The impactful empathy of Dr. Emily Hartmann—owner and operator of Meriam Park's newest health, beauty, and wellness spas, Beauty Eternal and Eternal Wellness

The Impactful Empathy of Dr. Emily Hartmann

Dr. Emily Hartmann wants people to know what is at the core of her life. She readily admits, “I am just a normal working mom, battling normal body image issues, while possessing a lack of self worth.” When measuring her leap into the practice of plastic and reconstructive surgery, opening her Beauty Eternal Spa, and now introducing her Eternal Wellness Spa featuring a full range of holistic healing - you very well may question if ‘normal’ is the right word to define Emily Hartmann. A hometown girl, she left Chico State for Georgetown’s medical school. Early on she understood the importance of job satisfaction to reduce burnout. She also knew her future, as she puts it, had to be “satisfying to me.”

Emily has long been aware of her inclination to help people and, as a result, she was drawn to surgery. The clinical rotations during the fourth year

allowed Emily to eliminate other areas of practice, narrowing the decision between cardiology and plastic surgery. The cardiology rotation revealed to her a degree of discontent and jealousy throughout the candidates, as well as the raw truth, people die. The experience in her final rotation, plastic surgery, unveiled smiling faces, loud music, and a social aspect, including the enjoyment of getting to know each patient as a person. The seemingly brief stint in plastic surgery during Emily’s residency, left a tremendous impact on her. She reveals, “I was unbelievably happy, felt like I belonged as they fully embraced me.” Along the journey, Emily also became acquainted with vulnerability. The first patient she encountered as a resident doctor was an 18-year-old woman born with a breast that did not come to form. “She blew my mind.” The young patient acted out in any direction in order to draw attention away from her deformity. Her ability to display her vulnerability in an open setting touched Emily’s heart. The successful result of her reconstruction surgery sharpened Emily’s vision, including the possibilities of miracles ahead, laying in wait. Ultimately, Emily selected a practice that left time for her number one priority of having a family. Upon completion, she returned to Chico with her husband Eric and their three children: Ollie, Belle and Lincoln. Upon arrival in 2015, she joined up with a partnership in plastic surgery, knowing full well she still had to finish her boards, including the grueling orals. Time certainly became a juggling act, including an unexpected fourth ball. If the preparation for the boards while getting her feet wet as a practicing surgeon wasn’t enough, Emily found herself on call for Enloe’s emergency room. An ordinary “every third week” rotation turned into long spells of constantly having her phone by her side. Like everything else, the varying and often eye-opening visitors to the ER honed her skills and expanded her vision of empathy. Three years later, Emily opened Beauty Eternal, marrying the plastic surgery side with alternative avenues for patients to choose. The expanding of her practice was “very emotional” to her and felt very much like a rite of passage. Her vision was coming into fruition just as the entire world changed. It is important to understand Emily is not a “half full, half empty” kind of person. All she sees in a glass filled half way up with water is its potential. So with the pandemic stopping our everyday life, Emily immediately took to FaceBook, offering to meet patients at her office for laceration repair and other needs. What happened next proved a true anomaly in the life of Emily Hartmann - she slowed down. The awareness of the need to alter her pace began by becoming a part of a women empowerment group. The togetherness and strength of the group gave Emily permission to label herself as an entrepreneur and to surround herself with her own energy. The result of her post kept Dr. Hartmann busy enough while Emily hung out with her family, did a lot of meditating, and found herself bursting with creative energy, clearly without an outlet. How to channel the energy came from two different and distinct matters: performing a daily morning routine of gratitude alongside her decision to “become fearless.” The morning routine “quieted the demons who are always there, and kept them at bay.” The fearlessness rid Emily of her limited beliefs. She then closed her eyes,

Emily on Empathy

Empathy, wow, big one right out of the gate. Empathy’s big right now, meaning to be on the path to connect with other humans, feel their energy and emotions. I practice my empathy every day with every patient I see. I just spent a full day in clinic - seeing patients, trying to really connect with them and understand what it is that they are going through, what makes them tick, what's important to them, and really get into their shoes. If I don't do that, then every single person is just another surgery and I’m not looking deeper into the picture, such as whether it's right for them or in their circumstances or fits their needs. It's a really important thing in my job to have and so I'm still working on it.

I was telling someone the other day that I've always been connected to emotions. I can remember as a kid and my parents had this fruit bowl and I would grab an orange and I'd stand there and I'd look at the other oranges and I think how sad they must be that they didn't get picked. I was crying a little bit. I mean, it didn't happen all the time, but I just remember being really upset for the oranges. That sweet little fruit bowl. It would just tear me up. And I think that's when I first learned to be perfect.

Emily on Vulnerability

Hmm. Vulnerability is where the magic happens. Everyone is trying to close off and not let anyone in, and it's those moments of realness that makes the moment. The true connection, true communication, true understanding, true empathy happening are where people really connect, but it can also be where people are. It can be extremely painful and can manifest as some kind of defense mechanism where they may not act their best or can’t be at their best.

What's really interesting is what I learned in medical school. Came from an older gentleman who was teaching us about how to care for the patient and interact with the patient. I remember him saying, and he said a lot of really funny things, but I remember him saying, you will have those patients who yell at you. You will have those patients who make the nurses cry, who say things that you're sort of taken aback by. Just remember, whatever kind of day they're having, they're just doing the best that they can. And that is all you can ask, are you doing the best you can and your spouse is doing the best they can. And every day your best is different. And so for most patients, they are so extremely vulnerable that they're just doing the best they can. I think it's really something that I carry his words in the back of my head every single day. When they're most vulnerable, let the tears flow and the emotions I have to just be a sounding board and hand a hold or a box of Kleenex to pass out. Right?

paid close attention to her breathing, and turned to social media for much more than a way to stay busy. Emily mused, “The outlet became an immediate release, a means of connection.” She began by playing around, seeing what worked, and how to reach the widest population. The result did not manifest her into some mystical ‘influencer’ but rather revealed Emily Hartmann in full “Impactful Empathy.” The kind of empathy which led her to post herself as an example of just what someone would face with procedures leaving faces scarlet red with an amount of uncomfortable burning. The kind of empathy leading to a post on top surgery with a straightforward explanation of the vulnerability involved. That kind of impact.

The sum total of the post pandemic Dr. Hartmann, as fearless and mindful, came into full bloom as she gave herself the permission to follow through with her “Field of Dreams '' endeavor. The whole if-you-build-it-they-will-come kind of faith and trust is nearing fruition. Dr Hartmann’s medical practice and companion spa has made the move to Meriam Park and introduces the “dream” in the form of the “Eternal Wellness Spa.” Tucked in the southwest corner of the park, across from the drive-in theatre’s screen is a pair of buildings erected faceto-face. The Wellness Spa occupies a building of its very own. The kind of move an entrepreneur would do. The theme behind its opening is to empower people to come into who they feel by utilizing an entire holistic approach. Personally, Emily wanted to build “a place I want to go to feel good - like a vacation.” She defines holistic “as the unleashing of powers within you (me).”

The impact of the Eternal Wellness Spa is immeasurable as it concentrates on the mind, body, soul. It does so by drawing from both the Eastern and Western methods characterizing the following tenets: body positivity, stress reduction, patient empowerment, and tools for ultimate well being. The mind is served by the Western practice of trauma therapy and nutrition counseling along with the entire spa experience. The body revels in facials, massage, acupuncture, yoga workshops and a Nurse Practitioner providing the Allopathic practice of medicine. The soul becomes soothed by hypnotherapy and the benefits of Ayurveda, the ancient art of medicine and of prolonging life.

To be sure, the slowing down of Emily Hartmann also has sent her very being in a welcome spiraling. She exists as a walking, living, breathing oxymoron. Oxymorons are the practice of placing two unlike words directly together - for a purpose. At first glance, they do not appear to work together. Upon further looking, the clear purpose emerges. Emily conjures such examples as simply complicated, calmly austere, casually deliberate. She also represents and continues to put her impactful empathy to use. So refreshing to know that at the end of each and every day, Emily remains authentic, all the while adamantly insisting, “I am just a normal working mom, battling normal body image issues, while possessing a lack of self worth.” And so much more.

Emily on Happiness

Well, it feels a little like a cliche. But then happiness, I mean we are so psycho crazy about finishing projects and checking off the boxes and achieving this just all the things that we feel like we're supposed to do and the way people around us are supposed to be acting. I went through some tough years recently just dealing with my quote-unquote, type A personality, trying to be a perfectionist in everything that I do.My reality was sort of I was kind of losing grasp of what I thought was what I wanted to be. I think the more that I let go of what my expectations are, the more I pull back. And I don't honestly care if it gives room for those things to just develop authentically and naturally and organically. And I get to just revel in that rather than stress about it. And that is what we are going through trying to complete this relocation. I know right now that's a big mess and mind blowing. But to just let go and,in the words of someone very wise, to just lower your expectations for everything. Once you start doing that, it becomes like a drug. You just want to lower your expectations for everyone and everything. And you know what, honestly? You know, we don't need to do these dishes. I mean, it's really a freeing experience. I believe that in my present day is what has brought me the most happiness here. Stop chasing what Instagram is showing you, what your neighbors are doing, and what you thought you would be doing at this time in your life and just frickin let it go. And that moves you into gratitude. Right? As you know, I am truly grateful and I am truly OK to have those dirty dishes. I have some amazing food on those dirty dishes and I'm just gonna sit, you know, and just let that go, and enjoy my world of happiness.

On Emily (as told by Eric Hartmann)

It's hard for me to talk about Emily. It's like a singular context. When I met Emily, I knew that I wanted her to be a part of my life. I didn't know at that time what that meant. But I could sense that there was something about her and the way that she interacted with people and with me that was unique and special. And she’s important to me. When I think about Emily as a healthcare provider, it is mainly about the things I admire. Emily truly sees possibilities in the world and in people and in things, and when she sees the possibility for something to be better or different or helped or cured she just fearlessly charges towards the goal. And in patient care, the goal is the patient. And in life, the goal is living a good life. And in taking care of our children, the goal is giving them love and support and helping them become people who realize their potential, but also realize their own joy. And that's probably the most important thing, is that Emily does all this with a joyfulness and a real desire to bring that joy to others.

In the end it isn't just about her and it is about her. There's no line there. She's the most fearless, open, raw, and authentic person. Emily is not afraid to open up to her patients and to people and to the world in a way that, to be perfectly honest, scares me to death.