Fulshear-Katy Community Guide & Directory 2022-23

H E A L T H C A R E

Wellness Health & Today’s Environment by Mara Soloway

T he Fulshear-Katy area has a wealth of excellent healthcare providers who work with patients to meet their medical needs, and quality f itness professionals who guide clients toward their wellness goals. One impor tant way to improve our health is to have regular visits with a primary care physician. Dr. Jessica John of Houston Methodist West , who specializes in primary care and family medicine, builds long-lasting relationships as she addresses each patient ’s unique needs. More than two years past the initial days of the pandemic, she ref lects that , despite the limitations of examining patients through video, telemedicine has given her the advantage of increased access to them. “ Telemedicine opens up another avenue through which to evaluate patients in the event they are unable to visit the clinic in person, as long as a remote evaluation is appropriate,” she explains. “During the height of the pandemic I also used telemedicine to address chronic conditions and urgent needs of my patients who were most at risk – those older than age 65, patients who are immunocompromised or with multiple chronic conditions – without the risk of COVID-19 exposure upon leaving their homes. John also has found that evaluating patients in their home environment is helpful in various circumstances, such

GET PHYSICALLY FIT IN THE FULSHEAR KATY AREA Personal Fitness Trainers Personal f itness trainers f ill a niche for clients who prefer being trained in a smaller space. ESN Health is a private coaching center offering f itness and nutrition services in its two Katy locations. Owner Ryan Kobermann, CSCS, sees advantages for clients who work out in smaller facilities. “We offer personalized attention and tailored coaching. Our f irst meeting is a strategy session to assess the client and learn what their goals are. That way we can create a plan to make them feel and move better, get stronger and burn fat . We show them what will work for them,” Kobermann says. “We meet one-on-one with our clients every time during their planned sessions, which is different than going to a gym and working out on your own. With this higher level of service, we get to know our clients closely and focus on solutions for their individual needs.” The full range of options for clients include private or semi-private sessions, small group classes, and nutritional and f itness coaching. Clients are welcome to use the equipment at ESN without an appointment . ESN also offers a Healthy Kitchen and Juice Bar that provides healthy meals, snacks,

shakes and smoothies. ESN’s focus on how to better suppor t their clients helped them keep going at the beginning of the pandemic, and pays dividends today. “We were creative in f inding solutions; we suppor ted our one-on-one training in a customized way, whatever our clients needed – emailing workouts that they would per form on their own, emailing and calling with suppor t and answers to questions, and meeting them in person outside before we were allowed to open up,” Kobermann says. Today, with both ESN locations open, “We’re better able to control the cleanliness of our environment and take better care of our products and equipment ,” Kobermann explains. “We have the highest level f ilters and we change them out every month. We also deep clean once or twice a day every day on top of using antibacterial spray on everything. We don’ t let the clients put away any of the equipment ; we clean it before the nex t client comes in.” The solutions-oriented approach is obviously working. “ESN is going strong. We’ve been open for 15 years. For about the last four years, we’ve had the same team of professionals who take their job seriously and love to help people. I think this shows we found a way to train people that resounded with them,” Kobermann states.

as for home-bound patients who can eliminate the stress of transpor ting themselves to the clinic if their needs can be addressed remotely. For patients experiencing stress, John offers some steps to help reduce it . “If your stress is worsened by social media or the news, take breaks from the constant stream of information, and take some time for yourself and your loved ones to focus on the positives in life. Be sure to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep, and focus on caring for your body with a healthy diet and exercise routine. Incorporate time for hobbies and personal interests into your week ,” she says. “If you experience signif icant feelings of anxiety, do not hesitate to reach out to your primary care provider for fur ther evaluation.” As for younger patients, John feels that much of the anxiety and stress that children experienced during the height of the pandemic stemmed from unfamiliar circumstances and the unknown. She tells parents: “Be open and encourage your children to ask questions about the pandemic, and answer what you can in a way that is easy for them to understand. Encourage them to share their feelings with you, and share examples of when you feel stressed and how you cope with this, so that they know it is normal to feel this way in uncer tain situations.

88 FULSHEAR-KATY COMMUNITY GUIDE & DIRECTORY 2022-23 ISSUE