Chronic disease is at epidemic proportions, the CDC reporting six in ten Americans are living with at least one chronic disease and I was on my way to having at least two of them. In my mid-twenties I weighed just under 300 pounds, worked 70+ hours weekly, smoked a pack of cigarettes daily, regularly drank large amounts of alcohol to unwind, slept less than 5 hours a night, and ate frequently from the fast food, take-out window. I was on my way to early death and disability if I didn’t change my ways.

I was lucky to have a physician who cared enough to set me straight. He diagnosed me with what would become known as “metabolic syndrome”. I was obese and sedentary with my blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol considered high and creeping higher. My doctor wouldn’t have it and laid into me explaining that a man in this condition in his 20s would likely suffer a “major event” by his 40s.

How could this be? I was an athlete in school competing as a division 1 athlete in college. I trained hard and was in such good shape back then, but this is several years later following injuries that caused me to stop athletics. I focused that competitive energy on building my career in the hospitality industry rapidly progressing through the ranks to upper management for multiple restaurants and hotels.

Like many other young professionals, this came at the expense of my health because I was young and it wasn’t relevant. Promotion and financial success was what I was focused on, and until my caring doctor helped me see the impact this lifestyle was having on my life, I was advancing my career at the expense of my health.

I tried to make major changes to improve my labs and reduce my waistline through crash diets and infomercial gimmicks promising quick results and little effort. These attempts were in vain as I found out on my follow up visits. I would lose 10 pounds only to gain 15 back. My blood profiles were not improving, and at times grew worse. I needed a better strategy, and it would need to be a massive overhaul of my life. Through trial and error, I found my success would come through many very small, incremental changes.

Twenty years later, I have made great strides in my health and wellness.  My weight and body composition is now where it should be. I focus on eating healthy, nutritious foods in proper proportions, exercise daily, prioritize sleep, stay hydrated, and take steps daily to keep stress manageable. Personal development and improvement will be a lifetime pursuit for me, and I wish to help others do the same.

It has been many years since I worked in the hospitality industry, but that profession helped lay the foundation for me to successfully serve others. I originally left the business to make those improvements in my health, but I found a great passion in helping others.  This excitement came early when I switched into the fitness industry. While I focused on increasing my own activity level and eating better, I left a promising career path as a hotel general manager to work in a local gym providing maintenance and janitorial services. The next step was to study exercise science becoming a group fitness instructor and personal trainer now able to bring my new skills and knowledge to those I was fortunate to work with.

I found limitations on what I could accomplish with my clients in this capacity.  I needed a better way to help and to offer more resources. I enrolled in acupuncture school during this transition hoping this would provide the license allowing me to have the impact I wanted.  It proved to be a big step in the right direction.  I was now able to actively participate in the health and wellness of my patients. I could help coordinate medical care with their physicians while providing treatments for their symptoms and ailments. Now, I was really on my way to making a difference in chronic disease or so I thought, and it stoked the fire driving my efforts to make improvements in the health of others. Over the last 15 years, I have helped many patients, but I have found limits and frustration based on the fact I am only able to help those I am fortunate enough to meet in clinic.

Remote patient monitoring offers me a solution to these limitations.  By partnering with physicians in this capacity, we can exponentially increase the impact we have on community health. Patients can now have the tools and resources to find the same success with their health that I have achieved. Their awareness is raised and they have a team to rely on to support their efforts. When combined with increased clinical offerings and telemedicine services, we are able to offer a comprehensive model of care that is value based and driven by clinical outcomes.

I am always looking for better ways to serve those I am fortunate enough to work with, and there are many doctors looking for a team like ours to benefit their patients. The increasing prevalence of chronic disease is alarming and shows we have much work to do. It will be a challenge, but a challenge that we are ready for. I am focused on making a positive and major impact to help reverse these illnesses through technology, medical treatments, and lifestyle improvements. If you are interested in being part of this journey with us, we look forward to speaking with you to find out how we may have a better impact together.