Climbing to New Heights
From concierge primary care and mental health to nutrition and fitness, CLIMB Health & Wellness tailors its approach to helping each patient achieve a healthier, happier, and more prosperous life.
The friendship between Jessie Fields, M.D., and Amy Kempe, LPC, began years ago through their respective children’s pre-school. Besides having children the same age, their commonalities included a shared passion for all things related to health and wellness. Their close bond eventually evolved into a partnership that would not only transform their individual careers, but also reshape the lives of local families who were searching for something more from their healthcare providers.
“Over many playdates, we realized it just made sense to combine forces,” explains Dr. Fields, a board-certified internist. “Primary care is physical health and mental health—all are interconnected. Oftentimes, primaries don’t talk to therapists, but all of us should be working together to treat the whole person.”
At first, the two friends talked about their budding partnership in the abstract. As the discussions became more intentional and goal-oriented, they put in place the building blocks of their enterprise: CLIMB Health & Wellness in Lafayette Hill, which provides concierge primary medical care and mental health therapy, as well as tailored guidance on nutrition, fitness, mindfulness, and more, to a multigenerational clientele.
“I had a successful private practice and was thinking: My patients deserve better than this,” recalls Kempe, a licensed professional counselor. “I had been seeing a lot more patients who were having somatic issues. They were having trouble getting appointments within the traditional healthcare system, and they were also having a hard time with follow-up. As a mental health professional, I’m not able to determine if something’s a somatic issue or if there’s an actual medical issue going on, too. That’s what drove me toward offering a different approach.”
CLIMB Health & Wellness, which recently celebrated its two-year anniversary, has exceeded the expectations of Kempe and Dr. Fields alike. They’re incredibly pleased with the model they have built, the team they have assembled, and the positive difference the organization has made in the lives of so many people.
“We knew working together would be helpful from a diagnosis standpoint, but we didn’t realize just how much we could do together,” Dr. Fields muses. “What we’ve been finding is that by supporting people more fully and having them feel comfortable accessing either or both of us, we’re actually helping people to achieve more and live more fully.”
In Kempe’s case, clients who had been coming to her for years for mental health reasons began asking questions about other aspects of care and, in the process, taking advantage of CLIMB Health & Wellness’s comprehensive and concierge approach. She says many of those patients quickly realized they were feeling happier—and healthier—as a result.
“It’s been really remarkable that way,” she adds. “We’re always looking to offer new programming and reach more people because we know we can affect people’s lives in a positive manner.”
CLIMB Health & Wellness caters to patients who often feel restricted by the systemic limitations of traditional care providers. Programs are tailored to each patient’s specific goals and needs.
“I think a lot of people now are realizing that life is very fluid and things can change quickly, and your needs can change quickly as a result,” Fields says. “We are a concierge primary care, which eliminates insurance; we don’t bill insurance for any of the visits, which is what makes it more accessible. The access piece is huge; there is no waiting room, no overbooking—none of that. Our model is based on you having more personal care from your doctor and eliminating barriers, which allows for your needs to be addressed promptly.”
The founders of CLIMB Health & Wellness are enthusiastic about their respective role within the organization. In addition, both have individual interests that not only enhance their own lives, but also add value to their patients’ experiences.
Kempe, author of 2023’s The Clinician’s Guide to Treating Adult Children of Narcissists: Pulling Back the Curtain on Manipulation, Gaslighting, and Emotional Abuse in Narcissistic Families, is dedicated to the treatment of PTSD, trauma, and everyday stress. She is trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and internal family systems (IFS). She also has a keen interest in modalities such as the Hakomi method, a form of psychotherapy that uses mindfulness and somatic interventions to heal psychological wounds and facilitate growth.
Dr. Fields, on the other hand, is invested in preventative care. She takes pride in the ability to help patients adopt positive health habits, including setting appointments for regular health screenings, getting adequate sleep, and evaluating their diet and exercise routines. She also leads a cardio-conditioning bootcamp fitness class at CLIMB Health & Wellness, which further supports the organization’s mission to help patients become more engaged in their health.
“Nutrition is a huge thing that often gets neglected,” she says. “What you eat really affects you on an everyday basis. The same goes for movement. I became a certified personal trainer in 2019 because I like exercising, and I liked being able to challenge myself in that way. I thought: I can use this to benefit myself, but I can also use this to benefit others.”
The health-conscious duo finds that, thanks to the community that CLIMB Health & Wellness has fostered, many patients do not need to go to therapy as often—“a huge win,” in Dr. Fields’s estimation.
Although some people may have a difficult time understanding the monthly membership fee, Kempe acknowledges, “We think it’s important to have conversations about the need to prioritize personal health and well-being, and having the support of concierge medical care allows you to do that and live better.”
Whether patients participate in one of CLIMB Health & Wellness’s offerings or several, the experience is personalized to each individual to maximize comfort, happiness, and personal growth. As Kempe says, “We’re the support you need when you need it.”
“We’re here to help [patients] build a support network,” Dr. Fields adds. “Our goal is to work with them so they can feel more comfortable taking risks, navigating their own lives so they can then feel better, be healthier, and thrive in life. Ultimately, the goal is to help them live longer and be happier.”
CLIMB Health & Wellness
633 Germantown Pike, 2nd floor
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444
(484) 576-3705
myhealthclimb.com
633 Germantown Pike, 2nd floor
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444
(484) 576-3705
myhealthclimb.com
Photo by Jody Robinson
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, October 2024.
