How it all began
A drive-through pharmacy with cappuccino.
Soon after graduating from The Ohio State University, College of Pharmacy in 1987, Dr. Lile opened one of the first drive-through pharmacies in the Midwest. She installed a large picture window so that people could see what apothecary-style mixing and individualized medicine was like. She even provided a cappuccino maker and small dining tables so that they could enjoy a nice cup of coffee and feel at home in the pharmacy.
Then Dr. Lile followed her intuition and in 1997 she enrolled in The Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, OH. Her path was set and she was well on her way to becoming one of the very few dual credentialed registered pharmacists and a medical doctor.
"I knew very quickly [after working in retail] that I wanted to do things differently and better." Dr. Lile said. "I woke up one morning and knew that I was going to open my own pharmacy or go to medical school; I never dreamed I would end up doing both. At first though, I thought that opening my own pharmacy would be easier."
Upon graduating from medical school, Dr. Lile began working at a retired nun care facility.
"The nuns said they had been waiting for a female MD and they asked if I would be the medical director for their facility. So I was able to put systems into place to take care of the nuns as well as bishops and priests and was even able to help put in place hospice programs for them as well."
A pioneer in Telehealth
Dr. Lile's practice began to expand quickly as patients talked with their family and friends. She became a pioneer in the use of telehealth to treat patients virtually over the next years. Opening offices Alpharetta, GA and Franklin, TN in addition to the Grosse Ile, MI location with her pharmacy.
Visiting with Pope Francis at the Vatican
From 2019 - 2022, Dr. Lile's Wellness practice continued to expand as did her global profile. She was invited twice to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican who was coincidentally also a chemist before he became a priest. Pope Francis wanted to incorporate more women on his advisory leadership team and was particularly interested in preventative health.
COVID-19 clinical trials in Africa
Simultaneously in 2022, Dr. Lile embarked on a large scale self-funded global health initiative focused on COVID-19 clinical trials in Rwanda, Africa. The trial enrolled over 231 patients, incorporated 14,091 COVID-19 positive visits and performed 21,940 lab tests and biomarkers over a 6-month period. Significant and very positive results administering an immunity compound were documented.
Leading the way in Genomic testing and care
During 2023, Dr. Lile continued to expand Lile Wellness into the exciting area of Genomic testing and personalized treatment plans based on careful evaluation of the test results. She is working closely with The Ohio State University's College of Pharmacy and selected PharmD graduates to train them on reviewing genetic data to develop customized care plans. Dr. Lile continues to innovate as she always has so that her patients always benefit from the most professionally vetted state-of-the-art healthcare.