California Health & Longevity Institute

A World Class Wellness Center

Westlake Village, California

By Lee Barnathan

Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Corporate America has forgotten Franklin’s wisdom. In 2007, corporate America paid as much as $1.13 trillion for workers’ health, according to an estimate by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Los Angeles Times reported in 2007 that 18 Fortune 500 companies, realizing it was too expensive to insure all their workers, called on the government to provide universal health care.
Franklin would advocate that it would be better to invest in prevention. By making sure they’re healthy first, employers could save in the future. Now, corporate America has a place to go for prevention at its best: The California Health and Longevity Institute (CHLI). Located at the Four Seasons Westlake Village, CHLI provides comprehensive diagnostics, treatment, education and prevention in medical, nutritional, physical and lifestyle arenas.

Medical Director Dr. Jonathan Cole says CHLI operates on five core pillars:

• First, that good health is not just the absence of disease but a process by which a person proactively engages in healthy habits, whether that is diet, exercise, lifestyle choices or a combination of each.
• Second, everything is backed by scientific research.
• Third, all equipment is top-of-the-line; if that requires upgrading in three months, so be it.
• Fourth, everything is adaptable to an individual’s needs, body type, habits, family history, etc.
• Fifth, privacy is paramount, which is why there are private elevators and patients have their own waiting rooms, exam rooms, and bathrooms. For example, radiology patients will never cross paths with lifestyle consultants.

“Everyone knows prevention is cheaper,” Director of Operations Siobhan Palmer says.

“Companies are starting to realize that.”

CHLI has only been open since November 30, 2006, and Palmer believes that in time, as more people learn about the institute and everything it offers, they will see what studies already show: Companies that spend $1 on health and wellness programs get $3.50 in return.

Medical

CHLI is an independent medical group beholden to no insurance company. It staffs physicians specializing in both Western and Eastern medicine. The philosophy is to provide the best care by incorporating medical, nutritional, physical, physiological, and lifestyle treatments to decrease stress and provide better health and wellness.

Having separate rooms devoted to bone density, ultrasound, digital X-ray, CT, and MRI are a function of CHLI’s holistic approach. There’s a dental suite because, Palmer says, "Studies have shown that gum disease and heart disease are related." Cole brags that the institute houses the only digital mammography machine in Southern California. Also, one can discover their body mass by sitting in the BOD POD, which looks like a one-man space module.

The dermatology area provides the latest in topical, injection, laser, and minimally invasive treatment options.
Eastern practices include acupuncture, acupressure, herbal therapy, and hypnotherapy.

There’s also a 41,000 square-feet spa (the largest among the Four Seasons Hotels) with 28 treatment rooms, a massage wing, and a facial wing.

Inside the spa is a salon in which feng shui concepts are applied to haircuts, hair coloring, manicures, and pedicures.

Nutrition

CHLI believes one doesn’t have to compromise good taste for healthy eating. The proof is in the Wellness Kitchen, where healthy dishes are whipped up several times a week. The room looks much like Emeril Lagasse’s show kitchen, complete with counter and stools. Dishes are taught and made under the guidance of Director of Nutrition Paulette Lambert and her staff. The foods are healthy and easy to prepare. One also could participate in nutrition workshops such as “Navigating the Grocery Store,” “Mindful Eating: Reconnecting With Your Body,” and “The Truth About Weight.” There is also a three-program series that examines how eating certain foods can decrease the risk of developing some of the most common chronic diseases.

Fitness

The Wellness Kitchen might be reminiscent of Lagasse’s set, but Director of Fitness Mike Brazeal is the personality equivalent. Without uttering a “Bam!” or “Kick it up a notch!” one can sense this exercise physiologist’s enthusiasm for his job. Brazeal develops a comprehensive regimen tailored to each individual. He takes a detailed family history and then creates a training program using top of the line weights, machines, and other apparatus to put each person in tip-top physical shape.

Specialists offer guests personal guidance and exercise programs based on recommendations gathered through scientific assessments such as body mapping, metabolic testing, or assessing one’s resting metabolic rate. Personal training, yoga and Pilates are offered, and there’s a 16,000 square-foot center furnished with more than 30 cardio machines, circuit training machines, free weights, and a Pilates reformer. And don’t forget the indoor lap pool. Of course, locker rooms provide steam showers, dry saunas and towel and water service that Four Seasons' guests have come to expect.

Lifestyle

This is where everything gets put together. Lifestyle Consultant Manager Susi Warme and her staff help guests pare down the large amounts of information into a doable plan of action. "If one area of one’s life is unfulfilled," Warme said, "it prevents someone from continuing to do what he/she learned at CHLI." Warme knows that it’s human nature to not follow through, so she helps guests make the changes routine by helping them implement small, incremental changes. And she provides a support system by following up with phone calls.Consultants also assess one’s readiness to change, and whether the steps are too small or large for that person.

The California Health and Longevity Institute is the ideal place to begin one’s journey to wellness. With their comprehensive approach and state of the art facility, CHLI would no doubt have impressed Benjamin Franklin.