock on Good Friday in 1975, and in the Bible three o’clock was supposedly the time that Christ died. I was raised in a fairly strict Catholic household. My mother is a very devout Catholic. Because of that, I’ve always had a number of issues with guilt and anxiety and all those good things that come with being brought up a good Catholic boy. So part of the collection is actually dealing with a lot of the hang-ups that I experienced from growing up with Catholicism. Then it sort of moves into a second section which really deals with confronting guilt, confronting sin, and then the third part of it is my midlife crises, my whole dancing-in-the-dark moment. It really moves throughout my life. I don’t know if I should say it’s autobiographical, but it’s autobiographical.

This is the first book of poetry you’ve published in almost a decade. What made you return to it after such a long hiatus?

It’s been a long time coming for me. Earlier in my writing career, I published more poetry than I do now. … Poetry is a labor of love for me. I don’t just sit down and think, ‘I’m going to write some poetry.’ It’s one of those things that compels you, that calls you, when everything bottles up; it’s an emotional catharsis for me.

How did you capture some of these emotions and memories into the written verse?

These emotions, these memories, are indelible; they’ve been with me my entire life, so it really wasn’t all that difficult to recall those. For me, a poem hinges and moves on emotions. So even if it’s something that I experienced or felt when I was 14 years old, you still experience it, feel those same things as an adult; you just see it through a different lens.

While reflecting on your childhood through an adult lens, did you uncover any surprising revelations or insights?

That’s the real joy in writing; it always surprises you. Sometimes what’s there is every bit as shocking to you as it is to the reader.

How would you describe your poetry style?

My poetry is not … lyrical. It’s very much plain spoken. … I think poetry [has been taken] from layman readers and made into something so arcane and difficult to understand that most people start reading a poem and end up banging their head against the wall, like, ‘Why don’t you just say what you mean?!’ My aesthetic is the type of poem that you don’t need an advanced degree in literature to understand.

What would you like readers to take away from this collection of poetry?

I’m very well aware that poetry is a hard sell. You can’t write a poem or a book of poems thinking it’s going to make you famous. … But I’m really hoping that with the plain spoken approach and the humor, that maybe people who wouldn’t generally consider looking at a poetry book might take a swing at this one. … In my definition of it, a poem makes you feel something; it probes at a type of emotional truth that you can expand on however you like. … My goal with any book has always been to just make the reader feel a little less alone in the world … and to see themselves and their own experiences through what I’m writing. With this one, I hope they laugh. I do not take myself overly seriously. There’s a lot of humor in the book. Some of it is certainly on the darker side. Ultimately, I just want the reader to enjoy the experience of reading it, to make connections and to laugh.

In the kitchen with Lindsey Bangs

Lindsey Bangs has always had a passion for baking. Her mom taught her how to bake, buying her her first cookbook when she was just 2 or 3 years oldA few months ago, she decided to step away from her job as a medical receptionist to focus on I Whisked It full time. She specializes in custom cakes, cupcakes and cake jars as well as hot chocolate bombs with homemade marshmallows and French chocolate during the winter. You can find I Whisked It at the Bedford farmers market every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. through Oct. 17, and the Candia farmers market the third Saturday of every month through Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I would have to say my small offset spatula. I reach for it for everything from smoothing brownie batter in pans to decorating cakes.

What would you have for your last meal?

I would start with a croissant with apricot or raspberry jam, Rhode Island-style calamari, halibut tacos and cheesecake with a traditional graham cracker crust and raspberry coulis.

What is your favorite local eatery?

I love Tuckaway Tavern in Raymond. .

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant?

I would love to have any of my favorite musicians, like Dave Matthews or Chris Carrabba, buy a cake from me just so I could thank them for the music and lyrics that so often keep me going. Or one of the cast members from Friends or The Office. They’re all responsible for delivering so many laughs in my house.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

I love my Pina Colada cake jar. It’s layers of light coconut cake, coconut cream buttercream and a pineapple coconut filling. It’s so good.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I’ve noticed a lot of food, drink and even ice cream flight options, so it’s not just beer anymore. It’s great because I love being able to try a little bit of everything.

Banana bread
From the kitchen of I Whisked It

¾ cup sugar
1½ cups mashed bananas (three large)
¾cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a loaf pan with shortening, butter or non-stick spray.
Mix sugar, bananas, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Add in remaining ingredients and stir until just combined.
Pour into the greased loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean (60 to 70 minutes). Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack with the pan on its side for 10 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan. Let cool completely before slicing. Makes 1 loaf.


Featured photo: Lindsey Bangs. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Maggie Verrette

Spin instructor

Maggie Verrette owns her own indoor cycling business called VibeCo Cycle (458-7652 info@vibecocycle.com, vibecocycle.com) in Salem where she also works as a spin instructor.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I am the owner of VibeCo. I am also an instructor there, and I manage the entire studio, and I basically wear a bunch of different hats. I dabble in a lot of different aspects of running the business, as well as instructing and leading. I started VibeCo on my own, and it’s the only one, not a franchise.

How long have you had this job?

We opened in 2021, so we just celebrated two years.

What led you to this career field?

I was an athlete growing up, so I’ve always been super into fitness, team aspects and leading. When I graduated from college, I started instructing at a small studio, and I wanted to find a way to make it a bigger part of my life and make it my career path. When there was an opportunity to start my own business and open my own studio, I thought it was a perfect way to pursue that.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I went to Ithaca College and was a business major with a concentration in management, and I was also on the gymnastics team. I studied business for four years, and that was very helpful to what I ended up doing.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Since it’s physical activity, I’m usually just in leggings and a sports top.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

I’d say one of the most challenging things is finding the perfect people to work for you, and since I’m so involved in the business and it’s so important to me as a small business owner, it can be difficult to find people who are as committed and dedicated to helping. I have been very lucky with the people that I do have, but it’s always hard to find more people to add to this team.

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your career?

I wish I had known how much I was going to love it. I was super nervous to go for it, so if I had known that it was going to be as fun and successful as it is, then maybe I would’ve been more eager when it started.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

I wish other people knew that I put everything into it 24/7, so I am always doing work for the business and for my team and making sure people are happy all the time and that everything runs smoothly.

What was the first job you ever had?

The first real job I ever had was teaching spin classes, but I taught gymnastic classes in high school once a week.

What is the best piece of work-related advice you have ever received?

To always make sure that your customers were happy and everything else would follow through after that. —Maya Puma

Five favorites

Favorite book:
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Favorite movie: The Wolf of Wall Street
Favorite music: Hip-hop
Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese
Favorite thing about NH: Being so close to the beach and the city at the same time

Featured photo: Maggie Verrette. Courtesy photo.

Ed with AI & VR

New tech at Manchester Community College

Peter La Monica, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Computer Science at Manchester Community College, discussed some of the innovative new programs and courses being offered at the college, as well as the cutting-edge technology shaping the future of education.

Tell us about the new programs and courses being offered.

There are two new programs. One is the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Program. We’ve taken out some of the database stuff and focused more on artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language programming and computer vision. … We aim to help students make sense of vast amounts of data generated during cyber investigations and use artificial intelligence to analyze and interpret it effectively. … Students can also complete work and get certifications from Amazon Web Services. The other program is Computer Science and Extended Reality. This is an exciting new program where students can join virtual reality classrooms using VR headsets or flat screens. We’re teaching them about platforms to create virtual and augmented reality meetings, making interactions more immersive than traditional Zoom meetings.

What are some real-world applications or careers that students with these skills can pursue?

The Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence program is mainly designed for programmers and focuses on using AI in various fields like advanced manufacturing, healthcare and the cyber world. … Many products and applications today use artificial intelligence, making programming skills highly valuable. … The Computer Science and Extended Reality program is geared towards students who want to work in an office or contract for an office to design meeting spaces or even create virtual avatars for websites. … It can be applied in onboarding, training, meetings and classes, to provide a more engaging and immersive experience.

How do you keep up with the rapid advancements in this field while developing the curriculum?

Staying up-to-date with technology is essential. We closely monitor new products and trends, especially in emerging technologies like 5G and virtual reality. We ensure our students have access to the latest technology, like 5G antennas and virtual reality headsets, to learn and explore these cutting-edge fields.

How have students responded to these new programs?

Students in the Extended Reality class loved it and said it was more engaging than anything they had ever done before. They had the option of coming to class [in person] or [attending via] the metaverse, and most of them did the metaverse. They think it’s great, because this is the type of world they live in now.

Did offering these programs require any additional resources or facilities?

For the Artificial Intelligence program, we had to enhance some computing platforms. However, we had planned ahead and managed most of it progressively. As for Extended Reality, we invested in virtual reality headsets and have been preparing for this program since 2017, waiting for the technology and infrastructure to catch up.

Why did the college decide to invest in these programs for students?

We believe in providing students with opportunities to create successful careers. Technology is the future … and extended reality and augmented reality are becoming a major transition in technology. Everything is going to start to go into this virtual world, in various industries. It’s not really in the mainstream yet, but we want our students to know about it and to start using it so that they can be at the forefront of these advancements. We want to equip them with cutting-edge skills and give them an edge in the job market.

In the kitchen with Sherrie Paltrineri

Originally from East Aurora, New York, outside Buffalo, Sherrie Paltrineri went to school at Babson College in Massachusetts. Paltrineri always loved to cook and bake, and leaned into these hobbies while she was out of work due to the pandemic, selling homemade cocoa bombs at craft fairs. With her business, Sweet and Sassy, Paltrineri now makes and sells a variety of s’mores and marshmallow flavors and is a vendor at farmers markets in various towns such as Bedford and Greenfield.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I am a collector of kitchen gadgets, much to my husband’s chagrin, but I think my one item I would be lost without is my deep fryer. Being from Buffalo, I am a wing snob. I know it’s completely unhealthy, but there are just some items that can’t be baked.

What would you have for your last meal?

A true Buffalo fish fry. For some reason, those Buffalonians know their way around a fryer. There was a restaurant in our town that was run by a German couple and they had the best fish fry around. We would order it with real German potato salad, french fries with malt vinegar on the side and pitchers of Iroquois Dark beer. That would be my ideal last meal.

What is your favorite local eatery?

I really like to stay home and cook, but when my husband and I have a date night we head to the Dublin Tap Room in Jaffrey. It’s right down the street from us, and they have Monday night wing specials. Their Buffalo wings are good … but the garlic Parmesan is to die for. They also do burger specials on Wednesdays, and prime rib dinners on some Friday nights. They have a huge tap menu and in the summer you can sit outside on the patio that overlooks the Shattuck golf course.

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant?

Two come to mind. Rob Lowe would be one, not that I would have anything to offer him [because] I don’t think he is a sweets kind of guy, but I have had a crush on him since the ’80s and I would love to meet him in person. The other celebrity would be Judge Judy. This would be someone I could sit down and really talk to while she indulged in some desserts. I just love her no-nonsense approach to life.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

It’s hard to say, as I feel like every time I make a new treat, I think “this is my favorite,” but push come to shove, our Almond Joy s’mores bar is probably my go-to treat.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

Limited-time-only offers have been around for a long time, but we are seeing more of [it to] make people think they will miss it if they wait another day. … I am also fascinated by Crumbl’s menu strategy of releasing only six cookies each week. You don’t know what they will be until Sunday night, they are only available that week and you never know when, or if, they will be back.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

My favorite thing to cook would be any meal where my whole family can be together. It could be sandwiches or a full Thanksgiving meal, but just cooking to bring us all together at the same table would make me happy.

Mya Blanchard

Key Lime Marshmallows
From the kitchen of Sweet and Sassy

½ cup Key lime juice
3 packages unflavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
½ cup water
½ cup corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
green food color (optional)

In a standing mixer mixing bowl, pour lime juice and sprinkle the 3 packages of unflavored gelatin on top.
In a heavy sauce pan, add sugar, water, corn syrup and salt, stir, and bring to a boil.
Let sugar mixture boil until a candy thermometer reads 240°.
Once sugar mixture reaches 240°, mix the gelatin bloom and then begin to slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into it while whipping it on low.
Turn mixer to high and continue whipping for 7 to 8 minutes, or until mixture triples in size and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Add a few drops of food color.
Immediately pour mixture into a well greased 9×13” pan. For thicker marshmallows, use an 8×8” pan.
Let set for 4 hours minimum, or overnight.


Featured photo: Sherrie Paltrineri. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Michelle McCartney

Social media manager

Michelle McCartney of Concord does freelance social media management for a variety of clients as well as solar sales for Freedom Forever.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I talk to potential clients and give them a consultation to see if it’s a good fit … then I manage their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram through the Meta business suite. … I also help people acquire solar panels to help them have lower locked-in energy rates and help the planet at the same time. I utilize social media and networking to talk to people who may be interested in solar sales.

How long have you had this job?

I’ve been doing this since January 2023.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I previously had a bookkeeping business for three years, had a homeschooling center in Weare for six months and ended up closing both of those down in September 2022. During that time, I scaled my businesses entirely organically on social media, so some of my business friends asked me to do social media management for them. I realized very quickly that I loved it, was very good at it, and could make good money doing it. So it stuck.

What kind of education or training did you need?

None. … I took some online courses to learn more and am always reading books about marketing, entrepreneurship and social media mastery to improve my skills to better serve my clients.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

I work at home with my three children. They are very young, so most days we are rocking pajamas.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

The most challenging thing about my work is clients that come to me with problems in their social media and marketing approaches, but they don’t want to take suggestions seriously or pay for services that they really need. … I have learned to deal with it by being very straightforward with what their expectations should be with the approach they are taking.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

That I didn’t need to take on every client. It’s not worth the money to work with someone who is difficult to work with.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

How necessary it is. … There are many very effective strategies to gain a loyal following on social media.

What was the first job you ever had?

I was a cashier at PetSmart. I loved it.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Not every client will be a good fit, and that’s OK.

Five favorites

Favorite book:
The Bible. It’s the most incredible story ever told and has a lesson for everybody for every situation.
Favorite movie: My Fair Lady
Favorite music: I love listening to all the wonderful encouraging music on K-love.
Favorite food: home-cooked Italian dinner — baked ziti, salad, garlic knots
Favorite thing about NH: The Free State Project

Featured photo: Michelle McCartney. Courtesy photo.

Van chef

Local author talks about big flavors in small spaces

Delve into the world of practical cooking with M. Allyson Szabo, New Hampshire author of Cook Small, Live Large!. Szabo talked about how she crafted unique recipes catered to those embracing van life and small living spaces, and how her cookbook offers a diverse range of ideas for cooking in limited kitchen setups. Visit mallysonszabo.com and find the book on Amazon.

What is the idea behind Cook Small, Live Large!, and who are these recipes for?

Cook Small, Live Large! is a compendium of recipes for one or two people. It was originally designed for people who are doing van life, living in their vans or tiny homes, traveling or living on land, that sort of thing. People who are doing van life run into problems that the rest of us don’t. They can be driving through what they call a “food desert,” where there aren’t any big box stores to buy things. So there are a lot of recipes in the book for people who are either new to cooking or stuck in a place like that for a few days, which show how to make relatively healthy food using canned goods from Dollar General and what you can get from the frozen food section at Aldi. … It also works well for people who are backpacking and doing small cooking. … I have a friend whose twins are going to college this year and are living in dorms with small kitchenettes. The recipes in the book are great for them since they’re made for small portions and don’t leave a lot of leftovers.

What inspired you to write this type of cookbook?

I have a friend, Justin Hughes, who is also known as Smokey Da Van, who started doing van life. I had never even heard of it. … He works remotely, and he was living in his van with his cat purposefully, not because they were homeless, but just because that’s what they decided they wanted to do. He’s had so many adventures, but he had no idea how to cook. So I started teaching him through email. After a couple of months, he said, ‘You need to make a book out of this.’

How did you develop these recipes?

I took recipes that I use on a regular basis or that I like, and I miniaturized them. … It was a learning curve for me since I’m used to cooking for a lot of people, so learning to cook small was a challenge at first. Miniaturizing a recipe is not as simple as dividing it into portions. You have to work with ratios and find the right balance for small portions. It involved some trial and error and making the recipes over and over to get it right. The initial learning curve was tough, but once I got there, it became easier.

What cooking utensils and equipment are needed for preparing these recipes?

I recommend a cooking surface like a butane stove, especially for van life, as butane can be used indoors with proper ventilation. There are also setups in vans that allow the use of a [slow cooker]. A Dutch oven is also recommended since it can be used on a camp stove or in a fire. Having a few essential pots and pans allows you to cook anything from the book.

Do you have a favorite recipe?

One of my favorites is the one-pot Thanksgiving dinner that I created for Justin. He was in Arizona, and it was Thanksgiving. I told him to preheat his big cast iron pot and put a turkey leg in one piece of tinfoil, pre-made stuffing in another, and some corn with a pat of butter in a third. We designed this one-pot Thanksgiving dinner that covered all the basics, made for one person, and it turned out beautifully. Working with tin foil is something that you can do a lot, and it makes cooking and cleaning easier in a small space, whether that’s a dorm or a tiny home or when you’re camping.

What do you want readers to take away from the recipes and ideas in Cook Small, Live Large!?

First and foremost, I want people to know that they can eat healthy while cooking small. You don’t have to buy large quantities of ingredients to eat healthily. I encourage people to utilize farmers markets and farm stalls for fresh and inexpensive food. The book is for anybody who wants to cook small, whether they’re doing van life, backpacking or just cooking for one or two people. It offers a variety of recipes and flavors to enjoy.

In the kitchen with Charley Moore

With 26 years of experience, Charley Moore is the executive chef at 603 Brewery in Londonderry. He started in the industry as a dishwasher at Yo Mommas in Nashua before working as a cook at Villa Blanca for 12 years, which is where he met his wife. Originally from Florida, Moore has always been passionate about food. He and his family moved to New Hampshire when he was around 8 or 9 years old for new opportunities. His grandmother would cook family meals and his mother enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen. Following in their footsteps, Moore enjoys cooking at the brewery and at home for his family.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Well, like any chef, your chef’s knife is one of the most important things you have in your tool kit, so that’s a big go-to for me. I am very mindful of my knives … I take care of my knives personally. I sharpen them all, so my chef knife’s my most important tool.

What would you have for your last meal?

I think I’d probably keep it something simple. I’m originally from Florida [and] one of my family’s favorite go-to meals is fried chicken, potato salad, corn on the cob. The feeling of home is probably more important than something else, so homestyle cooking.

What is your favorite local eatery?

One of the places my wife and I love to go to is the Hanover Street Chophouse. I was definitely gifted to go work there for a while, which was a great opportunity

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant?

There would probably be two I’d really like to see as far as culinary goes. I’d like the late Anthony Bourdain … [and] Guy Fieri would be a cool one for me to cook for. I think he’d really enjoy it.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Our top [seller] is our chicken sandwich. I think that’s probably one of the best things on our menu because it’s so versatile you can make it however you want. … It can go as crazy as your imagination.

What is the biggest food trend in NH right now?

Korean barbecue style food is really popular right now. I know New Hampshire is getting more into the smoked-style food, which is really cool because we’re definitely picking up on that trend.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Being a chef you get asked this question a lot. … The things I like to cook the most are what make everybody happy. … Making desserts is really satisfying … I love making desserts. My kids would probably tell you chocolate mousse because that’s what they ask for almost every birthday, but I also make a chocolate lava cake that’s really good that my family also loves to eat on a regular basis.

Mya Blanchard


Featured photo: Charley Moore. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Lara Stawasz

Jeweler

Lara Stawasz is a self-taught jeweler who owns her own business, Lara’s Theme Jewelry (495-6689, laras14k@aol.com, larasthemejewelry.patternbyetsy.com), based in Hollis.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I have made jewelry and I have both a retail jewelry store and I have a website. I do a blog online and I also sell on Etsy. I do a lot of hand hammering, selling and designing, I hand make earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and I also have handmade scarves in the winter. Also, I do marketing on Instagram, and I’m on Facebook, I do email marketing. Most of what I have I hand make and I have some other artists and companies I purchase from.

How long have you had this job?

I have had this job since 2000, so 23 years.

What led you to this career field?

When I was 16 I started working in a jewelry store. At that time I didn’t realize how much I loved it so I went off to college. After college I did different jobs until I realized I wanted to create a business on my own so I started with jewelry because that’s what I knew. I started with home shows out of my condo and when I moved to Hollis we found a spot where I could have my shop.

What kind of education or training did you need?

Most of it is basically hands-on training, and a lot of what I learned was from jewelry stores or was self-taught. I had done some jewelry making and repair when I worked in previous stores as well.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

On Saturdays when my retail store is open I dress nicely in a dress or dress pants, but when I’m making jewelry for Etsy or my website I dress casually in jeans, T-shirts or shorts.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

The most challenging thing is that the retail sector is rapidly changing. You have to pivot from the retail store to online, to Instagram, to Etsy. There are so many changes all the time, especially in the internet space. You have to try to keep up and learn all these things while maintaining the business as well.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

Don’t be afraid to change and just keep moving on, keep learning, keep pivoting and you’re going to be successful, you’re going to do fine, you can’t just get in a rut and make it be the way it always was. You have to keep up with things, go forward and keep changing with the times.

What was the first job you ever had?

I worked at Market Basket at 14 as a cashier.

What is the best piece of work-related advice you have ever received?

My mom always said you’d be good at doing your own business and I would probably say that was the best advice in starting the business.

—Maya Puma

Five favorites

Favorite book:
The Millionaire Next Door
Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing
Favorite music: Keith Urban
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite thing about NH: the changing of the seasons

Featured photo: Lara Stawasz. Courtesy photo.

The wellness model

Concord-based doctor discusses her center’s focus

Dr. Cindi Croft is set to open New Dimensions Wellness Center in Concord in early August. She describes the center as emphasizing a comprehensive and transformative approach to wellness. See drcindicroft.com or find the center on Facebook.

What’s your background in and approach to health care?

I’m a family doc, and I went down the osteopathic route because I heard the word ‘structure’ as ‘function.’ At the time, even before my education, it just made intuitive sense to me that that’s how the body would work. … As I started school, I gravitated toward learning different modalities and obtaining different certificates outside of the standard medical curriculum. However, the school system doesn’t really train you to run a business, which held me back initially. In hindsight, I should have started my own practice earlier. … I worked in various hospital settings for a long time while practicing functional integrative medicine. Eventually, I decided to leave and start my own thing.

What motivated you to start your own practice and explore a wellness model?

To me, functional integrative medicine is comprehensive care, looking at each person’s unique biochemistry, diet and genetics. Different health traditions throughout history have their place in my view of medicine. I always felt like health care was becoming less patient-centered, and I struggled with that for many years. … When I started my own practice, I quickly realized two main groups of people sought my services. One group was comprised of individuals who were sick or not feeling well, but their lab work and doctors couldn’t find the cause. They were looking for someone with a different approach. The other group consisted of ultra-healthy athletes who wanted cutting-edge nutrition and injury prevention. Alongside them were families or adults who wanted to stay well and prevent future health issues. I noticed everyone who came to see me wanted a wellness model.

Tell us about your Wellness Center.

The vision for this space is to bring together like-minded professionals to support people seeking wellness. Currently, we have six providers joining the center. … Are you familiar with the DPC (Direct Primary Care) model? It’s an alternative way of delivering health care outside of the traditional system. Many doctors have become frustrated and left the hospital system to find a different approach. The DPC model is similar to a gym membership. You pay an upfront administrative fee and a monthly fee to have a private doctor who you can see whenever you need. The monthly fee varies based on age. … In my vision, the Wellness Center would offer a monthly flat rate, in addition to an administrative fee, and patients would have the autonomy to choose which provider they want to see. Unlike the DPC model, where you pay a fee to see your doctor whether you’re well or sick, my model would allow patients to decide if and when they want to see their doctor based on their individual wellness needs. … This approach avoids the issue of younger individuals feeling like they’re paying for a service they don’t fully utilize. … For example, if the monthly fee is $95, and a person joins the Wellness Center, they can choose to see any provider in the center depending on their needs at that time. If they need to see a primary care doctor, they can see them one month. If they have tightness and want to ensure alignment, they can choose to see the physical therapist another month. … The idea is to offer a range of services people can access as needed.

Will you be partnering with insurance companies?

Currently, insurance companies often don’t cover certain tests or alternative approaches like functional medicine. I want to demonstrate how this model can keep people healthier and reduce the need for costly interventions like surgeries. By forming a partnership with insurance companies, we can work toward a more cohesive health care system that includes wellness services.

How do you envision your wellness model expanding beyond your practice?

I envision it becoming a movement that helps people understand the importance of wellness and how it can positively impact their lives. By making wellness more affordable and accessible, we can address the increasing rates of obesity and chronic diseases in our country. … It’s about shifting the focus from sick care to true health and wellness.

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