Editor's note: This story was updated Friday (09-08-23) with corrected information regarding professional titles.

BROOKINGS — If you’re tired of feeling like just another number in America’s healthcare system, then Brookings-based Self-Care Studio might be able to offer you a more personalized and individualized approach that suits your needs.

The business, which opened in April at 421 Eighth St. S., describes itself as an integrative wellness clinic that incorporates traditional medicine models along with functional medicine philosophies and aesthetic services.

“It’s nice being back in the community where we went to college and to be able to serve this community and offer a variety of services in one clinic setting that just is unique to Brookings,” co-owner Jill Melby said.

She, along with fellow co-owners Jami Schultz and Shanna Konz, have years of experience in the medical field as advanced nurse practitioners, along with other health-related specializations.

“The other interest for me is the fact we all grew up on a farm, so rural communities and — with the location of Brookings — it allows for a lot of these rural areas to seek our services,” Melby continued. “I think it makes it convenient, definitely, for some of these rural communities to come and see us here in Brookings.”

Schultz added, “We decided on Brookings because we feel like it’s a great community focused on wellness (and) it’s a growing community. Many opportunities — and I think also, being Jackrabbits, we wanted to bring that back here.”

Services offered by Self-Care Studio are manifold, and categories include women’s health, laser hair removal, aesthetics, IV hydration and vitamin therapy, injections and functional medicine. Further details can be found at selfcare.studio, and the business can be contacted at 605-692-2273. It can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.

“One of my favorite quotes is, ‘You’re the greatest project you will ever work on.’ So, just to remind patients to invest in yourself and work on yourself each and every day.” — Self-Care Studio co-owner Jami Schultz 

The women’s roots go deeper than their ties to Brookings, South Dakota State University and healthcare, though. They were born and grew up on farms in the Dakotas. Schultz hails from the De Smet area while Melby traces her childhood back to Doland and Konz grew up in rural southeast North Dakota.

“We learned hard work ethic there,” Schultz said of the women’s lives growing up on farms. 

Indeed, they have. After all, being involved in health care for years on end — and then getting the gumption to start your own business — takes a lot of effort, with resolve and drive being a huge part of it.

“Being able to do this and create this on our own, really gives the freedom of focusing on what you think you’re best at and what you know you’re the best at, and kind of doing that in your own way,” Konz said. “Being able to give the care in the best way you know possible isn’t always what you’re allowed to do when you’re working for someone else.” 

With that in mind, services that have been popular with folks include the clinic’s body balance/holistic weight management program. 

“Different phases, different seasons of life create varying hurdles for men and women to lose weight,” Konz observed. “We try to, through lab work typically, find out what processes are creating weight gain to happen and how do we think about the whole body together as to how to help weight loss then occur.”

Another one is functional medicine.

“I think a lot of people in the community are curious about functional medicine,” Konz said. “Maybe they’ve dabbled in it or read something, or maybe they’re on a supplement and they just want to know, ‘Is this really something that’s going to help me?’ So our functional medicine visits have also been very popular and well-received as well.”

Melby offered her thoughts as well.

“I think the beauty of our business and our services is the fact that when a patient walks in the door, we have so many things to offer them here under one roof,” she said. “Aesthetics has been an interest of people for years and we definitely have been seeing the interest in Botox injections. We (also) just got a new Hydrafacial service, … (and) we can do laser hair removal, (which) has been really popular, too.”

A key benefit for customers, and one that has also been quite popular, is what was mentioned earlier: individualized attention.

“The thing that we do that’s different, too, is really the time that we’re committing — not just a quick in-and-out visit,” Konz said. “We getting to know you, what you appreciate in your life, what are your goals, what other influences are there and how we create a treatment plan for you.”

That can mean a lot to a person, especially in a world that seems to become more and more impersonalized with each passing year. 

“Our main goal is to make patients feel heard. I feel like we have the ability to do that,” Schultz said. “Our patients that walk in and walk out, they’re so appreciative of us just sitting down with them and taking the time to listen, and so I think lending an ear is huge to patients. I enjoy helping empower them to be advocates for their own health and I feel that gives patients motivation to make change.”

Konz shared another, similar, sentiment.

“In health care, we tend to think so much about the details of blood pressure, of disease states, that in order to prevent having these we really need to take a pause and think about how we’re taking care of not just our body, but also our mind and our attitude of how we see the world,” she noted. “When we are able to truly foster taking care of ourselves, typically you’ll see not only do we improve relationships with others but we’re also able to set the stage for true wellness. 

“Self-Care Studio takes these elements and, really, we want to give patients permission to take a pause,” she continued, “not just think about what disease state are they in, but how are we incorporating all of the aspects that make up our health and, really, giving permission to say, ‘You know what? It is OK for me to think about my body as a whole and to feel good.’”

In closing, Schultz had nothing but praise and a bright outlook for what lies ahead.

“Overall, we’re hoping to continue to expand our services and expand our footprint,” she said. “We’ve had unwavering support since opening our doors in April and (we’re) so appreciative that the patients have trust and confidence in us.” 

Schultz also offered a solid bit of advice.

“One of my favorite quotes is, ‘You’re the greatest project you will ever work on,’” she said. “So, just to remind patients to invest in yourself and work on yourself each and every day.” 

— Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].