Feature Stories

Heated Vinyasa Yoga Classes And More At New Zoia Yoga & Wellness Studio.

Heated Vinyasa Yoga Classes And More At New Zoia Yoga & Wellness Studio.

Zoia Yoga & Wellness recently opened in the Kobosko’s Crossing shopping plaza in Wellington. The boutique yoga studio offers heated vinyasa yoga classes for all levels of experience.

Owner Jhaleh Jiveh opened her studio two months ago, wanting to provide the local community with an added experience to a popular style of yoga in a small-classroom setting.

Zoia’s studio is custom engineered with infrared heating technology, set to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Jiveh believes the heat enhances the benefits that yoga can offer her clients.

“I’m a registered nurse, and I’ve always been a big believer of holistic health,” Jiveh said. “Being in a different health system in Canada, and coming here, working in the U.S. health system, my passion is really self-health, taking care of yourself before you get sick.”

The infrared panels act more like a sauna, rather than how Floridians know a hot summer day may treat them. The heat is fully controlled and is designed to enhance the yoga experiences without comprising comfortability.

“The infrared are high-end infrared panels, custom engineered to the room, where the room is a nice healing heat,” Jiveh said. “You don’t walk into a wall of hot air. It’s nice heat. There are no cold spots. It’s a nice, even heat all along.”

Among the different benefits that the heated sessions can provide is reduction of stress and fatigue. Jiveh said that it can even help improve the immune system.

“Heat helps to move your body to stretch deeper, and also there have been studies shown that it burns more calories under the heat, so the heat is also great for weight loss,” she said.

Jiveh is focused on providing a lively experience at Zoia, which means “alive” in Greek.

“My significance is being spiritually alive,” Jiveh said. “I think it’s [important] to feel ignited inside and feeling alive, so that’s what I mean by coming here and feeling alive on a physical, mental and emotional level.”

Along with her goal to enhance mental and physical ability for her clients, Jiveh has a team of experienced yoga instructors. Among them are master yogi Cat Cabot.

“She does advanced levels,” Jiveh said. “She’s going to do advanced classes and a lot of yoga workshops as well, and I’ll be doing a lot of nutrition and taking care of yourself workshops.”

She encourages all who look to try heated vinyasa yoga to go to a class run by each of her instructors to get a better personalized experience and determine what works best for them.

“I have other teachers, and they all offer something different,” Jiveh said. “I teach some of the classes, and I have several different teachers, which gives people options to try out every teacher, so they can personalize and see what they like.”

Classes at Zoia range from 60 to 75 minutes in length. Also offered are a variety of workshops that revolve around yoga, nutrition and other forms of holistic health, which is the base of Jiveh’s passion and focus for how yoga can aid in people’s health.

“When I moved here, I worked in the hospital,” Jiveh said. “It wasn’t really in line with what I loved. As I said, my passion is to promote health to help empower people to take care of themselves. That’s how this whole thing came about — for people to have a place to get educated about good nutrition and have a good place that feels like home.”

Part of that is her aim to keep Zoia a small, intimate location.

Other offerings at Zoia include mediation classes and a stretch and restore class, which are not heated classes.

“We also are starting to offer wellness services,” Jiveh said. “I’m a registered nurse, so I do detox, like cleansing and health coaching, and teaching people to eat properly.”

Yoga is a widely popular spiritual discipline that can be interpreted in many ways, but Jiveh said, no matter what, yoga is for everyone. She encourages people to try it with the heat if they have not had the experience of doing so.

“Yoga has become so popular, and it’s become so westernized that people now associate yoga with all these girls wearing bikinis and doing poses on the beach… but that’s not yoga,” Jiveh said.

She makes it easy for people to try classes at her studio. “They can try it for two weeks or a month just to see if they like it, and it’s a very inexpensive way to try it, and I always encourage people to try new things,” Jiveh said.

Meanwhile, she is focused on providing a spiritual home away from home at Zoia.

“People might say, ‘That’s not for me,’ but it is for everybody,” Jiveh said. “Yoga is a way you connect to your heart. It’s an exercise where you heal inside and out. So, this is a place where we encourage that. Yoga is for everybody.”

Zoia Yoga & Wellness is located in Kobosko’s Crossing at 9308 Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. For additional information, call (561) 316-8113 or visit www.zoiayoga.com.

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Feature Stories

Pony Lane Farm Expands With New Home in Wellington

Pony Lane Farm Expands With New Home in Wellington

Pony Lane Farm, owned and operated by the Thatcher family, is a world-class breeding and performance horse farm offering breeding services to elite hunter and jumper stallions, as well as sales of high-quality young horses.

Located both here in Wellington and in Bluffdale, Utah, the operation is known as one of the premier breeding farms in the United States, boasting a string of stallions and broodmares with impressive pedigrees and top show ring records. Since the launch of Pony Lane Farm in 2002, the operation has grown extensively, with a custom-built facility in Wellington propelling further success for the business in South Florida.

In Wellington, Pony Lane Farm was first housed on a small property with 10 stalls, but the number of horses quickly outgrew the available space, prompting the Thatchers to expand. Drawn in by the appeal of the horse-friendly Saddle Trail neighborhood, Pony Lane Farm found a new home in February 2014, purchasing the larger space with help of close friend and colleague Alex Jayne, a well-known trainer in the Wellington show jumping sphere.

“We loved the accessibility and the people who lived in the Saddle Trail neighborhood, as well as the fact that the neighborhood is designed for horses,” said Maura Thatcher, founder of Pony Lane Farm. “We eventually purchased it without even going inside the house. I had a really short time in Wellington, and when we were shown the property, we couldn’t get in the house that day, so I had Alex go back and look at the house. He said it was beautiful and to buy it, so that’s what we did!”

Pony Lane Farm’s new property featured a 12-stall barn equipped with a tack room, riders’ lounge and grooms’ apartment, as well as a home designed for year-round living. With only two more stalls than previously, further expansion was needed. With horses on the property year-round, the Thatcher family ensured they would have an equine-friendly atmosphere, not only during the busy winter show season, but during the summer months as well.

“We built the exact mirror of the original barn, bumping us up to 22 stalls, and we connected the two barns with a covered crossover with the help of our architect. We placed the treadmill, hoof water spa and TheraPlate within the crossover, and added a place for the farrier that has easy access,” Thatcher explained. “The horses are very comfortable using those pieces of equipment and getting their shoes, because they’re right around the other horses. You’re not asking them to leave their friends!”

With a solid home base secured, the team at Pony Lane Farm has been able to focus on both breeding and competing in Wellington for the past three years. When in Florida, the farm’s three premier stallions — Dulf Van Den Bisschop, Klotaire du Moulin and Standing Ovation — all keep the peace in side-by-side stalls, and the team implements specific protocols to notify the horse which job he will be completing on any given day, making it possible for active breeding stallions to also successfully compete at the nearby Winter Equestrian Festival.

Adding to its repertoire, Pony Lane Farm further aims for its stable full of both up-and-coming and proven performance horses to bring home accolades from the WEF show ring. From breeding youngsters to competing in the Grand Prix, the Thatchers have a hand in many of the equestrian opportunities that draw athletes to Wellington.

“Wellington is where the horse world comes to play. You have so many international and national riders, as well as the top horses in the world in both jumpers and hunters. You compete with the best, and that makes it so much more fun to be in Wellington and to be able to experience that level,” Thatcher said. “The girls have entered a new chapter of their lives, but they still want to include the horses. I want the horses to always be a part of their lives, like they have always been a part of mine, no matter what level. I can’t imagine not having horses as a part of our life.”

Whether at the farm or around town, the Thatchers enjoy their time in Wellington year after year, and aim to contribute to the local equestrian community. From the equestrian center to local restaurants, they take advantage of all that the Wellington community has to offer from November through April, and then count the days until it’s time to return at the end of the year.

“The people who normally live in Wellington are so welcoming, and the restaurants and businesses are always excited to see the season start,” Thatcher said. “I’m really looking forward to that part. I’m always sad when it ends and excited for it to start.”

To learn more, visit www.ponylanefarm.com.

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Feature Stories

Insurance Expert Wayne Jenkins Puts Family And Community At Center Stage

Insurance Expert Wayne Jenkins Puts Family And Community At Center Stage

One might expect that after 30 years in the insurance business, industry expert Wayne Jenkins would have a standard recipe for success in place. However, that is not how Jenkins, the founder of CaptiveOne Advisors LLC and a longtime Wellington resident, “does” insurance.

His ideas about how to do things differently is what led Jenkins to start his own firm in 2005. CaptiveOne is a national firm, with offices in Wellington and Wilmington, Del., that specializes in building custom, captive insurance programs so that businesses can self-insure against the unexpected.

“We create strategies, based on what our clients need to sustain and thrive when the unforeseen happens,” Jenkins explained. “Our approach is different… we build the improbable, but practical.”

Jenkins keeps family, the next generation of business leaders and the way insurance is perceived at the core of his vision. His two sons, Bryan and Steven, both work in the family business and are each graduates of Jenkins’ own alma mater, the University of Miami.

With a deep bench of insurance industry professionals, skilled specialists and an entrepreneurial spirit, CaptiveOne is poised to expand the public’s perception about the traditional insurance business and how a custom-built captive insurance program can benefit a variety of businesses.

When not working on insurance-business strategy at the office, Jenkins and his sons enjoy traveling, fishing, boating together, fishing tournaments and rooting for the “Canes” at University of Miami games.

“We get outdoors and do a lot of entertaining together,” said Jenkins, who raised his family in Wellington. “My family has seen and experienced this town’s growth first-hand, with its beautiful parks, exceptional schools, programs and businesses.”

The family also aims to give back by investing in their hometown community. This year, Jenkins’ family business has jumped into the equestrian ring with CaptiveOne’s place as an official major sponsor of the 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival.

The annual, world-renowned event, taking place through April 1 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, features Olympic-caliber competitions, exhibitions and clinics, attended by more than 6,000 horses, 3,250 riders and 850 trainers. WEF is expected to draw 250,000 people, with participants and visitors from 33 countries and 50 states converging on Palm Beach County’s acclaimed equestrian center. Total prize money awarded over its 12-week run will exceed $8 million.

“I am thrilled to support my community as a sponsor of this iconic, signature event,” said Jenkins, who owns horses, one training in dressage. “The Winter Equestrian Festival, hosted in our hometown, secures Wellington’s place on the world stage.”

CaptiveOne is also the title sponsor for the FEI 5* Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle dressage competitions that take place during the week of Feb. 7 as part of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center’s Equestrian Village location.

“These events afford an opportunity for our children and families to experience them, and it gives us the opportunity to introduce visitors and businesses from all over the world to Wellington to showcase what we have come to love about our town and all it has to offer,” Jenkins said.

To learn more about CaptiveOne Advisors LLC, visit www.captiveone.com.

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Wellington Home

Remodeled, Transitional Style Estate Home Features Custom Pool & More In Oakmont Estates

Remodeled, Transitional Style Estate Home Features Custom Pool & More In Oakmont Estates

This stately home in the Oakmont Estates neighborhood has been recently remodeled. It’s situated in a beautiful, tropical setting with manicured landscapes and picturesque lakes, located right in the heart of Wellington, near the amenities of State Road 7 and central Wellington, and just minutes from the International Polo Club Palm Beach and the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The five-bedroom, four-bath residence features a spacious open floor plan with seamless wood tile floors and custom lighting. Hurricane impact windows and doors, an oversized three-car garage and a smart home security system are also included.

 

Living Room: Enter the formal living room, and you are greeted by a defining iron banister and staircase to the second floor. Soaring ceilings give the room prominence, while plenty of natural light fills the space.

 

Dining Area: The formal dining area is part of the open floor plan, but also features two walls to give it some degree of separation. An elegant chandelier and pair of wall sconces complete the picture.

 

Family Room: There’s plenty of room for lounging in the spacious family room. A pass-through window from the kitchen makes TV time snacking easier. Meanwhile, double French doors lead out to the pool and patio area.

 

Kitchen: The newly remodeled gourmet eat-in kitchen has quartz countertops, a custom marble tile backsplash, a large island, a walk-in pantry and Samsung smart stainless steel appliances. The FlexZone fridge allows custom control of the temperature of each compartment and built-in entertainment options.

 

Master Bedroom: The generously sized master suite offers a gently turning ceiling fan, wall sconces, a large walk-in closet and views of the spacious, resort-style pool.

 

Pool: The backyard oasis boasts a custom-built heated pool with multiple water features, salt system, raised lanai and sun shelf. The patio includes a fully equipped outdoor kitchen.

 

Front Elevation: Leave the driveway of this estate home secure in the knowledge that the community is protected by a state-of-the art virtual security system and guard gate.

 

Guest Bedroom: Aside from the master suite, the home features four additional bedrooms, offering plenty of space.

 

Master Bath: The en suite master bath features striking pillars, a soaking tub, separate shower, oversized mirrors and his-and-her vanities.
Lake View: The Oakmont community features lakefront lots. Amenities include a clubhouse, heated community pool and spa, children’s pool, playground, exercise room and tennis court.

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Wellington Table - Signature Dish

New Polo Bar & Grill Pays Nostalgic Nod To Vintage Wellington

New Polo Bar & Grill Pays Nostalgic Nod To Vintage Wellington

For Gary Fellers and Jeanette Sassoon, Polo Bar & Grill is more than Wellington’s newest restaurant, it is a labor of love. Long-time residents, equestrians and owners of the iconic apparel store PoloGear USA, the husband-and-wife duo has seen the community evolve across the span of decades, from the very first polo game, in which Fellers played, to the village’s ever-changing skyline, shops and restaurants.

It is their love of the community that spurred the creation of Polo Bar & Grill, designed to pay a nostalgic nod to vintage Wellington and its equestrian roots.

The newly renovated restaurant, located at Polo West Golf & Equestrian off of South Shore Blvd. in the epicenter of Wellington, fuses modern décor, sweeping views and small-town comforts with the excitement of world-class horse sport events, such as arena polo, show jumping and dressage.

Polo Bar & Grill is ideal for the eclectic diner or the local foodie, featuring stellar farm-fresh cuisine, locally sourced produce and hand-crafted cocktails, with a sizable menu that is a compilation of farm-to-table lunch, dinner and brunch plates with a California West Coast twist.

The kitchen at Polo Bar & Grill is run by Executive Chef Victor Irizarry, a graduate of the prestigious Disney Culinary Institute and a master sommelier. He has worked at the world-renowned California Grill and Yachtsman’s Steakhouse, and served as executive chef at Seasons 52 and the Hard Rock Cafe. His mantra is simple, but reflects in each dish served at Polo Bar & Grill — “cook from the heart.” And so he does.

Ingredients are sourced locally, and vendors are chosen based on their quality and proximity to the restaurant. The difference is in the taste, and the dishes do not disappoint.

“Everything you see is a la carte, it’s prepared daily and it’s fresh,” Irizarry said. “We don’t even have a microwave in the kitchen. There are no preservatives, no antibiotics and everything we cook is the way it’s supposed to be eaten.”

Each menu item is perfectly crafted with a blend of flavors that represent Irizarry’s vast international background. The menu features several standout dishes, from the one-of-a-kind flatbreads, to appetizers such as the Ahi Tuna Tartare, a dish of beautiful presentation with hues of green, fresh ahi tuna set amidst an avocado mix, wasabi and cilantro microgreens and served with toast points. The Beef Empanadas boast strong flavors, stuffed with picadillo, and are accompanied by a chipotle ranch sauce — the perfect pairing.

The top entrees include a fan-favorite of Steak & Fries capped with garlic butter, a Wild Caught Red Snapper with seasonal vegetables, New York Strip Steak and the highlight of the menu, a 12-ounce Grilled Pork Chop basted with a guava barbecue sauce and accompanied by a unique and delicious horseradish sweet potato mash.

No matter what you order, each dish leaves the palate craving more.

The restaurant is also host to an array of special events, from an outstanding weekday happy hour to a fabulous weekend brunch featuring reasonable set-priced unlimited mimosas and bloody Marys. The Polo Patio can seat more than 200 guests, offers far-reaching views of the expansive polo field and driving range, an outside bar, and is the perfect location to enjoy live performances from local, talented musicians, such as country musician Tom Blake.

It is also dog-friendly, and Polo Bar & Grill is the only restaurant in Wellington to offer a dog menu for four-legged diners.

“We want Polo Bar & Grill to be a welcoming space for the community by offering an exciting, approachable menu, hosting weekly events open to the public, and giving back to the community through our partnerships with local charities,” General Manager Leslie Hill explained.

Polo Bar & Grill stands out with its weekly events, as well as close ties to the equestrian community and local fundraisers. Positioned on the only remaining public golf course in Wellington, the restaurant offers seasonal golf events, show jumping on Wednesdays and Fridays during the winter season, Big Dogs Night Out benefiting Big Dog Ranch Rescue, arena polo every Sunday evening, and Western in Wellington on Saturday nights, with the J.C. Cowgirls taking the limelight and capping off the night with the sounds of country music during Southern Rock Saturdays.

“We want the new Polo Bar & Grill to be a taste of the past; a throwback to the original Wellington, which was fun and filled with good camaraderie,” Sassoon said. “We want our restaurant to be a place for jumpers, polo players and dressage people, as well as non-equestrians, to decompress and enjoy a relaxing night out. It’s a place where they can come and have a great meal, a couple of cocktails, have fun, and just mingle with people in and out of the equestrian and polo world, just like the old vintage Wellington, the way it used to be.”

Polo Bar & Grill is located at 2470 Greenview Cove Drive in Wellington. It is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.polobarandgrill.com or call (561) 429-2049.

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Attorney Mickey Smith Enjoys Helping People And Serving The Community

Attorney Mickey Smith Enjoys Helping People And Serving The Community

Growing up in Williamson, W.Va., there were two things that Michael “Mickey” Smith knew from an early age: he would grow up to be an attorney, and he would always be called Mickey.

From the first grade, his mother insisted that he remember to request to be called Mickey, since he was named after his uncle. Smith’s parents also were insistent concerning a college education. Neither of them attended college, but their children would.

While studying engineering at Virginia Tech, Smith met his wife-to-be, Lizz; she was an education major. After earning his engineering degree, graduating with honors, Smith received a merit scholarship and continued his education at the Duke University School of Law, where he graduated in the top six percent of his class.

In law school, Smith was elected to the Order of the Coif, an honor society for law school graduates. Smith is also a member of Mensa International, the International High IQ Society. Though Smith has received accolades for being incredibly intelligent, he is also humble.

“I don’t consider myself to be especially smart, but I do think I am hardworking. I have always been hardworking, and I like school. If I won the lottery, I think that I would go back and be a professional student. I like to learn,” Smith said.

Education is important to the Smith family. Lizz, a recently retired school teacher, discovered that retirement wasn’t for her. She missed teaching and eventually returned to the classroom as a substitute teacher.

Learning from her experience, Smith doesn’t ever plan to retire. “I think if you like what you do, I wouldn’t be in a rush to find some other thing that you might not like,” Smith said.

It may seem as though Smith can do anything he puts his mind to, but, he is a self-proclaimed terrible golfer. In fact, he said there are many things he isn’t great at. However, his job is one thing he does well.

“I like helping people. I like talking to people and working with people,” he said. “I don’t view it as drudgery. It’s a joy most of the time, not all of the time, but most.”

Smith is driven by his passion for his work, which has fueled his success. “I think you have to have a passion for what you do,” he said. “Law is a job that requires a lot of hours, and usually young lawyers who aren’t passionate about it don’t last very long in the profession.”

In the early years of his career, Smith represented large insurance corporations. That ended in 2002, when he changed his focus.

“It just wasn’t rewarding any more. Contrary to the media, not all cases are fake and phony, so if you’re an insurance defense attorney, your job is to minimize what they pay out, sometimes to the detriment of people who are deserving,” he said.

Now he works on the other side of the same type of issues as a partner at the law firm Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, which recently opened a Wellington office. “We’re on the offense; trying to get money for deserving people,” he said.

In addition to the office in the Lake Wellington Professional Centre, the 90-year-old firm also has offices in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Stuart. “My wife and I have lived in Wellington for 26 years,” Smith said. “I have connections and clients in the community, so, as a convenience to people, we opened an office here.”

What people see on television dramas versus real life courtroom drama, he said, is actually the opposite. It’s far more preparation and less performance. “It’s kind of totally flipped from TV, meaning on TV, they’ll prepare for 10 minutes and the flashy stuff is 50 minutes,” Smith explained.

Smith is happy to see that Florida may be toughening up laws regarding texting while driving, making it a primary offense, one for which law enforcement can pull you over, rather than a secondary offense.

“Everyone who drives knows that texting is extremely dangerous and leads to a lot of accidents,” Smith said. “We’re advocating for it to be passed because we see the effects of it. There are always going to be accidents, but we’re safety advocates. We want to lessen accidents — our families are out on the road, too.”

From e-mail and phone calls to texting and GPS, there are so many distractions for today’s drivers. “I just started a new case where somebody was texting while driving a truck. They blew through a stop sign and hit a motorcycle, and that happens a lot,” Smith said.

He also advises everyone to have uninsured motorist insurance and make sure they always have an attorney when heading into court.

In his personal life, Smith is a doting husband. For their 30th wedding anniversary, he surprised Lizz with a visit to his alma mater, which included renewing their vows in Duke University’s chapel, where they were married.

The Smiths are avid travelers, having just visited their seventh continent — Antarctica. Together, they marveled at the pristine beauty of the place, possibly preserved because so few people visit.

Smith’s adolescent dream drove him from small-town America, but his heart has kept him in Wellington, where he uses his passion and drive to help the community.

Two of the many organizations that receive his attention are the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington and the Wellington Community Foundation. He serves on both of their boards and enjoys serving the community he loves.

Smith was smitten with the Boys & Girls Club as soon as he toured its facility.

“I knew about it. I knew that it existed, but I didn’t really know,” he said. “I guess like a lot of people, I didn’t realize the extent of the need. I really think that the organization is wonderful.”

There is a sign in the club noting that it is easier to build strong young people rather than fix broken adults. “That’s what appeals to me. It’s a great mission,” Smith said.

Community service is important to Smith, who tends to focus on the elderly, as well as the youth of the community. Both are the goals of the Wellington Community Foundation, where he is a founding board member. He is also a member of the Wellington Rotary Club. “It’s a passion of mine to be involved in my community,” Smith said.

It all fits into his life’s goal to help others better their lives. “I would like for folks to be able to say that I was someone who gave back to the community,” he said. “I am a huge fan of Wellington and have been for 25 years. I want to devote my time trying to help.”

For more information about attorney Mickey Smith, call (561) 655-2028 or visit www.lesserlawfirm.com.

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Wellington Health

Dr. Pedro Sanchez Of MDVIP Offers A Concierge Approach To Healthcare

Dr. Pedro Sanchez Of MDVIP Offers A Concierge Approach To Healthcare

The trend toward concierge medicine is a blend of the old school family doctor and of the new school technological and preventative approach to medicine. Wellington’s Dr. Pedro Sanchez has embraced the trend, which he feels provides better healthcare for his patients.

Sanchez spent more than 25 years in a traditional medical practice, seeing approximately 30 patients per day, before joining MDVIP in March 2017.

“I was spending approximately 5 minutes with each patient, which wasn’t enough,” Sanchez explained. “Now, I can give individual attention, which is a massive improvement and a much higher level of care.”

Apart from the individualized attention, he believes there is also a cost savings benefit to MDVIP’s approach.

“I can call specialists while the patient is in the room and consult with them — and the patient — on the best way to treat the illness,” Sanchez said. “By doing this, I recently saved a patient an emergency room visit.”

Sanchez also feels that he can now better help patients who have chronic conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and more.

“I have time to counsel and explain their condition to the patient, and insist on coordination amongst all of the specialists,” he said.

MDVIP was founded in 2000 in Boca Raton and now has a nationwide network of more than 950 affiliated physicians serving more than 280,000 patients.

“It’s also excellent for snow birds and travelers,” Sanchez said. “All of my patients have my cell phone number, and either I can coordinate what they need or I can get them in to see one of my colleagues.”

The foundation of the approach is the MDVIP Wellness Program, which encompasses advanced screenings and physician counseling that focuses on important health and wellness areas, and includes an annual comprehensive, prevention and wellness assessment that lasts up to two hours.

The annual membership of $1,850 breaks down to about $150 a month, or $5 a day, and can be paid quarterly, semi-annually or annually.

An added courtesy is the Family Plan, which allows the adult patients’ children, between the ages 16 and 26, to be seen without an additional annual membership fee.

MDVIP accepts all commercial insurance and Medicare, and the concierge approach offers another cost savings to the patient. “I have time to get prior authorizations,” Sanchez said. “I have more time, which means my ability to fight for the patient against the insurance company has increased.”

The annual well assessment also means that the patient is rigorously screened for diseases that are either present in their genetic tree or appropriate to their gender, age, race or ethnicity.

This is another way where the patients’ long-term health is focused upon, while simultaneously keeping costs down through early detection and treatment.

“Everybody in medicine is moving in that direction,” Sanchez said. “Accountable care organizations and commercial insurance companies do everything based on costs.”

Sanchez added that MDVIP has access to the master database of the Centers for Medical Excellence, which allows him to research the very best specialists to treat each specific condition and get an appointment for the patient.

He has privileges at both Palms West Hospital and Wellington Regional Medical Center and is connected to most specialists in the area. “Even if my patient is being treated by a specialist in the hospital, I will still stop by and visit during my social rounds,” Sanchez explained.

At any given time, he has a total of about 300 patients, and because he only sees about ten per day, he has time to deal with their urgent needs.

“If you need me now, you’ve got me now,” he said.

Sanchez feels he is practicing the kind of medicine he always wanted to.

“This is a dynamite package of high-level, quality, individualized attention at a reasonable level of cost,” he emphasized. “We’re finally doing the right thing for people.”

Dr. Pedro Sanchez Family Medicine, affiliated with MDVIP, is located at 1035 S. State Road 7, Suite 120, in Wellington. For more information, call (561) 432-4971 or visit www.mdvip.com/pedrosanchezdo.

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Volunteer Work Helps Keep Katarina Evangelista Young at Heart

Volunteer Work Helps Keep Katarina Evangelista Young at Heart

Decades upon decades ago, her parents immigrated to this country from Italy. For this reason, she prefers to be called by her given name — at least, what it was meant to be… “Katarina.”

The now Wellington resident’s name was misconstrued in translation when she was born 86 years ago, and the name “Catherine” was printed on Katarina Evangelista’s birth certificate.

“No one calls me Catherine; always Katarina,” said Evangelista, who is originally from New Rochelle, N.Y.

It is with great respect that Evangelista speaks of her parents. She credits her mother and father for raising her to respect others and is convinced that children today aren’t afforded the same parental attention she was as a child.

“Parents today are busy,” she said. “I would encourage them to spend more time with their children. We always ate together.”

Of all the advice passed on to her from her parents, she considers the best to be from her father. She has never forgotten that one day, without provocation, her father sternly told her, “You are to never smoke.”

Evangelista laughed recalling her father’s statement. “To this day, I’ve never smoked,” she said.

When Evangelista was 18 years of age, she met her future husband, Aldo. Little did she know, her new boyfriend had a significant connection to her parents. It was an uncanny link they discovered on their first meeting. Speaking excitedly in Italian, the older couple learned that the boyfriend of their Katarina had come to the United States on the exact same ship that ferried Evangelista’s parents to Ellis Island. Her boyfriend was only 2 years old at the time.

Aldo and Katarina were married for 54 years before his passing.

It has been 30 years since Evangelista moved to South Florida, and as for most people of retirement age, it was the warm sun that beckoned her and her husband south. However, neither Evangelista nor her husband had yet retired, as they were both living and working in Connecticut at the time.

“Aldo came home one day after work and said, ‘It’s time.’ That was in November of 1987. I said, ‘Let’s go,’ and we were here by Jan. 5, 1988,” Evangelista said. “It was an awful winter.”

Evangelista breaks the “forgetful senior” stereotype. She is very good with dates, recalling and associating events in the same manner as she remembers her own name.

“I don’t know how,” Evangelista said. “It’s a gift — that’s how I look at it. I remember birthdays, anniversaries. All I can say is that it’s a gift.”

That’s not the only old-age stereotype that is foreign to Evangelista, who might best be described as “young at heart.” The 86-year-old breaks them all.  She doesn’t mind telling people exactly how old she is, but before revealing her age, she engages the inquisitor in a quick guessing game. The test-takers are most often stumped, rarely guessing or believing that she is as old as she is.

“Sometimes, they’re afraid to guess, but I tell them, ‘It’s OK,’” Evangelista said. “‘Even if you guess 100, I’ll tell you.’”

No one ever guesses 100, and seldom guesses that Evangelista is in her mid-80s. This is especially true of the students in the New Horizons Elementary School afterschool program. Evangelista worked there with the kids and teachers for 15 years, only just recently retiring. The students there, however, showed very little interest in her age.

“The only thing they ask is why my hair’s that color, which is completely white,” Evangelista said. “I tell them that when someone has all gray hair, that it means it is a blessing, and to give them respect. That’s how I handle it.”

At the end of January, Evangelista will begin volunteering at the school where she once taught children in the afterschool program to knit. As a volunteer, she is looking forward to tutoring kids in reading, especially those who require special attention.

Volunteerism is a way of life for Evangelista, who volunteers in her own local community, including her church, the Wellington Seniors Club and the Kids Cancer Foundation, aside from her time at New Horizons.

“Volunteering isn’t for everyone. It really depends on the person. I know many seniors who volunteer, but others who feel they’ve already done their part, and if they’re going to work, they’d work to get paid,” Evangelista said. “But if they only knew the good feeling that comes with volunteer work.”

Growing older isn’t a challenge for Evangelista. “Anyone can have a senior moment,” she said. “You don’t have to be a senior to sometimes forget.”

Even though she remains vibrant and independent, she notices that as she ages, her two children take on a different role in their relationship with her.

“They’ve become the parent,” she said.

This doesn’t bother Evangelista one bit. She is happy that they care and is certain that when the day comes, she will take their advice on important issues — such as when to stop driving. That day seems far away for now.

Evangelista, who loves to be out and about meeting people, doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon, living out her favorite quote before the people she meets every day: “Nice people do things for nicer people.”

“That’s my special saying,” Evangelista explained. “As nice as you are, you do nice things for people who are nicer than you.”

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Wellington Real Estate

Mary Miller Brings Clients A Lifetime Of Experience In The Wellington Area

Mary Miller Brings Clients A Lifetime Of Experience In The Wellington Area

When real estate professional Mary Miller of Illustrated Properties accompanies clients on their search for possible new homes in Wellington or the surrounding area, she’s squarely in her comfort zone.

“I am a true South Florida native who grew up in the western communities and graduated from Wellington High School in 1992,” she said.

Miller’s first career started at Print It Plus in Royal Palm Beach, where she was employed for more than two decades. It prepared her for her current role as a Realtor.

“Direct experience collaborating with numerous local business owners, helping them to grow their businesses within marketing budgets, project management and demanding deadlines have shaped me into the detail-oriented person I am today,” Miller said.

That close involvement with clients, as well as her willingness to immerse herself in every level of the real estate process, has brought Miller much success. She knows that trust must be earned in order to get the job done right for those she’s working with. Her expertise, confidence and commitment are huge factors in helping her reach that goal.

“As a Realtor with Illustrated Properties in Wellington, I enjoy helping individuals and families as I guide them through the process of buying or selling a home,” she said. “My business management experience, along with my extensive knowledge of the local area, guarantees you the best real estate transaction with the least amount of stress.”

Miller didn’t wind up at Illustrated Properties by accident. She was looking to be part of an organization that could not only utilize her unique skill set to the fullest, but also offer her the widest possible client base.

“I chose Illustrated Properties because they are Florida’s largest, independently owned real estate company,” she said. “I am provided with professional market intelligence, industry-leading marketing and negotiating tools, and a network of qualified buyers and sellers across the globe.”

Miller is quite pleased with the state of the current real estate market, be it on a national level or here in Wellington. She wouldn’t be surprised to see residential numbers swell a bit over the coming year.

“2018 is a great time to be in the real estate market,” Miller said. “Interest rates are still low, and the local market has been healthy and stable. This somewhat level playing field is good for everybody looking to buy or sell this year. Also, the intense winter conditions up north may have some seasonal visitors looking to make a home purchase this year.”

Of course, even a dedicated Realtor has to kick back from time to time. When Miller isn’t plying her trade and fulfilling the dream of a buyer or seller, she allows herself the enjoyment of simple but essential pleasures.

“In my personal life, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends,” she said. “I love to foster dogs and help them to find forever homes. My hobbies include painting, fitness, and relaxing at our local, breathtaking beaches.”

Illustrated Properties is located at 11924 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 18, in Wellington. To contact Mary Miller, call (561) 324-6175, e-mail or visit www.marymiller.net.

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Feature Stories

FACES OF POLO

FACES OF POLO

The New Year brings the start of a new polo season here in Wellington, which brings world-class athletes from around the globe to compete in “the sport of kings.” Along with the action — horse and rider pairs flying down perfectly manicured fields, all eyes on the goal — is a whole other set of entertainment, whether it is people watching, high fashion, tailgating, the halftime divot stomp, a luxurious Sunday brunch and more. The International Polo Club Palm Beach attracts the world’s top talent to play in its annual winter high-goal season. Once again, IPC is the place to see the high-goal action, but this year, Gladiator Polo also brings top arena polo action to Wellington. As we do each January, Wellington The Magazine is highlighting just a small handful of the amazing athletes you will see vying for top polo accolades this season. Turn the page and meet the Faces of Polo 2018.

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