About Avara Medical

Avara Medical was founded by Rachel Gunderson, NP, a dual board-certified nurse practitioner with over a decade of clinical experience in settings ranging from intensive care to internal medicine. She previously co-founded Joy Wellness Partners before transitioning to Avara Medical in 2026 to focus fully on regenerative and integrative medicine.

Unlike traditional 15-minute appointments that address one problem at a time, we provide minimum 30-minute to hour-long consultations where we thoroughly evaluate your health history, symptoms, and goals. We focus on identifying root causes rather than just prescribing medications for symptoms.

Our team includes Rachel Gunderson, NP (Founder), Dr. Michael Meng (Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Specialist with over 20 years of experience), and Alina Austin, RN. We are actively growing our team to serve more patients throughout Utah County.

Integrative medicine at Avara Medical means we look at your body as a whole system rather than treating isolated symptoms. We combine advanced diagnostics, targeted therapies, and lifestyle interventions to address underlying imbalances and support long-term health.

While we operate on a fee-for-service model similar to concierge medicine, we focus specifically on regenerative and functional medicine rather than serving as your primary care provider. This allows us to dedicate time to specialized treatments and comprehensive wellness planning.

We believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to health. Each personalized wellness plan is built around your unique biology, lab results, symptoms, and goals - whether that's hormone optimization, weight management, pain relief, or overall vitality.

Our primary focus is on regenerative therapies, hormone optimization, metabolic health, and chronic condition management. For acute illnesses or emergencies, we recommend seeing your primary care provider or visiting urgent care.

The practice has been serving Utah County since 2022 under Joy Wellness Partners and rebranded to Avara Medical in January 2026. Our team has decades of combined clinical experience in regenerative and integrative medicine.