Rising Stars: Meet Christy Garbus of Lone Tree

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christy Garbus.

Hi Christy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am one of four women who opened Big Life Integrative Health. We are 4 friends and professionals (2 medical, 2 business women) who saw an opportunity to change the landscape of healthcare. Disenfranchised with the insurance system, we wanted to pursue a model of care that gave providers the ability to care for the whole person, promote relationship and patient satisfaction, and provider satisfaction. Big Life is a medical clinic that feels like home, where patients can have majority of their healthcare needs met. Our services include primary care, hormones & weight loss programs, functional medicine, neurotherapy, IV therapy, and natural aesthetic procedures. Our goal is to meet people where they are, understand their story, and help them be well so they can live their “Big Life”.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have been open for 2 years (opened January 2023). Being a small medical startup the four of us (and families) invested everything to make Big Life a reality. We took over our space Jan 1 of 2023, flipped it in 30 days with family, friends, and anyone willing to hold a paintbrush, and opened 30 days later.
We didn’t know how fast things would grow and are now excited to add on 3,000 more square feet this summer to accommodate a growing team and patient population.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am one of the owners and have been a nurse for 10 years. I started my career in the hospital, mostly in Emergency medicine, and saw firsthand how lack of preventative care landed so many patients in the emergency room with preventable diseases. During COVID I transitioned to primary care and was able to see the value in holistic, preventative care. The struggle still remained–balancing time and resources to give great care with enough appointments for insurance reimbursements that would pay the bills and keep the lights on.

When we looked at opening Big Life we asked ourselves how to combat the problem of time and afford great care for patients. We adopted the model of direct primary care, but have evolved it to be even more comprehensive than your average direct primary care practice, expanding beyond primary care to offer care in other realms including hormones, weight loss, and an integrative approach to medicine. Instead of a pay-per-visit model, we offer monthly membership options for patients. This covers visits and communication, allowing us to give accessibility, continuity, and comprehensive, individualized care to our patients.

Why? Because not everyone fits in a box. I was passionate about offering an integrative option at Big Life because it had been an integral part of my own health journey. My business partner, Devon Nelson, FNP, had been my functional medicine provider for many years. I was the patient who never “fit in the box” of Western medicine. When my athletic career was taken from me in college due to unexplained symptoms of headache, fatigue, inflammation, and gut problems, I searched for 12 years for answers. Turned away from every specialist in Colorado and the Mayo Clinic, I found success and wellness in a functional approach to care. Incorporating both in our practice allows us to have more tools to help patients. We practice the very best of Western medicine, and also have an integrative, functional track that some patients need. It is a privilege to take my own experience, hear other’s stories, and empathize as I walk with them on their health journey.

The beauty and comprehensive nature of the model has inspired me to go back to school, and I will be joining our provider team as a certified Nurse Practitioner Fall of 2025. This will expand my scope to care for patients on a deeper level.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
This is a team effort. The four of us each have different strengths and skill sets that made this dream a reality so quickly. The credit is due to be distributed equally among us. Devon Nelson, FNP is a family nurse practitioner, certified functional medicine provider, and our medical director. Katie Smith and Meghan Vincent are the brains behind our business in all realms of business, billing, marketing, management, and vision. We are so grateful to the Lone Tree community for embracing us and allowing us to care for you and your loved ones. It is truly a privilege.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.biglifecolorado.com/about-us/
• Instagram: @biglife.health
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089950359718

Image Credits
Jimmy Dozer