When his father succumbed to cancer caused by smoking, Mel Zuckerman realized he need to change his ways or face a similar fate. Overweight, living a stressful life as a real estate broker, Mel checked into The Oaks at Ojai, one of California's hot new breed of health resorts.
After a month, he had his first A-ha moment.

Total lifestyle change is how he describes it. Mel and Enid decided to make healthy living their business. With no spa marketing expertise, they converted a dude ranch on 150 lush acres of high desert near Tucson. Canyon Ranch opened in December 1979. "That first week we had only eight guests," Mel recalls, "six were comps, one paid half-fare, and one brave soul from Sun City was actually paying her own way.

" Today, they average more than 250 guests per day in Tucson. Combined, the two resorts serve nearly 25,000 visitors each year.

"I'm still not sure how we survived at first," says Cohen, "but Mel wouldn't give up so I couldn't either." Within the ranch family, Cohen is known as the financial wizard. When the Tucson and Lenox resorts were sold for $80 million to a real estate trust in 1996, Cohen was named president and CEO of the new management entity. The Zuckermans retained all rights to the Canyon Ranch name, and Mel serves as chairman under a 50-year contract.

As a pioneer in offering medical services, Cohen announced the newly created position of Canyon Ranch Corporate Medical Director by promoting Mark Liponis, M.D., to " further expand and advance the ranch's cutting edge health and medical offerings." Dr. Liponis also is co-medical director of Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, where he is based.

"The medicine practiced at Canyon Ranch," says Dr. Liponis, " is above and beyond what any other wellness clinic or health spa in the world offers."

Energized by the ranch experience, guests radiate health. In the dining room I met a young athlete from England recuperating from injuries, and an 85-year-old grandmother.

At the health center, patients told me they come for annual checkups not covered by health insurance. The yoga dome offers classes throughout the day, enhancing body and spirit.

And in the Life Enhancement Center, a spirit of camaraderie supports a morbidly obese young man from the Middle East.

Canyon Ranch Tucson has become the new mecca of health.

© SPA MANAGEMENT JOURNAL - JANUARY 2005

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