By Gina Horan
Optimize U Opens Wellness Clinic in The Villages
A new wellness clinic focused on preventive health and personalized care has opened in The Villages.
Optimize U recently celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new location. The clinic offers hormone replacement therapy, medically supervised weight management, peptide therapy and IV infusion therapy.
The Villages location is the company’s second clinic, joining its original location in Ocala.
Owner Ben Green, a wellness specialist, and business partner Julie Grishaw, a nurse practitioner, lead the clinic.
“I’m very excited that we are able to bring Optimize U to The Villages,” Julie says. “I’m passionate about bringing total-body wellness to individuals seeking to live longer, have fuller lives and perform at their best.”
Ben brings more than 13 years of experience as a lieutenant paramedic with Lake County Fire Rescue to the business. While continuing his career as a first responder, he says he hopes the clinic will help people take a proactive approach to their health and wellness.
“My family moved to The Villages in 2017, and we really love the community,” Ben says. “We believe hormones play an important role later in life. Longevity and the way we function every day go hand in hand with good health. We look at it as being proactive.”
Ben says opening the clinic allows him to continue serving the community in a different way while helping clients improve their overall health and quality of life.
Optimize U also offers discounts to first responders in recognition of their service to the community.
“It’s been great so far,” Ben says. “People in The Villages have been welcoming, curious and very receptive. Hormone therapy is new to some people, but this community is very educated. Our biggest message is that once you’re retired, you should have the energy and vitality to do what you want and enjoy the free time you’ve worked so hard for.”
The ribbon-cutting welcomed members of The Sumter County Chamber of Commerce, local business leaders, community members and first responders to tour the new facility. Optimize U also is partnering with Clear View Imaging to share the space.
Check them out at 3325 Wedgewood Ln. in The Villages. For more information, call 352.355.3066 of visit optimizeucenters.com.
Photos by Gina Horan
Gina moved to Central Florida from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2021. She holds a degree in linguistics and has worked as a fashion editor, photo stylist, lifestyle columnist and food writer since 1995. She later covered travel, events, restaurants, music festivals and sports throughout Northern California, including work as a morning show host with KSAN radio and food critic for KRON Bay TV. A veteran bartender, she has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. Gina joined Akers Media in 2022 and is currently the Food and Lifestyle Editor. Her passions include travel, road trips, history books and podcasts, tasting menus and arriving in a new city without a map.
