About Libby Heath, Chief Vitality Officer
With a foundation in economics and finance, a previous career in the pharmaceutical industry, and over 40 years of dedication to fitness and well-being, Libby uses an analytical approach to wellness. She believes that prioritizing health is the most valuable investment one can make. As a Mayo Clinic Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Libby helps individuals create strategies for optimizing their health and build a personalized wellness portfolio.
Libby leads VitalLife Scientific Wellness Canter Phuket as Chief Vitality Officer. She also teaches “Longevity Yoga” where she focuses on enhancing flexibility, balance, and strength through accessible yoga postures and authors the “Wellthwise” column for The Phuket News, offering health insights and advice.
About VitalLife
VitalLife Scientific Wellness Center in Phuket, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok, provides personalized, science-driven solutions to optimize health and well-being. Utilizing cutting-edge innovations, AI-driven diagnostics, and advanced screenings, the Center focuses on predicting and preventing diseases. Their customized wellness plans are designed to enhance vitality and promote long-term health, offering a holistic approach to wellness through the latest in medical technology and expertise.
Medical Travel & Digital Health News (MTDHN): Please tell us about your background and how you got started working with VitalLife.
Libby Heath (LH): My education was in business-related studies but my passion as an adult has been fitness, and all things related to well-being. In my first yoga class in 1978, I heard, “You are as young as your spine.” At 17, it did not mean much, but now it does. In the eighty’s I began a long relationship with The FIRM, one of the pioneers of the video fitness market, where the importance of muscle mass, especially for women, was a key part of the methodology. The behaviors I adopted in my twenties have persisted into my sixties, with a few age-related modifications.
One of my beliefs is that “lifestyle wrapped in science delivers the best outcomes.” I discovered VitalLife in 2018 after moving to Bangkok. It offered the ultimate combination of screenings and scientifically-backed interventions that supported my efforts to stay energetic, agile, and strong.
After moving back to the US in 2020 I was frustrated that medically-directed, comprehensive wellness centers did not exist in my area. I had to create my own version of an all-inclusive wellness strategy, without the benefit of cross-referenced health professionals. It is so easy for the typical consumer to be overwhelmed with choices and contradictions as it relates to well-being. I missed the VitalLife team.
In 2022, we had the chance to return to beloved Thailand, first to Bangkok then to Phuket for my husband to lead the project to build Bumrungrad International Hospital Phuket. VitalLife Phuket opened its doors in September 2024 and needed leadership.
I was happily retired, but the pull of being part of a project I believed in was too irresistible. I’m a late bloomer. For the first time, seemingly disconnected passions, hobbies, jobs, and career paths, that never made sense before, have all come together into a meaningful and purposeful endeavor now.
MTDHN: Can you tell us a little bit about your journey to Thailand?
LH: When we moved to Bangkok in 2018, we fell in love with being in Asia. From 2018 to 2020, we immersed ourselves in the Thai experience and traveled to twenty-two new countries. My favorite travels were to the places I had never heard of.
The experiences opened our eyes, hearts, and desires to spend as much time here as possible. After COVID-19 took hold of the world (the first case outside of China was actually in Thailand), it was time to reluctantly return to the U.S. It made me sad to think that this fantastic chapter of my life was going to be behind me. But never say never…
MTDHN: What brought you into professional wellness?
LH: For the past 40 years, my passion has encompassed all aspects of wellness—sleep, exercise, nutrition, stress management, and mindset.
I spent most of my career in the pharmaceutical industry promoting what is often called “disease care;” where healthcare providers diagnose and treat diseases. It always troubled me that physicians had so many barriers to promoting “health care.” A lack of time, resources and reimbursement made pharmaceutical solutions the first course of action for the treatment of many chronic diseases. Discussions around lifestyle changes and strategies were rare, if ever held, and were difficult to track.
I appreciated my career in the industry, but it always troubled me that most people did not feel empowered to improve and control their own well-being. They had more choice than they realized, but didn’t have the skillset that they needed. My life in Phuket started off quietly and gave me the chance to complete The Mayo Clinic Health & Wellness Coach training in 2024. It was my chance to connect with people in a way that empowered them.
I learned long ago that you cannot make anyone do anything as it relates to their health. The best case scenario in the disease care model is for someone to be compliant with their prescriptions. Wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t have to take drugs at all? Wouldn’t it be better to harness your desire to be more well with behavior changes that cultivate, foster, and develop healthy habits?
Regrettably, most people get stuck in old habits, or they do not even know where to turn, lose motivation or don’t believe that it’s even possible. That is where health coaching comes into play. My flame was ignited, and I realized that I’m not finished making my mark yet.
When the VitalLife branch opened in Phuket and needed leadership, I knew it was time.
The stars aligned and the paths came together. It’s not only the culmination of my passions and beliefs, but also the opportunity to merge my business acumen, understanding of science, and the experiential wisdom gained from 63 years of living.
MTDHN: How long have you been involved with VitalLife and what is your role?
LH: I have been a “happy VitalLife client” since 2018, where in a single visit, all facets of my physical well-being were scrutinized, and interventions were offered to help me thrive. In 2019 I helped edit and create marketing materials in English. In 2024, a conversation about the value of health coaching opened the door for an opportunity to create VitalCoaching, the newly formed health & wellness coaching arm of VitalLife. By November 2024, momentum had taken over, and I accepted the role of Chief Vitality Officer for VitalLife Phuket.
VitalLife in Bangkok recently celebrated 24 years of promoting wellness. As we expand into the Phuket market, we are establishing our reputation for excellence. Our dedicated team of professionals collaborates effectively to predict and prevent diseases, ensuring a client-centered approach that prioritizes individual needs and preferences.
MTDHN: What services does VitalLife offer?
LH: Our clinic in Phuket is a boutique version of the Bangkok Center; a much smaller operation. We are dedicated to redefining the future of preventive and regenerative healthcare. We embrace a proactive and personalized approach to optimize wellness and enhance vitality. We specialize in the practice of evaluating risk for disease through lifestyle assessments, advanced lab tests, biological age and rate of aging testing, DNA and molecular screenings; then formulating strategies to offset or prevent illness. It’s not a transaction, but a relationship that can continue even when someone leaves Phuket.
We also offer special packages like our VitalFlight Recovery Boost package to quickly offset the effects of jet lag. You would hate to travel so far to a gorgeous place like Phuket and miss the fun because of jet lag, right?
MTDHN: Can you describe the staff and programming in more detail?
LH: Our Staff physicians practice Longevity and Lifestyle Medicine, many are US Board Certified. In addition to questions about their physical well-being, our clients engage in meaningful conversations that include everything from, “What are your sleep patterns?” “Tell me about your nutrition, exercise habits and your social relationships?” to “How do you vent your stress?”
We incorporate health coaching to bridge the gap between what the diagnostics and science reveal and the wellness strategy that you create with your physician. We are providing clients with accountability and opportunities to learn about themselves and elements of healthy living.
Mostly, we are helping the clients tap into their own intrinsic motivators. Anyone who studied psychology knows that when it comes from within, it is more powerful, sustainable, and so much more meaningful.
MTDHN: What is the make-up of your clientele?
LH: Our clientele are a mix of Thai nationals and Expats who live in Phuket, at least part-time, and international travelers from all over the world. The top four expat residents and visitors are Russian, Chinese, Indian and Australian. There are also plenty of Europeans and people from all over Asia- a truly cosmopolitan group! Fortunately, English is the dominant language of medicine, but with my deeply embedded Southern American accent, I am not always understood. Luckily, I have a multi-lingual team.
MTDHN: Do you attract people when they come to visit, or do they come just to VitalLife?
LH: Some of both. Some people will come to Phuket for a long stay to enjoy the clean air and abundant sunshine and decide once they are here to avail themselves to a deeper dive into their health. Others make the trip specifically for health opportunities. Depending on the type of program they choose, many of the results can be turned around in a few days, others like those that examine molecular structures and processes take weeks. In either case, health improvement plans with actionable interventions can be created within a matter of days.
Whether they have been in Phuket for 2 weeks, 2 months or longer, many people return to their home country with a wellness plan, a supply of supplements, access to their Health & Wellness Coach and booked reservations for their return trip to Phuket. Part of the health strategy involves periodic rechecks.
MTDHN: What is the cost?
LH: It depends on the depth of services received. There is no flat fee.
The pricing ranges from a couple of hundred USD to several thousand USD.
From an American perspective, the cost is much less expensive than it would be in the US, The real value lies in the breadth of screening options, the accessibility, the timeliness, the multitude of options for interventions and the coordination of care. The entire team is invested in your outcome.
It may seem pricy for those coming from a national healthcare program background, but once again, the timeliness and the variety of choices add great value.
We pride ourselves on maintaining the highest standards of quality control, including laboratory credentials, product quality, certifications, and state-of-the-art equipment. Our focus is on providing value, quality, and impact.
If consultations are needed with other VitalLife or Bumrungrad physicians in Bangkok, our clients can connect through our telemedicine platform. This allows for quick consultations with other physicians and professionals. Despite being in Phuket, we are just a telemedicine call away from specialists at the Vital Life Center in Bangkok.
We have access to a large network of healthcare providers from our cozy boutique setting.
MTDHN: How can one access VitalLife care?
LH: The best place to start is at our website www.vitallifeintegratedhealth.com. There are many portals through which you can connect- you choose your favorite! Our health advisors can help you determine your best next steps.
MTDHN: What is the demographic profile of a typical client?
LH: In Phuket, the demographics are slightly older with many retirees or near retirees. And yet, as more people learn the value of investing in their wellness, sooner rather than later, I expect to see a slight demographic shift to a younger population. Between the availability of educational information, wearable generated health data, and science driven predictions, the sophisticated health consumer, regardless of age, is seeking ways to mitigate risks.
MTDHN: Are they any comparable programs in Thailand or elsewhere?
LH: Yes, there are other places in Asia that offer longevity and lifestyle medicine. Asian culture has supported the concept of holistic medicine for thousands of years. As a westerner, it is wonderful to be cared for with a different mindset.
MTDHN: Are there any other thoughts you would like to share with our readers?
LH: It is never too late to gain insight into your well-being or to make changes to improve it. The accumulation of small changes can lead to big results. Take advantage of what science has to offer.