Ponte Vedra Wellness Center celebrates 16 years

Posted

Dr. Erika Hamer opened the Ponte Vedra Wellness Center with a vision of creating a family practice, a place where patients felt happy and welcome every time they walked through the doors.

Sixteen years later, and Hamer has created just that. At the epicenter of health and well-being in the Ponte Vedra community, Hamer’s practice has cultivated quite a name for itself. 

“Ponte Vedra Beach is a very good community,” Hamer said. “I still have so many patients that I have had for the last 10-to-15 years, but I get a lot of new people too. It’s a mix.”

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, staff at the Ponte Vedra Wellness Center have done everything in their power to keep a smile on patients’ faces, even surprising a long-time guest with cupcakes and balloons on their birthday. 

“There are so many things today that can make your world tough, but I want you to come in and just feel really good when you walk through the door,” Hamer said.

When first opening her practice, Hamer wanted a patient’s mental, physical and emotional well-being to be at the forefront of her teachings.

“Not just ‘what I can do for you,’” she said, “but more ‘how can I teach you the whole concept?’”

It may be common nowadays to see doctor’s offices and yoga studios slap the word “wellness” onto their names, but when Hamer came up with her practice, it was genuine. To communicate that, the staff wanted their patients to be present and be well.

To adhere with new CDC guidelines, the Ponte Vedra Wellness Center spaces out its client appointments and practices safe social distancing, but Hamer said patients like to schedule appointments around one another, to chat and catch up after isolating the last seven-to-eight months. 

“I love the warm environment I have been able to build with my practice,” Hamer said, noting that even though the pandemic has made people lonelier than usually, she wanted her office staff to make patients smile. 

At the celebration Thursday, Nov. 5, local guests and members from the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce came together to commemorate Hamer’s successful impact on the Ponte Vedra community. 

Attendees got their fill of charcuterie cups and Halloween-themed desserts, as well as games and chair massages.   

In terms of the future, Hamer plans to keep up her hard work in the community. 

“Everybody’s so welcoming here, and once you’re in the community you find that it’s a place you could stay forever,” she said. “I have no intention of going anywhere.”

The Ponte Vedra Wellness Center is running a special for new patients, and a special for current patients, now through Dec. 1. To learn more about the offers, go to pontevedrawellnesscenter.com.