Over a long career as a cardiologist, Mayo Clinic-trained Dr. Richard Collins saw remarkable improvements in his profession’s ability to save lives. A continuous flow of advances in drugs and medical procedures allowed all cardiologists to improve their patients’ odds of survival and recovery after a heart attack.

A turning point in his career came when he met a patient who, then in his mid-sixties, just had his third bypass operation. Another operation was not an option. In the search for an alternative, the patient traveled to Sausalito, CA to undergo an innovative treatment approach under Dr. Dean Ornish at the Preventative Medicine and Research Institute. The program had four components: a low fat vegetarian diet, stress management/yoga, support group processing and exercise. All components were administered simultaneously. The results were astonishing. The patient lived until he was 81 without any additional heart procedures.

Dr. Collins brought the Ornish approach into his own practice. “The impact was impressive, but its success required a tremendous amount of restraint,” recalls Dr. Collins. “Many people simply could or would not stay on this program for an extended period. Certainly, those at very high risk proved motivated, but for many others, the dietary disciplines proved too challenging.”

Today, Dr. Collins is the director of wellness at a leading cardiology group in the Denver, CO area. This is a unique practice. The 18 doctor practice offers an onsite membership fitness center and a gourmet breakfast and lunch bar. A wide atrium leads to broad multistory windows looking toward the Rocky Mountains and a meditation garden. It houses state-of-the-art technology, a spa and a yoga study. A truly exceptional aspect to Dr. Collins’s practice is his role as “The Cooking Cardiologist®.” Dr. Collins now conducts weekly cooking exhibitions in the full demonstration kitchen within the practice to help people learn to crave heart healthy foods.