Heart Health Coach Credentials

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Author Gene Millen 5/11/15

A twenty-four year journey

Gene Millen's road to fitness and wellness has not been an easy one. Some of the most valuable information he has learned has been in the "school of hard knocks."

Gene started in the banking business right out of high school. In 1973 he graduated with honors from the Pacific Coast School of Banking and in 1977 was chosen to be the founding president of County Bank of Merced where he presided as CEO for 15 years.

Under his management, the bank grew from zero to 500+ shareholders, $100 million in assets, and 100 employees. The bank was designated a Premier Performing bank during his tenure.

In 1990, an unexpected “near heart attack” required open heart surgery to insert aSix-Packof arteries in his chest. This near tragedy moved health to the top of his priority list.

In 1992, he took early retirement from the stress of banking and pursued his new passion of improving people's health by showing them how to avoid the mistakes he had made.

With his wife Bernie Vital Life Center, a health and wellness center for the people over age 40 was born.

The exercise, health, and wellness program they developed was judged number one in California for four consecutive years. Following is a summary of his journey.

• 1949-1992 - Banking Business. Entered banking as a trainee after graduating from high school. In 1973 graduated from the Pacific Coast Banking School with honors and organized the County Bank of Merced in 1977. Was president from 1977 to 1992.
  
  
• Sept. 1990 - 1992 "Near heart attack" experience followed by open heart surgery and 200 sessions in Cardiac Rehab Program.
  
  
• Feb. 1993 - Nov. 2024 - Started, owned and operated the Vital Life Health and Wellness Center, a health and wellness club designed for the 50+ population.

• Created and implemented wellness programs (including monitoring of heart rate, and blood pressure) for 1200 members during this eleven year period of operation.
  
  
• Millen's health ands wellness program received national recognition. It was judged number one in California four years in a row, and was judged 2nd in the U.S.A.
  
  
• 2002 - 2024 Developed and enhanced the Heart Health for Life website. This site has 200 pages and receives more than 3,000 visitors per month.
  
  
• From August 2024 to March 2024 - Fitness/Wellness Director for a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Central California. Developed and implemented physical wellness programs for 200 residents.

Certifications/Accomplishments

• Gene has been certified as a Physical Fitness Specialist by the prestigious Cooper Clinic in Dallas Texas
  
  
• Certified as a Medical Exercise Specialist. Training included designing exercise/wellness programs for those recovering from heart attack as well as those with high blood pressure, joint problems and more.
  
  
• EzineArticles.Com - Achieved Platinum Author designation. Health and wellness articles have received more than 43,000 visits.
  
  
• Publishers - Mid Valley Publications, a group of six newspapers in Merced and Stanislaus counties in California with weekly circulation of 35,000. Gene's column Live Well...Age Later column is also included in the Aging to Perfection publication.

I'm here to help, to be your advisor and Heart Health Coach. I want you avoid the pitfalls and false starts that I have made. And I've made plenty of them.

Take some time and browse through some to the articles on our website. I think you may be surprised what you find.

We invite you to take a look at a few heart health testimonials.

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Clinical Studies and Resources

University of Connecticut researchers

The INTERHEART Study

Berkeley Heart Lab in Berkeley,California