Brad Howard, a 9-year nurse and U.S. Air Force veteran, takes the bus he retrofitted with comfy, overstuffed recliners, to locations across southwest Ohio. He offers vitamin-rich IV therapies for hydration, recovery and immune support.
Before receiving any infusions, clients are required to participate in a telehealth doctor visit, good for a year.
His wife, Debbie Bernges, operates Retreat Integrative WellCare and has an office on Hicks Boulevard, where she sees clients by appointment. She assists those managing chronic illness, cancer recovery or those seeking to improve their health.
Among her services are lymphatic massages, wellness coaching, aromatherapy, saunas, cold bath, and beginning in November, reflexology.
“We are ground breakers for this area. There isn’t really anything like this around,’’ Bernges said.
“I was always interested in functional medicine – treating the cause – as opposed to traditional allopathic – treating with medications or surgery.”
In functional medicine, self-care is the core, anchored by the idea that using food as the first step intervention when treating chronic or other illness.
She said she’s not against using medicine when necessary but her focus is “the marrying” of the two approaches along with good nutrition.
Eventually, Bernges would like to add monthly “craft and chat” educational programs where a health-related topic is presented and discussed and a craft is offered.
“I’d like to expand to fulltime,” said Bernges, who still works as a nurse, teaches nursing classes, runs marathons, manages two AirBNBs and is taking additional classes.
“It’s very scary (owning a business). Your hopes and dreams are in it and you hope it will go well,” Bernges said.
“I want to age well – do everything I can do to promote my health so I can help (my clients). I want to find the best thing for each person based on their goal – and then work toward that.”
MORE INFO
About the Author