We were lucky to catch up with Valerie Corpening recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Valerie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

My decision to start my own healthcare practice was driven by a deeply personal experience that changed the way I view preventive care and community education.

In 2025, my uncle collapsed at work due to unmanaged high blood pressure, which resulted in a hemorrhagic stroke—bleeding on the brain. In that moment, no one around him recognized the signs of a stroke. When he collapsed, no one knew how to perform CPR. That delay in care ultimately meant he never recovered, and our family had to make the heartbreaking decision to take him off life support.

What made the situation even more difficult was learning afterward that he also had heart failure and didn’t know it. His conditions had gone undiagnosed and unmanaged. That realization made it clear to me how many people are living with silent cardiovascular risks without access to education, screenings, or the knowledge to respond in an emergency.

As an emergency medicine nurse, I see patients come into the ER every day with many of these same diagnoses—uncontrolled hypertension, heart failure, and other cardiovascular complications. Too often these conditions are not properly managed because patients lack access to preventive services, early screenings, or the education needed to understand and manage their health. Many of these emergencies could potentially be prevented with earlier intervention and better awareness.

That experience, both personal and professional, became the driving force behind my work.

I founded A Truly Unique Touch CPR and Diagnostics to focus on prevention, early detection, and life-saving education. My mission is to help people better understand and manage their health before a crisis occurs. Through mobile phlebotomy services, cardiovascular and preventive lab panels, wellness screenings, hypertension education, and chronic disease coaching, I aim to help individuals recognize risk factors early and take control of their health.

CPR training is also a core part of what I do because it is a life-saving skill that everyone should know. When emergencies happen, seconds matter, and knowledge can make the difference between life and death.

My goal is to bridge the gap that often exists between healthcare access and community awareness. Many people face barriers such as time, transportation, or lack of information. By bringing services directly into the community, I want to make preventive care and emergency education more accessible.

My uncle’s passing was a devastating loss for our family, but it strengthened my commitment to advocate for hypertension awareness, cardiovascular health, and CPR education. Through my business, I hope to empower people with the knowledge and resources they need to protect their health and potentially save a life.

Because prevention, education, and preparation can change outcomes—and sometimes they can save them.

Valerie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Valerie Corpening, RN, and I’m an emergency medicine nurse and the founder of A Truly Unique Touch CPR and Diagnostics, a mobile healthcare service based in Houston, Texas. My work focuses on bringing preventive healthcare, life-saving education, and diagnostic services directly into the community. Through my business, I provide mobile phlebotomy services for cardiovascular and preventive lab panels, wellness screenings, hypertension education, chronic disease coaching, and CPR, AED, First Aid, and Narcan training.

My journey into this work became deeply personal in 2025 when my uncle collapsed at work due to unmanaged high blood pressure that led to a hemorrhagic stroke. No one around him recognized the signs of a stroke, and when he collapsed, no one knew how to perform CPR. The delay in care ultimately led to him not recovering, and our family had to make the heartbreaking decision to take him off life support. During that time, we also learned that he had heart failure that had gone undiagnosed.

That experience changed everything for me. As an ER nurse, I see patients come into the hospital every day with the same diagnoses—severely elevated blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke symptoms that have gone unmanaged for years. Many times it’s not because people don’t care about their health. It’s because of lack of access, lack of education, or barriers to getting the services they need early enough.

That realization pushed me to build a business centered around prevention and empowerment. I wanted to create a way for people to access important health screenings and education without the traditional barriers of long waits, transportation issues, or confusing healthcare systems. With mobile services, I’m able to meet people where they are—at home, at work, or in community settings.

What sets my work apart is that it blends clinical healthcare experience with community outreach. I’m not only providing services; I’m also teaching people how to understand their health. Whether it’s helping someone understand their blood pressure numbers, providing cardiovascular lab testing, or teaching a group how to perform CPR, the goal is always the same: give people the knowledge and tools they need to save lives—including their own.

I’m also passionate about giving back. Through my business, I offer free CPR certifications, wellness screenings, and blood pressure education initiatives because I believe life-saving knowledge should be accessible to everyone. One of my biggest goals is to ensure that more people in our communities know how to respond in emergencies and understand the importance of managing chronic conditions like hypertension.

What I’m most proud of is turning a personal tragedy into a mission that helps others. My uncle’s story is the driving force behind everything I do. If more people recognize stroke symptoms, know their blood pressure numbers, and learn CPR, we can prevent tragedies like the one my family experienced.

At the core of A Truly Unique Touch CPR and Diagnostics is a simple belief: healthcare should be proactive, accessible, and empowering. My mission is to bridge the gap between the hospital and the community by bringing life-saving education and preventive healthcare directly to the people who need it most.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Losing my uncle was devastating. It forced me to confront a painful reality that I also see in my work as an emergency room nurse—many people are living with serious health conditions like hypertension and heart disease without realizing how severe they are until it becomes a crisis.

For a moment, I struggled with the “what ifs.” What if someone had recognized the signs of a stroke sooner? What if someone there had known CPR? What if he had access to earlier screening or education about his blood pressure?

But instead of letting that grief stop me and the depression overtake me, I made the decision to turn it into purpose.

That experience strengthened my commitment to building A Truly Unique Touch CPR and Diagnostics, I wanted to focus on prevention, education, and accessibility. I wanted to create something that could help bridge the gap between healthcare and the community— so that people can catch health issues earlier and be prepared to save lives in emergencies.

Resilience, for me, has meant taking one of the most painful experiences in my life and using it as motivation to serve others. Every time I teach CPR, provide education about blood pressure, or help someone better understand their health, I think about my uncle. If the work I’m doing helps even one family avoid the loss that mine experienced, then his story continues to create impact.

That’s what keeps me going. That is what resilience means to me. Serving others through the pain.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Other than training and knowledge, I believe compassion, communication, and genuine community connection are some of the most important factors for succeeding in my field.

Healthcare is about more than clinical skills. It’s about understanding people, meeting them where they are, and helping them feel comfortable enough to take control of their health. Many individuals feel overwhelmed by medical information or unsure about how to navigate the healthcare system. Being able to communicate in a way that is clear, supportive, and empowering makes a huge difference.

Another important factor is trust. When people invite you into their homes for mobile services or trust you to educate /coach them about and through their health, they need to feel that you genuinely care about their wellbeing. Building those relationships and showing up with integrity is essential.

I also believe purpose and persistence are critical. In my work, I’m often educating people about conditions like hypertension and cardiovascular disease after their diagnosis from their provider before a crisis happens. Prevention sometimes requires patience because change doesn’t happen overnight. But staying committed to the mission and continuing to educate the community is what ultimately creates impact.

Finally, having a heart for service is incredibly important. My work is not just about providing services—it’s about empowering people with knowledge that could potentially save a life. Whether it’s teaching someone CPR, helping someone understand their blood pressure numbers, or providing early lab screenings, every interaction is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference.

At the end of the day, success in this field isn’t just measured by business growth—it’s measured by lives educated, communities empowered, and people who feel more confident about their health because someone took the time to care.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://atrulyuniquetouchllc.skipsites.com
• Instagram: A Truly Unique Touch
• Facebook: A Truly Unique Touch CPR and Diagnostics
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/valeriecorpening
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@atrulyuniquetouch?si=_CQtzRc2bjEOaH_9

Image Credits

Jeray Wimbley (Static Storyteller)