May 5, 2023

A new downtown IV clinic is finding a niche bringing IV hydration therapy and vitamin injections directly to customers.

Vital Flows Infusions opened earlier this year with a physical location at 114 S. Main Ave. It’s owned by Dr. Holli Charbonneau, who also works as an emergency room physician, and her husband, Jared Pomranky.

Charbonneau, CEO and medical director, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician who has worked in Sioux Falls for nine years and in hospitals in Detroit and Cleveland before that.

In her work, she said she has seen many people go to the ER because of hydration and has seen the effectiveness of IV treatments.

Over the past decade, there also has been “a big shift shift in people wanting more control over their health and wellness, and wanting a bigger say in their treatment plan,” said Pomranky, who serves as chief operating officer.

“People often go to the ER not because they feel like they have an emergency or need to be hospitalized but because it’s the only place to get that quick hydration and relief. So why not couple these two trends together and allow people to make their own decisions for low-risk treatments at a cost that is significantly less than going to the ER and is considerably much less time?”

Vital Flow Infusions began with the idea of being “a concierge mobile IV clinic” that brings its treatments directly to customers, he said.

“We’ve visited many businesses where we hook up an IV drip and someone can continue working or make phone calls while they’re getting hydrated and replenished with vitamins,” he said. “We’ve visited people in their homes to help them recover without having to go out. We’ve also participated in parties so people can pre-hydrate and get some energizing vitamins before a big night out.”

People can still come to the clinic for treatments too.

Clients use the therapy for everything from general dehydration, recovery from a long week at work, a boost of energy, increased focus, overall wellness from vitamin deficiency — and, of course, to recover from hangovers.

Injections include vitamins, immune-boosting minerals, amino acids to recover after a tough workout and vitamins and minerals to support increased metabolism and fat burn, Pomranky said.

“Infusions have definitely become popular in larger cities but have been slower to become as popular in smaller Midwestern cities,” he said. “Much of this has been from people not knowing that you can get an IV infusion for general health, energy and recovery, and instead thinking it’s only for a hangover cure. Part of our business is educating clients about the overall wellness benefits of infusions and what we offer.”

Nurses work with customers to figure out the best IV drip, or they’re explained online.

“The nurse will review your medical history, medications, allergies and make sure that what you are getting is safe for you,” Pomranky said. “If there is ever a question or uncertainty, our nurse will discuss with Dr. Charbonneau, and she will make the final recommendations.”

The business also is working with corporate wellness programs to offer services to employees.
“The cost of having an employee out because they are not feeling their best is huge, but it’s even worse if they go to work but don’t have the energy to be productive,” Pomranky said.

While they expected business to skew toward the mobile side, there  has been higher demand for in-office treatments so far, he said. The downtown space includes four heated massage recliners and blankets, a Bluetooth speaker and TV. It’s booked only  by appointment for now but could expand for walk-ins.

“Our plan was always to gauge the market and make adjustments as needed, so it looks like a larger office space that can accommodate walk-ins will likely be in our future,” Pomranky said.