Summit Wellness

Our goal is to give you the tools and support you need to be as healthy as you can be, even with challenging circumstances. We specialize in perioperative nutrition, nutrition in spine and orthopedic care, nutrition in pain management, as well as lifelong nutrition care.

  • • Dr. Bowden received her BS in Medical Dietetics and an MS in Nutrition Science from Utah State University, focusing on research in iron and magnesium absorption.

    • She earned her PhD in Exercise Physiology from Brigham Young University, where she researched the effects of physical activity on nutrient flow in spinal discs.

  • • Dr. Bowden is the Registered Dietitian and Director of Research at Summit.

    • She focuses on nutrition education and medical nutrition therapy, aiming to help people make meaningful health changes through personalized, research-based recommendations.

    • Dr. Bowden is particularly interested in preparing individuals for surgical procedures and long-term health through nutrition.

    • She is passionate about leading Summit’s research program to enhance patient care.

  • • Dr. Bowden enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, kids, and grandson.

    • Her hobbies include gardening, hiking, and reading.

About Dr. Jennifer Bowden

  • Standard Care: Appointment to prepare you for surgery.

    Elevated Risk: Individual consult appointments for high BMI, elevated A1C, malnutrition, or other nutrition related conditions that need to be managed prior to surgery

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  • 5-5:50 pm each Tuesday: rotating topics including weight management, nutrition in pain management, nutrition and mental health, bone health, nutrition 101, using nutrition labels, and building a healthy lifestyle program.  See schedule for details.

    6-6:50 pm second Tuesdays: weight management support group (10 minutes of a topic instruction, 40 minutes facilitator led group discussions

    7-7:50 pm quarterly following weight management support group: Healthy menu creation

Program Inclusions:

  • Appointments offered Tuesdays from 12:00-4:00 pm, Thursdays from 8:30 am -12:30 pm

    $100 for initial visit (60 minutes)

    $150 for a couple (2-persons in the same household) appointment (75 minutes)

    $150 for 1 week custom meal plan

    $50 follow up visits (30 minutes)

  • Price per session – minimum of 5 participants to hold a class

    $40 per person or $60 per couple - Tuesday 5:00-5:50 pm rotating topics class

    $30 per person or $45 per couple - Tuesday 6:00-6:50 weight management and wellness

    support group (10 minutes of topic education, 40 minutes for facilitator led group discussion)

    $50 per person or $75 per couple healthy menu creation class – Select Tuesdays 7:00-8:00 pm

Pricing:

Summit Medical Institute

Summit Medical Institute is dedicated to integrating cutting-edge research with the highest standard of patient care. Our team is committed to developing innovative treatments and improving clinical outcomes.

Gastric Emptying Supplement Study

  • We have developed a nutritional supplement to improve nutrition right before and after surgery. We need to show that it empties from the stomach within 2 hours... and so far it does with an average emptying time of 74 minutes in a sample of 45 participants. One group we are missing information on is people taking medications that slow gastric emptying – the GLP-1 agonists like semaglutides (Ozempic) and Mounjaro. Right now local hospitals are having people on those medications only drink a few kinds of clear liquids for 48 hours before surgery as they don’t have data showing how long that fasting time really needs to be and want to be extra careful. They are excited to get our data and we need your help! If you or anyone you know takes those medications and would be willing to participate, we would love to have your help as soon as possible!

  • We are currently taking participants for this study. If you are interesting in helping, please fill out our contact form above. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jennifer Bowden at jenniferb@summitbrainandspine.com

Nutrition Education Study

  • If you are having surgery with Dr. John Edwards, we will be recruiting for a nutrition education study very soon! We think giving people a few minutes of specific nutrition education help can make surgery recovery better.

  • We are currently taking participants for this study. If you are interesting in helping, please fill out our contact form above. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jennifer Bowden at jenniferb@summitbrainandspine.com

Form Validation Study

  • If you have been a long-time patient at Summit, you may have noticed the forms asking about your ability to do certain things have changed. We hope they are easier to complete (less to read, simple scale) and that they give us and you a better long-term picture of how you are doing. We will be using these on the Align app so you can have your data too! For the research study, we are asking people to fill out both the new and “old” forms. For this study we are excited to partner with Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine and support developing medical students’ research skills.

  • We are currently taking participants for this study. If you are interesting in helping, please fill out our contact form above. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jennifer Bowden at jenniferb@summitbrainandspine.com