Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Mapes. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Christina Mapes, Family Nurse Practitioner – Certified (“FNP-C”), has been working in the medical field for over ten years. Christina originally earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Texas Christian University and taught at the elementary grade level for several years. After teaching, she attended nursing school at the University of Texas at Arlington, and after obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, Christina worked as a nurse in labor and delivery and women’s health services at a major regional hospital in Texas. She then left bedside nursing to pursue a FNP graduate degree at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Since obtaining her FNP degree, Christina’s practice has covered pediatric to geriatric care, acute care, and basic primary care. She has trained extensively in holistic medicine, hormone replacement therapy, and weight loss therapy. Over time, she has transitioned her practice to serving this patient population. Christina founded LOMA Health & Wellness in 2023 to specifically serve these patients in her local community.
Christina is passionate about delivering medical care focused on whole-body wellness, with an emphasis on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. She is an Integrative Medicine Practitioner, using holistic modalities with traditional Western medicine practice when necessary. Her goal is to optimize the patient’s health mentally, emotionally, and physically, obtaining whole-body wellness.
Christina and her husband, Adam, have lived in Tomball with their four daughters since 2016. Christina loves to workout, spend time with her family, and is active in her daughter’s activities and their family church.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road of schooling to complete my BSN and MSN-FNP was challenging because it was a second career path, and we had already started our family. I had to learn to balance the mom and wife title with the working nurse and student title. As I think back, I remember staying up late at night, after everyone else was sleeping, to study and complete schoolwork. I know each day seemed long while I was in the thick of it, but looking back, it flew by quickly. I was blessed to have a supportive family, network of friends, and husband who encouraged me along the way!
I have also been blessed to practice medicine the way I want since finishing my master’s program. I believe in practicing integrative medicine, where holistic medicine and Western medicine can intersect. My employer, before starting LOMA Health, was supportive and encouraged new ideas and methods.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
LOMA’s name was created with our four daughter’s initials. I wanted to honor the girls in some way, and I wanted a unique name for the practice. I also wanted to show our daughters they can do anything with hard work and drive, and they can balance life as a mom, if they choose, and business owner/professional.
LOMA offers medical visits, including yearly preventative physicals for men and women, well-women exams, hormone replacement therapy, weight loss visits, and basic sick telemedicine visits/virtual consultations. We also offer aesthetic services from hydration facials, Aquagold microinfusion facials with Botox, IV hydration, plasma injections, and more.
We get asked if we have packages for hormone therapy or weight loss, and the simple answer is we do not because we believe every patient visit, lab order, and plan of care is different, as every patient is unique. I may test regular hormone labs on one patient, and I might test saliva levels or dried urine levels on another patient, depending on their unique needs. We also offer different modalities for weight loss and hormone replacement therapy, as pellet therapy is not for everyone or weight loss injections are not for everyone.
We do treat more complex cases, such as patients with autoimmune disorders, micronutrient deficiencies, PCOS, and more. We take an integrative approach to treating these conditions, which starts with nutrition, lifestyle, and other alternative therapies.
Our initial visits are 75 minutes in length because we like to get to know our patients, complete a full health history, discuss all concerns, discuss treatment options, next steps, and this cannot be done in a 5–10-minute visit. We are cash pay for this reason, as we can spend the time needed with each patient, and we do not have to overlap patient bookings. We can see one patient at a time.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
I believe starting a business is taking a huge risk, especially when self-funded. However, these types of risks are worth it when you are passionate about your business, and you believe in the service you offer. I also believe God opens doors when they need to be opened, and He helps guide you through the process. When you feel called to do something, and He is showing you the path ahead, you listen. This was the perfect time for Adam and I to take this leap of faith and start LOMA.
I will practice “out of the box,” including trying new therapies not recognized by the Western medicine world, as long as these therapies are safe. I will continue to study and research my areas of expertise, as medicine is always evolving. What I will not do is practice medicine outside of my comfort zone and scope of knowledge. In this capacity, I will “stay in my lane.” I am always open to learning about new treatment methods and ideas!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lomahealthtx.com
- Instagram: lomahealth.wellness
- Facebook: LOMA Health & Wellness
