Dr. Oz Makes a Houston House Call, Promoting Mental Healthcare for Teens at Memorial Schmooze

Henry Clark
Dr. Oz Makes a Houston House Call, Promoting Mental Healthcare for Teens at Memorial Schmooze

MaryCharles Bennett, Dr. Oz & Jennifer Ducote

DR. OZ, ERSTWHILE U.S. Senate candidate and TV star, was the guest of honor at a cocktail party promoting HealthCorps’ mental health initiatives for teens, held at the home of CityBook Executive Publisher Lisa Holthouse and husband Michael.


A few dozen Holthouse friends gathered in the Memorial manse, readied for springtime with beautiful soft-colored florals, to rub shoulders with the good doctor, who was a renowned heart surgeon long before Oprah helped him become a household name.

As Lisa noted in her recent essay on HealthCorps, Mehmet Oz founded HealthCorps in 2003 to address health inequities in at-risk communities by empowering teens to take ownership of their health and well-being, “encouraging them to become change agents within their family, their school and their neighborhood.”

HealthCorps has programs in place in Houston at Jack Yates High School, Worthing High School, Wheatley High School, Welch Middle School, Wisdom High School, YES Prep Public Schools’ Eisenhower High School and Varnett Northeast.

Amy Braun and Lisa Holthouse

Kelli Weinzierl, Mary Kay Bowden, Andrea Eastham

Lyle Eastham

Dr. Nita White and Dr. Toron Wooldridge

John Weinzierl, Garry Tanner, Dr. Oz, Michael Holthouse

Charles & Tiffany Masterson

Dr. Oz, Martha & Richard Finger

Rosangela & David Capobianco

Dr. Oz, Aynesly & Palmer Letzerich, Amy Braun

Carolyn Tanner

Melissa Parigi, Dr. Oz, Palmer Letzerich

Tama & John Klosek, Amy Braun

Doug & Melissa Schnitzer

Palmer & Aynsley Letzerich, Jennifer & Doak Brown

Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

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What year was your organization launched? 1986 by a small group of committee community members that believed special needs children were not receiving basic life services.

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