Guides
Medical wellness retreat: what to ask before you book
A medical wellness retreat is a retreat that says it includes a doctor or another clinician. “Medical wellness” is a marketing term, not a regulated standard: it can mean anything from a doctor named in the brochure to a clinician who assesses every guest. A retreat is not medical treatment and doesn’t replace your own doctor. Before you book, ask in writing who the clinician is, where they are licensed and what they actually do.
Is it an emergency? Call 911.
$3,500 per person
Is this an emergency?
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for chest pain, trouble breathing, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, confusion, bleeding that will not stop, or if you think your life is in danger.
Help lines
What “medical wellness retreat” means (and doesn’t)
“Medical wellness” is a market term. No law or standard we know of defines it, so each retreat uses it in its own way. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires advertising to be truthful and not misleading, and advertisers need adequate substantiation for health claims, including ones only implied. That rule still doesn’t tell you how much a doctor does at one particular retreat.
A wellness retreat is not medical treatment and does not replace your own doctor. It can offer rest, habits, education and, in some cases, an assessment. It is not meant to diagnose or treat a condition. If you have a condition that needs follow-up, stay with your doctor and tell them what you plan to do.
The ladder of doctor involvement
This ladder is our own plain-words framing, not an official standard. Use it to size up what a retreat is really promising, from lightest to fullest. Each step needs a matching fact before the retreat claims it:
- A doctor is named in the marketing. The fact to expect: their full name, profession and license, and what they do at the retreat.
- A doctor reviewed or designed the program. The fact to expect: who reviewed it, when, and what changed.
- A doctor sees each guest. The fact to expect: when the assessment happens, how long it lasts and what it covers.
- A doctor leads sessions or is on site on program days. The fact to expect: which sessions and how many hours.
- A clinician is on site or on call for every hour of the program, with a written emergency plan. The fact to expect: the real schedule, the plan and the nearest hospital.
Questions to ask any retreat
Ask for these answers in writing. A serious retreat will answer without fuss:
- Who is the clinician, and where are they licensed? Check the license with the board that issues it. In Puerto Rico, see how to verify a doctor’s license. For a US license, look the physician up on DocInfo (opens in a new tab) from the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), and check what it covers for your state.
- What exactly happens at the assessment? When it is, who does it, how long it takes and what is reviewed.
- Are there labs? Which ones, who draws the blood, who reviews the results and what happens if a result comes back abnormal.
- What is the emergency plan? Who responds, which hospital a guest is taken to and how long it takes to get there.
- What is the medication policy? Whether you can bring your medicines, whether anything changes and who you talk to first.
- What do you sign? Ask to see the consent form and any waivers before you pay.
- What is not offered? An honest retreat also tells you what it doesn’t do.
- What are the refund and cancellation terms, in writing? If your plans change, you want to know before you reserve. For costs and what a retreat includes, read the wellness retreat cost guide; its question on whether a retreat’s medical care is real is the short version of this list.
Where THI’s retreat sits
The Health Initiative (THI) runs an in-person medical and wellness retreat in Puerto Rico, open to everyone. It is held at a hacienda in Río Grande, Puerto Rico, and the retreat is held in English.
All the medical care is provided by Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, a general practice physician licensed in Puerto Rico, including the labs.
A physician assessment with Dra. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, and lab work when it is clinically appropriate. She provides all the medical care at the retreat.
The approach is a root-cause, functional-medicine-style approach led by a licensed physician. To see what functional medicine is and isn’t, read the functional medicine guide and the one on functional medicine labs. The NCCIH (NIH) notes that “functional medicine” sometimes resembles integrative health and sometimes resembles naturopathy, which is why it is worth asking what it means at any given place.
On the ladder above, this is a physician who assesses guests and provides the medical care. We do not claim round-the-clock medical coverage. How many hours the physician is on site or on call is confirmed with accepted guests. There is no IV therapy and no supplement sales.
Safety: talk to us first
Talk to us before you apply if you are pregnant, had surgery recently, have a condition that isn’t stable, were hospitalized recently or need mobility accommodations. This isn’t an exclusion list; it is so the retreat is safe for you.
An emergency doesn’t wait for an assessment: call [911](tel:911). What emergency care looks like in the area is described in the guide to Río Grande and Luquillo.
How we care for you
We evaluate, diagnose and treat; if needed, we give you a lab order for a lab near you.
We see adults and children of all ages. Patients under 21: a parent with patria potestad (parental authority) or a legal guardian is on camera for the whole visit and shows photo ID.
Real-time video visit. We send you a secure video link. It works on your phone, tablet or computer.
If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy.
You must be physically in Puerto Rico during the visit (visitors, tourists and cruise passengers are welcome).
In an emergency, call 911.
Frequently asked questions
Is a medical wellness retreat covered by insurance?
Is a medical wellness retreat medical treatment?
Who is the doctor at THI’s retreat?
Are labs included?
How do I verify a doctor’s license?
Is THI’s retreat a functional medicine retreat?
About this page
Author: The Health Initiative
Medical care provided by Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD (PR license 24027)
Disclosure: Founding Executive Director of The Health Initiative
Published: 2026-10-10 · Updated: 2026-10-15
Sources (4)
- License lookup (PR Department of Health, Spanish) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-10)
- DocInfo (Federation of State Medical Boards) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-10)
- Health Products Compliance Guidance (FTC) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-10)
- Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name? (NCCIH, NIH) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-10)