Photo by Erin Nelson.
Core Life Weight Loss Healthcare has opened a new location on Meadowbrook Drive in Greystone, seen here Aug. 8.
Owned and operated by a family out of Maryland, CoreLife recently opened its third Birmingham location in Greystone.
CoreLife is a preventative health care company focusing on body mass index and weight loss, with four components to help its patients lose weight: medical, nutrition, exercise and behavior. Programs are developed for each individual based on their specific lifestyle.
Since its opening in mid-July, the Greystone location has welcomed new patients, had transfers from the other area locations and is continuing to grow. CoreLife’s services are all based on the individual, depending on how much weight they want to lose. Focused on long-term sustainability, the company’s goal is to come alongside its patients and help implement long-term strategies for their health.
“We are not in the business of dragging people along telling them what to eat to lose weight,” said Jonathan Culwell, president of CoreLife Alabama. “We come alongside them to communicate with them and educate them about nutrition. If you are genuinely wanting to lose weight in a safe, sustainable way [and] achieve long-term success, CoreLife is the way.”
Each location of CoreLife is half gym and half doctor’s office. They have nurse practitioners, physical assistants and registered dietitians to assist patients with their individual needs.
Patients start with a free consultation and zero obligation. Culwell said they will get a tour of the office, a layout of every aspect of the program, a discussion about what their insurance covers and expectations of both the client and the staff before people decide if they want to join the program.
“You can lose weight with just nutrition or just fitness or just medical oversight or behavior, but when you combine all four, you’re really looking at being super successful and keeping the weight off long term,” Culwell said. “We look at how we can effect change long term and give people self-accountability and knowledge to make healthy decisions on their own.”
While they do collaborate with the medical community, patients are not required to have a doctor’s referral to CoreLife. Many new patients are referred by friends and family after they experience success with the program.
One of the things that makes CoreLife different from other weight loss companies is that it accepts insurance. Out-of-pocket costs are pretty low, and it bills like a doctor’s office. There are no up-front fees or hidden costs.
“If people are not having success and losing weight, they are going to stop coming, and when they stop coming, they are not going to pay anymore,” Culwell said. “It allows us to put our money where our mouth is.”
CoreLife is continuing to grow, and Culwell said he hopes to have a total of five locations open in the Birmingham area by the end of the year.
“As the president of this company, the thing that aggravates me most is when people come in and waste their time and money on our program without having success,” Culwell said. “I’ve seen people make dramatic changes in their health through our program by getting back to the basics and learning things to implement in their life. When people get on board and focus on it, their lives change dramatically, and the benefits that come with weight loss are absolutely astounding. We are proud of what we do.”
CoreLife Greystone is located at 3000 Meadow Lake Drive, Suite 111, in Hoover. It is open Mondays from noon-7 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 a.m. to noon. Visit corelifemd.com for more information.
