For more than three decades, Dr. Amy Banter has practiced family medicine with a clear conviction: health care should be about far more than reacting to illness. Prevention, education, and lifestyle-based wellness have always been central to her approach. In recent years, that philosophy has fully taken shape through OPT2LIV MEDICAL, the Fishers-based practice she co-founded with her husband, Eric Banter — a space that intentionally bridges traditional primary care with holistic, evidence-based wellness.
“We wanted to create a place where people don’t just show up when something breaks,” Dr. Banter says. “We wanted to walk with patients over time, helping them understand how their bodies work and how to truly live healthier, longer lives.”
Dr. Banter’s medical roots are firmly planted in conventional medicine. After completing her residency, she delivered babies, taught medical students and residents, and served patients in rural communities. Yet even then, her passion for prevention was constrained by the realities of the system.
“When you’re seeing patients every 10 to 15 minutes, there’s no space to talk about nutrition, stress, sleep, or movement,” she says. “You end up managing symptoms instead of addressing what’s actually driving the problem.”
That frustration ultimately became the catalyst for change. In 2007, the Banters moved from Muncie to the Noblesville area and opened a wellness center alongside Dr. Banter’s private practice. The center offered yoga, massage, and stress-reduction seminars, and the couple began exploring how practices like breath work and movement could support patients with chronic pain, trauma, PTSD, autism, and other complex conditions.
The true transformation came in 2021 with the launch of OPT2LIV MEDICAL, a direct primary care practice built on time, access, and personalization. Patients pay a monthly membership rather than using insurance, allowing for longer visits, more frequent touch points, and care that adapts to the individual rather than the billing code.
“My patient panel is a fraction of what it used to be,” Dr. Banter says. “That gives me the time to really know my patients, track trends over time, and tailor care in a way that simply isn’t possible in traditional models.”
At the core of OPT2LIV MEDICAL are four foundational pillars: breathe, eat, move, and sleep. Every patient’s care plan addresses these essentials. Dr. Banter oversees the medical and diagnostic side, while Eric — who is trained as a yoga therapist and health coach — works closely with patients to help them integrate sustainable lifestyle changes.
“We’re not just treating numbers on a lab report,” Eric says. “We’re helping people feel the difference when stress is regulated, when movement becomes intentional, and when rest is prioritized. That lived experience is what creates lasting change.”
Importantly, this integrative approach is not anecdotal, it’s measurable. A recent four-year study led by Dr. Banter as the primary physician and Eric as the yoga therapist analyzed outcomes from 19 patients across 69 visits between 2021 and 2025. Using the Medical Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ), the analysis revealed an average 40 percent improvement in symptoms, compared with the estimated 6 percent typically seen with traditional care models. Among patients with multiple visits, 84 percent experienced a sustained reduction in total symptom scores over time.
“These weren’t isolated improvements,” Dr. Banter explains. “We saw meaningful reductions in joint and muscle pain, digestive issues, mental and emotional symptoms, energy levels, and overall quality of life. That tells us we’re addressing the root causes, not just managing flare-ups.”
Patients come to OPT2LIV MEDICAL from all stages of life and health. Some are managing complex chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. Others are relatively healthy but want to stay that way. Many arrive frustrated by fatigue, hormone imbalances, gut health issues, or the sense that something is “off” even when standard labs appear normal.
“What they’re really looking for is someone to connect the dots,” Dr. Banter says. “They want evidence-based medicine that also recognizes the impact of lifestyle, stress, and daily habits.”
To support that goal, the practice offers services not commonly found in a primary care setting, including yoga therapy, IV nutrient infusions tailored to lab results, and vagus nerve stimulation sessions designed to promote calm and nervous system regulation.
“The body is always seeking balance,” Eric says. “Sometimes we use movement, sometimes nutrition, sometimes technology — but the goal is always the same: helping the body restore equilibrium.”
Technology also plays a key role. Many patients use wearable devices such as Apple Watches, Oura Rings, or WHOOP bands to track sleep, stress, and activity. That data is reviewed alongside lab results and symptom questionnaires during visits, enabling highly personalized, real-time care.
“Our motto is ‘test, don’t guess,’” Dr. Banter says. “We don’t wait until someone is sick enough for insurance to approve testing. We monitor, adjust, and optimize proactively.”
As OPT2LIV MEDICAL continues to grow, the Banters are expanding their impact. In 2026, the practice will launch the OPT2LIV MEDICAL phone app, offering patients quick access to educational tools, scheduling support, and signature quality-of-life programs. The app will also feature “Dr. Amy AI,” designed to provide general care education and optimal living guidance, while giving providers backend insights into patient health trends and recommendations for improvement.
In addition, OPT2LIV MEDICAL is announcing new partnerships with a functional medicine provider and a functional nutritionist, expanding the practice’s ability to support patients with more complex metabolic and lifestyle needs.
“Our long-term goal is to help heal primary care in this country,” Dr. Banter says. “That means collaboration, not isolation.”
Education remains central to everything they do. Weekly videos, workshops, and immersive retreats give patients tools they can carry into everyday life. Past retreats have focused on each of the four pillars — from stress-focused “breathe” retreats to hiking-based “move” experiences and wellness trips that blend nutrition, yoga, and joy.
At its heart, OPT2LIV MEDICAL is about relationships.
“We think of it like a gym membership for your health,” Dr. Banter says. “There’s accountability, access, and support — and people know we’re in it with them.”
That philosophy is deeply personal. Like their patients, the Banters have lived full, demanding lives — raising a family, managing careers, and navigating stress.
“We know what it feels like to try to do everything and still want to be healthy,” Dr. Banter says. “That’s why we built the practice we wished had existed all along.”
Ultimately, their mission is both simple and transformative: shift health care from disease management to true wellness.
“When people understand their bodies and feel empowered to make sustainable changes,” Dr. Banter says, “medicine stops being reactive — and becomes life-changing.”
For more information, visit opt2liv.com.
