Well before the COVID crisis turned the world on its head in early 2020, health and wellness was already a front-burner issue for many Americans. Over the past decade, breakthroughs in medicines have rapidly progressed in the treatment of ailments like fibromyalgia, diabetes, obesity and a slew of other chronic diseases and conditions.
Lost in the mix, however, are advancements in how treatments are delivered.
At the forefront of these methods is intravenous (IV) therapy—the administration of fluids and medication through the veins.
“A lot of the benefit of IV therapy—whether you’re getting IV medication in a hospital, IV fluids or vitamins—is that you’re getting that stuff directly into your cells,” said Brian Johnson, a Family Nurse Practitioner. “It doesn’t pass through your intestinal tract.”
Along with his wife, Pamela Johnson, Brian is the founder of Mountain River IV, Health & Wellness here in Idaho Falls. Chronic illnesses and diseases that they treat include anxiety/depression, gastrointestinal issues, fatigue, fibromyalgia and more.
“We chose to go with the IV therapy route mostly because of my own history,” Pamela said. “I have some chronic illnesses, like fibromyalgia and a genetic defect called MTHFR, which affects how I assimilate certain vitamins.”
When the couple had first married, Pamela had been administered IV’s that were instrumental in treating her conditions. As she began to realize her personal, firsthand appreciation for the treatment, Brian was racking up substantial hands-on experience.
“As a paramedic and a Life Flight nurse, he learned to do IV’s very well,” Pamela said. “He’s got quite the skill for it.”
One thing that separates the Johnsons’ venture from other IV services—including a multitude of so-called “IV drip bars” popping up around the country—is that Mountain River is an integrated medical clinic.
“Yes there are athletes who may need to hydrate before or after an event, and of course, people can come in and just get the fluids,” Pamela said. “But what makes us unique is that each individual comes in and can have a one-on-one meeting with Brian, where he reviews their health history, checks to see if there are any background issues going on, or any indicators that may be causing the conditions that they have.”
As a medical clinic, Mountain River has the ability to draw labs to check a patient’s levels, and then create a protocol that is specific to that individual.
“You’re not just ordering off some menu hoping it does something for you,” Pamela said.
Does this mean Mountain River’s IV therapy could be covered by insurance? Unfortunately, no.
“This isn’t like IV’s that you would normally get in a hospital setting,” Pamela said. “These are vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. All of that falls in line with ‘integrative medicine,’ and most insurances don’t cover it.”
However, Mountain River is able to create a superbill (a detailed invoice outlining the services a client has received) for use with a health savings account or flexible spending card.
Beyond its IV services, Mountain River provides treatments for men’s health. Specialties include hormone therapy, erectile dysfunction and low libido.
More recently, the clinic has found a niche in relation to the ongoing pandemic.
Launching a business during COVID might sound like a risky move, but for Mountain River, the decision has made some crazy good sense.
“Of course you never want bad things to happen, but one of the benefits we’ve had...is the research that has been done on the importance of nutrition and certain vitamins and minerals that are helping people get over COVID,” Pamela said. “We’ve got several patients who got it last year and are still having that long-hauler syndrome. They come in like they’re the walking dead, but as they walk out they’re able to have conversations, joke and laugh.”
Another area of unique service from Moun-tain River is genetic testing, which helps Brian suggest specific micronutrients.
“It helps us come at it with a more dialed-in approach instead of a shotgun approach,” he said. “We can do this through intravenous administration or intramuscular injections, and then also get you set up with some medical grade supplements that will help bring those levels back up to a normal range.”
For the full gamut of Mountain River’s treatments, products and services, visit www.mountainriverhealth.net or call 208-528-6749. The clinic is located at 2285 E 25th (Hitt Road).
Click here to read more of the February issue of Idaho Falls Magazine.