Meet Dr. Hopen
She does it all, including a few podcasts (scroll down)!
Carina Hopen, MD, MS, MA, DipABLM
Founder & Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Hopen is a former Navy Flight Surgeon and lifelong learner who has earned two board certifications in Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, licensure in nutrition, a certified health coach through the American Council on Exercise, and she is a certified mindfulness teacher, and to top it all off, she is also skilled in acupuncture!
Dr. Hopen earned her Medical Degree (M.D.) from the University of Hawaii, a Master of Arts in Gerontology from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Sciences in Integrative and Functional Medicine in from John Patrick University (JPU). Dr. Hopen is also Program Director for JPU's Master of Sciences in Alzheimers, Dementia, and Memory Care.
For almost 20 years, Dr. Hopen has been refining her practice of whole health, and as an Assistant Clinical Professor for Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, she strives to help new physicians view healthcare through a holistic lens. After graduating from the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine in 2000, she was a U.S. Naval Flight Surgeon for two years prior to finishing Family Medicine residency as Chief Resident at Naval Hospital Pensacola, Florida in 2006. She completed her military obligation while stationed at Naval Hospital Oak Harbor in 2008.
Dr. Hopen transitioned from the Navy to become Medical Director for the Department of Veteran Affairs community-based clinic in Mount Vernon. During her tenure there, she was an early adopter of the VA Whole Health approach to Veteran care. In 2018, Amazon recruited Dr. Hopen as one of their first founding team members to create and pilot Amazon Care, a telehealth platform that incorporates a combination of virtual and in-home visits. The experience amplified her creative and innovative spirit to start up Inspired Wellness, PLLC while continuing her current work as Medical Director innovating primary care delivery for a Fortune 200 company.
Dr. Hopen has witnessed first-hand how traditional medicine continues to struggle with helping individuals manage chronic conditions. She felt the frustrations of patients who spent less and less time with their PCP, while more pills were added to their medication list. Primary care clinicians were not afforded the time to investigate the root cause of their health conditions. The strategy was analogous to continually mopping up the floor without addressing the leak at the faucet.
After years of seeing this happen over and over again, Dr. Hopen wanted to open a holistic practice that helps others improve their overall wellness (without more medications) as well as give them the tools to continue their progress towards living a long and vibrant life long after they left the coaching program. Many former patients and co-workers will tell you that Dr. Hopen truly listens, she had a kind heart, and is very sincere about helping patients improve their health.
When Dr. Hopen is not with her clients, she spends time with her husband, three school-age children, and three dogs on their 20-acre hobby farm. She is also an artist who founded Tiny Jade Inspirations, a non-profit named after her third child who was born at 26 weeks. Dr. Hopen shares in her blog thrivingmamamd.com, how being a micropreemie mom allowed her to bust out of her comfort zone and ultimately find personal growth and development.
One last thing about her practice...the program is very unique and innovative. It's less of a "doctor's visit" and more of a "guided partnership" to sequence the steps to better health. Therefore, she only invites action-takers who are ready to utilize health coaching, group sessions, private appointments, online classes and videos to help themselves uncover better energy, deeper sleep and improved vitality. If you're ready for that kind of support and empowerment, apply for membership soon as the enrollment slots are limited!
Episode 17: June 2022
Re-designing Your Life with Gratitude, Hope, and Thinking Big
Carina redesigned her career by starting her own private practice when she realized that the current medical system was failing patients and providers alike. The system does not see the care team and patients as a unit, which causes negative health impacts all around.
Carina witnessed many providers experiencing burnout under the current system and knew things needed to be done differently.
She turned to gratitude, being more present in the moment, and cultivating a sense of hope within her community. She explains that through having hope for the future without worrying as much about the individual steps to get there, she was able to make the necessary changes to create better health outcomes.
Episode 282: May 2021
Reimagine with Dr. Carina Hopen
Dr. Carina Hopen revisits Doctor Me First for her second podcast where she shares how she reimagined her life as well as healthcare after her preemie, then her experience with Amazon Care, to finally establishing Inspired Wellness, PLLC, her solo Lifestyle & Functional Medicine practice.
Episode 139: Dr. Carina Hopen | Be Inspired, Be Creative, Be Happy
October 30th 2019 | MD for Moms Radio
Dr. Carina Hopen, a woman who wears many hats, including that of physician, artist, mother and blogger. She believes passionately in the value and benefit of tapping into one’s creativity in order to face challenges and overcome difficult experiences. Her third child was born at 26 weeks and spent six months in the NICU; during this time, Dr. Hopen re-connected with her artistic side and derived great strength through painting. She shares how art helped her get through the NICU period and has since helped her grow as a person and as a physician as well as lead an overall happier life.
Episode 51: March 2019
Inspiration with Dr. Carina Hopen
Dr. Carina Hopen is a Primary Care Physician, mother of 3 and prior U.S. Naval Flight Surgeon that shares an intimate story about her youngest child’s 26 week birth and her journey through. She believes in doing 3 M’s each day: Mind, Muse, Movement. She discusses how art and creativity was renewed in her life and how being a Health Coach has been so impactful in her life and practice.
If you’ve browsed the internet recently, you probably have noticed the #10YearChallenge social media trend that has taken over our news feeds. The phenomena have individuals comparing a current photo of themselves, to their former self ten years ago. As I thought about how well (or not) I’ve aged over time, it got me thinking about the two most important advice I would give my younger self (knowing what I know now)....click below to read more
How physicians can develop their emotional intelligence
CARINA CEZAR HOPEN, MD | PHYSICIAN | MARCH 4, 2019
Life Lessons From a Preemie
by Carina Hopen | Feb 10, 2019 | Inspire
Being a working mom is the most amazing thing, but sometimes when life gets in the way, it could be too overwhelming. Whenever I reach the brink of a meltdown, I always think back to the first few days and months of my little preemie’s life. She was born at 26 weeks, weighing 1 pound 7 ounces. Her start in life was extremely challenging and many people admired her fight to survive. The odds were stacked against her, but as the days turned to weeks and months, and she was growing in front of my eyes, I began to have the sense that she doing better than surviving–she was thriving! So in the middle of everyday life chaos, those preemie moments always manage to help me regain my center...click below to read more