“It’s really fascinating to observe someone truly see his or her life change over a few weeks,” says Dr. Thomas Clark, owner of the Center for Hormone Health and Wellness. He expresses how rewarding it is to watch the quality of life greatly improve for patients who receive hormone replacement therapy.
The Center for Hormone Health and Wellness offers bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), which replicates the hormones that one’s body naturally produces. This is different from synthetic hormones, which Clark describes as “a key that doesn’t quite fit.”
After the age of 30, hormone levels begin to decline, Clark says, and by 50 years old, hormone levels are on the low end of normal. Many people find that they don’t feel as good anymore. They may have fatigue, trouble sleeping, anxiety or a number of other negative symptoms. Although 80 percent of the Center’s patients are women, men experience this decline as well. “Pretty much everybody throughout his or her lifetime, at some point, experiences a significant drop in hormone levels,” says Clark.
Patients at the Center have told Clark that they feel the best they have felt in years and wish they had started treatment earlier. Some patients were even able to discontinue their antidepressants or arthritis medications after receiving BHRT.
The main goal is for patients to feel better, Clark says. “We’re replacing what your body used to make in abundance when you were feeling your best. It’s not like we’re trying to make you Superman. No, what we’re trying to do is reverse those symptoms so that patients feel better,” Clark adds.
Despite people being hesitant to try treatment, Clark emphasizes that BHRT is an accessible option, and while it’s not a cure-all treatment, for many, the results speak for themselves.
Clark’s journey in the field of BHRT and medical weight loss started in the early 2000s at a time when those services were not well known or widely offered. Born and raised outside of Buffalo, New York, Clark attended Davidson College in North Carolina and medical school at Wake Forest University. His surgical residency was in Ohio, where he met his wife with whom he has four children. In the mid ’90s, he moved to Newport News, where he worked as a general surgeon, specializing in weight loss.
By the early 2000s, Clark had just begun researching and learning about BHRT. He offered the service to those who requested it, but it was not yet the main focus of his practice. However, he says, “The older I got, the more interesting it got, because I’m starting to feel some of these symptoms too.”
In January 2022, Clark retired from performing surgical procedures and began focusing solely on BHRT and medical weight loss. The Center for Hormone Health and Wellness recently relocated to a new office space. The move, Clark says, is the result of his desire to shift focus toward BHRT, medical weight loss and nutrition. His new space includes a storefront for medical weight loss products.
The doctor has a great passion for educating his patients. Over the last two decades, he has created hundreds of educational videos on topics ranging from weight loss to nutrition and healthy living. In addition, he offers online membership giving users access to educational reading materials and his live webinars. These online resources allow him to “drip” educational support to his patients over time instead of overwhelming them with too much information at one time.
Clark believes that being informed and making healthy decisions is just as important as the medical side of things, “With any medication, you have to do the right things along with the medications.”
When it comes to living healthy, Clark aspires to be a good role model for his patients. “I try to do what I tell my patients to do. Throughout my career, I’ve tried to be a mentor as opposed to just someone who is telling you what to do,” he says.
Outside of the office, Clark enjoys water sports, including surfing, jet skiing and wakeboarding. He also works out four to five times a week and does Spartan obstacle races.
TO THE POINT:
Center for Hormone Health and Wellness
Address: 711D Brick Kiln Blvd., Newport News, VA 23602
Contact: Thomas W. Clark, owner
Phone: 757-223-0940
Email: Support@CenterforHormoneHealthandWellness.com
Website: centerforhormonehealthandwellness.com
