Building Lifelong Wellness For Children

Meet Lori Ryan, ARNP, CPNP-PC, and Certified Nutritional Health Coach, and her business Wellness 4 Kids. Lori is no stranger to Pella, she grew up on a farm just east of town and got her very first job as a high school junior at Pella Regional Hospital. This early experience sparked Lori’s passion for the medical field. “I loved working at the hospital so much I actually continued to work there through my junior year of college. It really helped me develop my love of nursing and shape my career devoted to children’s health,” she said. After graduating from the University of Iowa, Lori went on to provide care in pediatrics at the University of Iowa Hospitals, where she worked as a staff nurse in the Pediatric Specialty Clinic, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in the Allergy Pulmonary Clinic, and served as the Cystic Fibrosis Coordinator.

A few years ago, when her husband Travis accepted a new job, the Ryans returned to Pella. That move brought a turning point. Lori still had questions about her career path. “I loved working at the University of Iowa and with children. But I always wondered, what more can we do so children don’t need so many medications and hospitalizations?” Lori shared.

That question became personal when her own young daughter faced multiple hospitalizations. These thoughts remained in Lori’s mind as the years went on and fueled her passion for preventative care, nutrition, and wellness for children. “Before my daughter was 4 years old, she had a Life Flight helicopter ride and several ambulance rides and hospitalizations. I put all my nurse/mom energy into continuing my education and learning more about children’s health and wellness care, especially preventative care,” Lori explained.

Two years ago, Lori started Wellness 4 Kids, working with children ages newborn to 18 through a HIPPA-compliant telehealth platform. This allows her to serve families across Iowa while still being based here in Pella. Her mission? Optimizing children’s health, nutrition, and immune wellness for healthier families, healthier communities, and a healthier world - one child at a time.

Importantly, Lori doesn’t replace a child’s doctor. Instead, she partners and works alongside physicians to dive deeper into issues like allergies, eczema, asthma, tummy troubles, food sensitivities, and recurring infections. Her approach gives families more time and attention than a typical doctor’s visit. “Doctors don’t always have the time to dig into underlying causes. That’s where I step in” Lori explained.

Wellness 4 Kids also collaborates with Allergy Choices to provide sublingual immunotherapy, for children as young as two years old, using FDA-approved allergen extracts to reduce long-term allergic responses and medication reliance.

Visits with Wellness 4 Kids are interactive and tailored to each child. They aren’t just conversation, they’re interactive. “It’s more than just talking to a child. I have them move around, perform exercises, and walk through habits. I fill in the cracks that a primary care provider just doesn’t physically have time to do”, Lori explained.

Lori takes the time to get to know each family’s story. First visits typically last about an hour, with follow visits running 30 to 40 minutes. She offers flexible payment options, from pay-per-visit to discounted treatment plans. Lori also extends one time consultations for parents seeking nutritional coaching. While insurance does not cover her services, families can use HSA and FSA accounts.

Lori also has lab privileges at Pella Regional Health Center, ENT Health in Des Moines, and Quest Diagnostics. This allows her to provide testing and ensures a well rounded care plan.

For Lori, supporting families goes beyond medical knowledge. “I provide support for families, and even accountability. As a mom, I walked the road of having a child with health issues, so I understand the struggles. I am able to provide compassion and support and pair it with my medical knowledge and experience to help them navigate their child’s health.”

She emphasizes that her work is complementary, not competitive, with traditional medicine. “I worked in the conventional medicine world. I respect and admire medicine. I always encourage my patients to have a positive relationship with their provider. I always let their doctor have the ultimate say. I provide the flip side of things with some functional medicine. It takes both working together to have the healthiest children. I find the puzzle pieces of a child’s health and put them together with their doctor.”

Wellness 4 Kids isn’t just about treating illness, it’s about building lifelong wellness for children. Whether through nutritional coaching, allergy support, or functional health strategies, Lori’s goal is to reduce medications and hospital visits and instead strengthen children’s foundations of health.

As Lori puts it: “I don’t want to just treat children’s diseases, I want to help promote and build children’s health so they don’t get so sick and have so many long-term health complications.”

Learn more about Lori’s services at wellness4kids.net or connect with her to see how she can support your child’s health journey.