ABOUT OUR WELLNESS CENTER

In Peoria

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ABOUT OUR WELLNESS CENTER IN PEORIA

Welcome to the About Page for Senara Health And Healing Center & Spa. Here, you can learn more about our vision, how we came up with the name for our wellness center, our facility, our founders, and our doctors and leadership team. Click on one of the sections below to learn more, and try the “back to top” button if you’d like to jump around each section.

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with us, reach out today to request a consultation. We are here to help you Live Life Well.

Our Vision

The Senara mantra of "Live Life Well" is the driving force of our vision. It's a reimagining of healthcare, and what it truly means to be well. Our beginning as a small chiropractic office, Kramer Chiropractic & Acupuncture Center, was the seed from which our bigger vision grew. In 2011, construction finished on Senara Health and Healing Center & Spa, the building you see today. But it's more than just a building, it's the facility we built to grow our vision in to a bigger reality of helping our community to truly be able to Live Life Well. It is the home we've built for our guests that brings together all the elements of a healthy lifestyle.

Senara is a special place: a wellness center — a community where our guests can experience just how good they can feel — so they’ll be inspired to live longer, healthier, and more meaningful lives. It is your home for the Senara Experience, which is all about how we can help you feel your best.

Our Inspiration

Senara is a long-held dream come true for Dr. Keith Kramer and his wife, Penny. Every inch of the building and all of Senara’s services reflect the couple’s shared vision for how they can help others Live Life Well. The energetic twosome have worked as a business team since opening the first Kramer Chiropractic office in 2002. Learn more about the founders of Senara.

The Kramers were inspired to create the Senara Experience almost two decades ago after an anniversary trip to Canyon Ranch in Arizona. The resort takes an innovative approach to health, wellness and holistic and integrative care. The experience changed their lives. The Kramers felt completely renewed, and wanted everyone to feel that way. Since then, they have made it their passion and mission to create a similar experience for others to enjoy, right here in Peoria. And that experience is the wellness center at Senara.

Why the Name Senara?

There’s really no single answer for why we chose the name Senara. For starters, it’s unique and we just flat out like the sound of Senara. But there are other reasons too.

We first heard the name from the Kramers’ young daughter, Grace, who was an avid swimmer at the time and absolutely LOVED mermaids. Grace mentioned reading a book about mermaids that talked about the legend of Saint Senara, who happened to be a mermaid. Just as soon as she said Senara, a light bulb went off for us in our search for the perfect new name.

Mermaids are a natural, nautical match with our spa. To us, mermaids also symbolize, in many ways, what it means to Live Life Well. They’re active, powerful, fit, beautiful, and majestic — inside and out. They’re also alluring, charming and mystical. All these qualities and more describe mermaids and how we want you to feel when you Experience Senara.

A lot of people wonder why we changed our business name from Kramer Chiropractic to Senara when we built it, so we get this question a lot. And it’s a good one because that was a huge question for us to grapple with too. Honestly, because our Kramer name had become so well-known for outstanding health care, it was tough at first to even think about changing our name. Changing from a family name reflects our growth in staff size and especially in all the additional health and healing services we offer you at Senara.

The Legend of Saint Senara

The village of Zennor in England’s Cornwall region celebrates Mermaid Day in Saint Senara’s honor on April 30 every year. According to legend in Zennor, a young man named Matthew Trewella sang the closing hymn in the village church each evening. Saint Senara was so enchanted by his singing voice that she left her nearby cove and came ashore to listen closer. The two met and, as she visited more often, they fell so deeply in love that when she had to return to the sea, Matthew followed her into the water to spend eternity together.

Legend also has it that if you visit near Pendour Cove at sunset, you just may hear the young man singing, and that the fishermen there still listen for Matthew’s songs to decide if it’s safe to go out to sea or not.

If you ever visit that area of England, be sure to stop by St. Senara Church. Outside the church, you’ll find a bench that’s over 500-years-old with Senara’s likeness carved into it.

Our Facility, Your Home

When you open the doors to Senara, you enter a place in time created uniquely for you, a place for an unrivaled lifestyle experience. We designed our wellness center with a Tuscan feel that’s open, airy, and inviting.

Inside, you'll find an attention to detail in every square foot of Senara's 12,000-square-foot interior that includes our 7,000-square-foot Senara Spa. From the environmentally-friendly interior materials we’ve selected to the artwork by local artists, you’ll see throughout the building, it’s all designed to make you, our guests, feel completely comfortable and at home. You will always be a welcome member of the Senara wellness center community.

Committed to Green

You will be proud to be associated with Senara, not only because of our commitment to your health and wellness, but also our devotion to ensuring the environmental health and wellness of our local community and the world. We also encourage all members of the Senara community to constantly be on the lookout, especially at your home, to see how you can make our world greener, too. It’s good for our wellness center to be green, but it’s great for our homes to be too. 

The architects did a fantastic job of incorporating the green and environmentally friendly building practices we wanted in our wellness center. And we wanted them all. Right down to a system for automatically capturing and recycling rain water to keep the grass growing and green.

To give you an idea of how the building’s design embodies the Senara Experience, including our commitment to protecting the environment, here’s the short list of Senara’s green features that help conserve energy and natural resources:

Exterior

  • Energy-efficient windows positioned to take advantage of natural day lighting
  • Local stone and other regional, natural materials (less transport)
  • High energy efficiency wall system design, with 80 percent of lower level below grade

Interior

  • Sustainable interior materials throughout
  • Carpet tiles of 50 percent recycled content backing and face yarn
  • Natural cork and bamboo flooring
  • Spa glass accents made from recycled glass
  • Low air pollution Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints

HVAC System and Plumbing

  • Variable Air Volume (VAV) air conditioning system consumes less energy
  • Air conditioners use non-ozone-depleting refrigerant (R410A)
  • VAV terminal units with hot water reheat
  • High efficiency gas fired (condensing type) boilers
  • High efficiency lavatories, with dual-flush design that need less water
  • Low flow showers require less water
  • High efficiency hot water heaters

Lighting

  • Downlights throughout the spa use low energy 2.5 watt LED lamps
  • Spa lighting controls have four to six zones so only the zones in use are lit
  • Accent cove uses an LED rope light that emits just 1.1 watt per lineal foot
  • Proximity sensors automatically turn lights off in unoccupied rooms
  • All fluorescent lighting uses high efficiency ballast and low mercury lamps
  • Exterior site lighting is zoned to turn off all but two security night lights

Our Founders

Senara’s founders, Dr. Keith Kramer and his wife, Penny, have worked as a business team since opening Kramer Chiropractic in 2002. While growing the practice, the Kramers learned everything they could about the healing power of holistic and natural medicines and techniques. This led to adding health and healing guest services, from acupuncture and massage therapies to nutritional counseling and physical therapy to our wellness center. That meant further growth, including added staff and the need to build their spacious Senara facility.
With the move to their long-held “dream home for guests,” they also transitioned from operating under the Kramer name to Senara. And, as the years progressed, the Kramers continued to push the envelope of what holistic health care means, expanding our service menu to include a full medical spa and anti-aging medicine treatments. The entire building and all of Senara’s services reflect the couple’s shared and passionate vision for how they can help others Live Life Well, both on the inside and outside.

Both of them credit much of their business’s success to that shared vision, and the dedication each of them brings to their individual role in making it a reality. Dr. Kramer puts it this way, “My job is to take care of our guests’ health. And to focus on that, I need to know that everything else is taken care of, and that’s what Penny does.”

Dr. Kramer was introduced to the connection between hard work and business success at the age of four, when he started helping with the chores on his family’s farm in Iowa. He and Penny met at Iowa State University, their alma mater, and they married in 1995. After he graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic, they moved to Peoria, where Dr. Kramer joined a highly-respected chiropractic group.

When he left the group to open his own practice and focus on helping others Live Life Well, Penny left her promising marketing career behind to join him in the family business — to devote her time and boundless energy to spreading the message about how to live a healthy lifestyle.

Their daughter, Grace, has been the center and light in their life since her birth in 2002. The Kramer family spends their spare time together and enjoys working out, reading, and traveling. Following in her parent's footsteps, Grace is currently attending Iowa State University, studying Fashion Merchandising and Design with a minor in Entrepreneurship.

To learn more about Senara’s background and our founders, check out this article in InterBusiness Issues.

Our Doctors & Leadership Team

Click on the names below to find out what motivated Senara’s doctors and our leaders to follow their calling to help others in their quest for optimal health and well-being. You’ll also read about their education and experience, and get to know them a little better on a personal level as you work with them in our wellness center. They’ve all got a story to tell that we think you’ll find interesting.

Dr. Keith Kramer

Penny Kramer

Dr. David Dean

Laura Murphy, APN

Megan Schmidt, APN, CFNP

Tina Lisowski, MSN, FNP-C


dr keith kramerDr. Keith Kramer

Dr. Keith Kramer grew up on his family's farm in Iowa. He learned early on that business success takes a lot of hard work, when at the tender age of four he started helping with the chores. Throughout his youth, he rose before dawn each day and took hard work seriously, and today he remains an early riser and tenacious in getting things done.

He also credits his independent spirit to growing up on the farm. He thrived on being held personally accountable for finishing his chores. It also made him understand how fulfilling owning a family business can be, so it was only a matter of time, education and a clear purpose before he set out on his own.

While attending Iowa State University, where he met his wife, Penny, Dr. Kramer saw firsthand how chiropractic care helped people to feel better. With that, he had discovered his career path and continued on to Palmer College of Chiropractic, earning his Doctor of Chiropractic degree.

Following his graduation, the Kramers moved to Peoria after Dr. Kramer received an offer to join a highly respected chiropractic group here. In 2002, he left the group to open his own practice, Kramer Chiropractic (Penny also joined him in the family business).

While growing the practice, Dr. Kramer continued to focus on what he could do to help others Live Life Well. He kept learning everything he could about the healing power of holistic and natural medicines and techniques, which led to adding health and healing guest services, from acupuncture and massage therapies to nutritional counseling and physical therapy. That meant further growth, including added staff and the need to build the spacious Senara facility in 2011, which is when the business transitioned from operating under the Kramer name to Senara.

Dr. Kramer is as passionate about living a healthy lifestyle as he is about spreading the message of how to Live Life Well to others. "Working out is my meditation, and eating right fuels my body, and I feel great," he said. "I want that for everyone. That's why it is so fulfilling for me to see that what we do at Senara makes a difference in the quality of our guests' lives."

Dr. Kramer is Certified in Functional Medicine through the Functional Medicine University. For over 12 years, he has been practicing functional medicine in the realm of adrenal stress, hormone balance, and food sensitivities. He is currently enrolled simultaneously in the prestigious Institute for Functional Medicine programs for: functional medicine, A4M antiaging, and AARM restorative medicine. These programs will deepen his knowledge in the production and utilization of hormones, toxin diagnosis and treatment, and how this affects both biochemistry and physiology. To date, Dr Kramer has completed over 1000 of study, training, and case study as part of his certification at Functional Medicine University and Institute for Functional Medicine.

In 2015, Dr Kramer expanded Senara’s health and healing services further with the addition of a dedicated Center for Functional Medicine, Weight Loss, and Anti-Aging treatments, Senara Medical Weight Loss and Anti-Aging Center.

The Kramers' daughter, Grace, was born in 2002. The family spends their spare time together working out, reading and traveling. Dr. Kramer likes to golf, and he and Grace also enjoy learning to play guitar together.

penny kramerPenny Kramer

Senara co-founder and CEO, Penny Kramer, is filled with energy that never stops. She also has an innate curiosity to learn new things and a strong will to take on tough challenges. The tougher the challenge, the more Penny thrives.

Penny brings every ounce of her endless energy and enthusiasm, and her extraordinary multitasking skills to her role as CEO of Senara. "Keith's job is to take care of our guests' health," said Penny. "To focus on that, he needs to know that everything else is taken care of - and that's my job." Penny's strengths are people and systems. She sees all the pieces of the puzzle, and then puts them together. That means she's in charge of everything from human resources and training to marketing and the technology Senara uses.

She also understands how important it is to get out from behind the desk, and Penny can be seen literally everywhere at Senara. She especially enjoys greeting guests to make them feel at home, just as she did when the first Kramer Chiropractic office opened in 2002. Back then, when she joined Dr. Kramer in the family business, Penny said goodbye to a promising marketing career without any regrets.

"I'm here because I share Keith's passion for spreading the message about how to live a healthy lifestyle," said Penny, who also had primary responsibility for overseeing the Senara building's construction. "It means so much to us both - knowing that what we do can make a difference in the quality of someone's life. And that's really why we built Senara. It gives us the space and the ideal environment to offer different services that help our guests "Live Life Well."

The Kramers met at Iowa State University, their alma mater, and they married in 1995. After Dr. Kramer graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic, the couple moved to embrace Peoria as their new home.

Their daughter, Grace, has been the center and light in their life since her birth in 2002. The Kramer family spends their spare time together and enjoys working out, reading and traveling. Penny and Grace also love to bake, do art projects and decorate together. In addition, Penny offers her time and expertise to several professional organizations, including holding various leadership positions with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and Central Illinois Tee It Up For the Troops.

Dr. David Dean

Doctor David Dean grew up in Central Illinois and spent much of his adult life in California, before returning to IL to pursue a career in medicine. He Graduated Magna Cum Laud from Bradley University with a degree in molecular cell biology, then attended SIU School of Medicine in Springfield where he graduated in 2008.

After completing medical school, he completed a three year residency in emergency and trauma medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Following his residency, he worked as a board certified emergency department attending physician, taking care of and treating critical patients. He also specialized in post residency training in aesthetic medicine with the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine and is certified in aesthetic medicine as well as  board certified in emergency medicine.

Dr. Dean  belongs to the American Medical Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine and Peoria Medical Society. He is also certified in advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support and Advanced trauma life support. He is credentialed and has staff privileges at both Methodist Hospital in Peoria and Cottage Hospital in Galesburg IL.

Dr. Dean chose to join the Senara team because he saw first hand how effective the treatment and services they provide are and was impressed that it was done in such a professional yet comfortable and inviting environment.  He believes in the complete well being of patients from the inside out defining health by terms, that health means much more than just the absence of symptoms or disease.

Dr. Dean and his wife Jozette have 3 active young girls.  In his spare time he enjoys spending time with family, working out, going on family bike rides and traveling as often as possible… anywhere and everywhere!

Laura Murphy, MSN, APN, FNP-C

It was a book report in second grade that solidified Laura Murphy’s dream of becoming a nurse. Since that young age, Laura has held on to that book report; saved as a memento of living her life’s dream. Laura is a Central Illinois native, born in Peoria, and living in Morton for the majority of her life. Her childhood summer’s spent traveling, and camping.

In 1997, Laura graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing (RN, BSN) from Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing. She went on to work as a nurse at OSF St Francis Medical Center, specializing in Cardiology. After 18 years in hospital, she decided she wanted to do more with her career, focusing on preventative care.

In 2010, Laura completed her MSN and began to focus on teaching. Soon after, she realized she missed taking care of patients, and returned to school. She received the Master of Science in Nursing for Family Nurse Practitioner from Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing in Peoria, Illinois in May 2014. Since completing training, graduation, and successfully passed the board certified exam, Laura has become a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C).


Laura enjoys practicing physical and functional medicine, as well as medical aesthetics. Prior to her arrival at Senara she spent several years practicing both physical and functional medicine and medical weight loss.

“I want everyone to be healthy and be able to function at their 100% potential,” she says. “I drove by Senara one day and said what an amazing place; I would love to work there. I knew that I did not want to work at a traditional medical office and wanted to focus on promotion of health and prevention of illness, so everyone can be healthy from the inside out. This is Senara's primary focus and mission- "Live life well" as is mine.”

Laura is a member of several professional organizations including the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and Illinois Society of Advanced Practice Nurses. She is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life support.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family- husband Shane, two daughters Natalie and Isabelle, step son Braden, and labradoodle Charlie.  Shane has worked for the Village of Peoria Heights/ Peoria Heights Police department for the past 23 years as is the Communications Supervisor. Their children are active in the Morton marching bands and volleyball. Laura is also fond of traveling, cooking, and DIY projects.

MEGAN SCHMIDT, APN, CFNP

For Megan Schmidt, being a Nurse Practitioner is all about connecting with and listening to her patients. She believes everyone deserves kindness and compassion, and she does her part to make the world a little kinder in her work and day to day life. As a Nurse Practitioner she fulfills that objective by treating her patients with an open ear and open heart to give them the best care possible.

A native of nearby Eureka, IL, Megan began her career as a CNA at a local nursing home. She loved the challenge of the field, working with patients, and studying biology and anatomy; this drove her to pursue her nursing career further. She received her BSN from Bradley University, in Peoria, IL, and completed her MSN, FNP-C degree as Mennonite College of Nursing, at Illinois State University.

Before coming to Senara, Megan worked as a Nurse Practitioner in an urgent care setting. She was looking to connect with her patients in a more meaningful way, and Senara’s care culture was a perfect fit. The Live. Life. Well. mantra at Senara fits in with her personal philosophy of enjoying life and how important it is to reward ourselves once in a while.

When not treating patients, Megan keeps active with her husband, three boys, and 2 dogs. They love to travel and spend time in warm places, relaxing and scuba diving, whenever possible. She is also a talented singer, and can be seen lending her voice in worship services at her church from time to time.

TINA LISOWSKI, MSN, FNP-BC

“Live a life you love.” That’s the personal mantra of Christina (Tina) Lisowski, MSN, FNP-BC. And for her, it’s what drives her as a nurse practitioner to help people do that every day through their healthcare. Growing up in the south suburbs of Chicago, Tina was always active. From gymnanstics and cheerleading, to diving, and competitive tumbling, she was always involved in athletics of some sort.

Her love for exercise and her experience with athletic trainers helping her recover after an ACL injury led her to earning her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Exercise Science from Illinois State University. As she finished her undergraduate work, she realized she wanted to go further in helping people and provide care at a deeper level. With this in mind, and at the encouragement of her friends and family, she decided to become a nurse, and continued her studies in the nursing program at Illinois State University, Mennonite College of Nursing all the way through earning her Nurse Practitioner designations.

After earning her BSN degree, Tina worked in the Pediatric ICU at OSF Children’s Hospital, which was very rewarding for her. It was her discovery of Functional Medicine, however, that ultimately led to her pursuing her Nurse Practitioner designation. She realized that through the practice of Functional Medicine, she could combine both her nursing and Exercise Science degrees to truly help people live their best lives.

Upon completion of her Nurse Practitioner License, Tina joined a practice in Bloomington that provided both Functional Medicine and Cosmetic Aesthetic treatments. With that experience, Tina was drawn to Senara, where she could further her skills in both areas. For Tina, she loves “seeing the satisfaction on people’s faces when we help improve their lives. When we give them something they may not have known was possible.” Being able to focus on prevention and promotion of health with patient’s is something that she looks forward to doing with all of her patients at Senara.

Tina keeps active in her free time with her daughter, Lillian, who she describes as her “mini me and bestie.” She also has a cat named Luna, and travels to visit her extended family in Chicagoland often. Always the athlete, Tina now participates in competitive Body Building, and is a personal trainer, doing strength coaching and nutrition for people. Her other hobby is planning Disney vacations for not only herself and Lillian, but her friends, too.

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