Eight years back, Rory Swensen was struggling to get up in the morning and stay motivated throughout the day, but no medical professional could tell him the reason for his ailments. Finally, one doctor offered to check Swensen’s hormones levels, and Swensen learned that his testosterone was extremely low.

After undergoing hormone therapy, he was back to normal less than two weeks later. He was so happy to be well that he decided he would do all he could to make hormone therapy more accessible to everyone.

He and Amie Clark, a family nurse practitioner, opened Peak Medical Center in Park City in October. The clinic specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, a method that uses natural hormones to treat hormone imbalances.

Patients come in with a range of symptoms, including fatigue, depression, poor memory and insomnia. After talking with the patients, Clark performs blood tests to measure hormone levels and prescribes hormones accordingly. The treatment, which can be given in different forms, are meant to replace naturally occurring hormones that are out of balance. The patients then check in with Clark to ensure the hormones are reacting properly or see if the doses need to be adjusted.

Swensen is no rookie to clinic ownership. He has worked in healthcare administration for 14 years, and opened a similar clinic for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in Salt Lake City eight years ago. He built up the clinic over the years, but grew tired of commuting down Parleys Canyon every day from his home in Coalville.

He figured since he had opened one clinic, he could probably do it again. So, he put out a call for a doctor to work at the medical center he hoped to start in Park City. In the spring, he met Clark.

Clark did not have experience in hormone replacement therapies, but she did have years of work in the medical field on her resume. She was a family nurse practitioner, and she specialized in hematology for 11 years, primarily working with leukemia and lymphoma patients. Working with patients with serious, life-threatening diseases took a toll on her. She chose to shift toward a specialty that would allow her to treat patients before they had chronic conditions.

She transitioned to dermatology and was working in Salt Lake City when she met Swensen. He told her about his plan to open a hormone therapy clinic in Park City, and she jumped on board.

Clark liked that bioidentical hormone therapy was all about giving the body chemicals that it already naturally makes rather than prescribing synthetic drugs.

“I think diving deeper into that and looking for the cause and the root of it is more important. I don’t think we should just throw pills at everything,” she said.

The ability to individualize treatment also appealed to Clark.

She went through trainings and completed certifications for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy while the duo searched for a space to house their new business. They found an opening earlier this year and moved in.

Learning new treatments while figuring out how to run a business has been a challenge for Clark. But, she said, she feels as if she has found a niche where she can thrive.

Swensen also feels like he is right where he should be. He relives his relief and joy almost every time he sees a transformation in the clinic’s patients. People come in not knowing what is going on with their bodies but, after a few weeks with hormone therapy, feel well again.

It’s satisfying being able to give people answers, Swensen said.

Clark also offers some aesthetic and skin care services, including Botox fillers and chemical peels. Peak Medical Center is open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Peak Medical Center
1840 Sun Peak Drive, Suite B-103
435-602-1034
http://www.peakmedicalpc.com

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correctly identify Clark as a family nurse practitioner in the third paragraph.