Society Insider: Wilhelmina and Ben O’Keeffe launch longevity and wellness clinic in Auckland

Ben, who studied ophthalmology in Wellington after university, moved to Auckland three years ago to be with Wilhelmina, 35. He transitioned into musculoskeletal medicine, working alongside Dr Jordan Davis at the MSK Institute as a training registrar.

Ben and Davis, 38, met when they were studying to become doctors at the University of Otago 18 years ago.

The O’Keeffes and Davis are now teaming up to launch a new medical testing service called Vitalis.

Auckland-born and raised Davis lives with his fiancee, Kristy, and their two young daughters in Castor Bay.

Vitalis co-founders Dr Ben O’Keeffe and Dr Jordan Davis met at medical school.

“Jordan runs the MSK (Musculoskeletal) Institute at the AUT Millennium in Albany, where his focus is on musculoskeletal medicine after an extensive background in orthopaedics,” Ben says.

“Working there together, the idea for Vitalis really started to take shape, and we started servicing customers from [MSK] recently.”

At Vitalis, after a consultation with a doctor, customers have access to thorough testing and scans, including cardiopulmonary (VO₂ max) testing, grip strength, biomarkers, and bone density scans, for $1900, with a prestige package at $4400, as an optional add-on for a full MRI.

“Essentially, it’s a full suite of tests and scans that act like a warrant of fitness for your health,” Davis says.

Vitalis co-founder Dr Jordan Davis with his fiancee, Kristy.

Society Insider spoke to the O’Keeffes as they were strolling the streets of Tokyo. Ben is refereeing the Nations Championship test match between Japan and France on Saturday.

The couple are based on the North Shore and preparing to open Vitalis in its own clinic in Takapuna in September.

“I am working on the PR and strategy for Vitalis, while Ben and Jordan are busy organising their 290sq m medical suites at the Fred Thomas building,” Wilhelmina says.

Ben is excited to be working with his wife of eight months and says having something to build together is really helping their relationship.

“Up until this point, we’d both had our own separate working lives, so this brings together the skills we each have into one direction,” he says.

Wilhelmina and Ben O’Keeffe in Tokyo this week.

This year Blenheim-raised Ben was made an ambassador for the Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, specialising in avoidable blindness.

He is a director and owner of Otago Vision Specialists in Dunedin and Queenstown.

More than a decade ago, he co-founded oDocs Eye Care and later expanded those services to non-surgical cosmetic treatments with oDocs Aesthetics, specialising in anti-wrinkle injections and skin bioregeneration treatments.

A render of the newly redeveloped purpose-designed Fred Thomas building, where Vitalis will open in September.

The newly redeveloped, purpose-designed medical, health and office hub where Vitalis will be based has been designed by Warren and Mahoney Architects and is on Takapuna’s Fred Thomas Drive.

Davis already has a clinic in the Fred Thomas building where Ben works, and will open a second MSK Institute alongside Vitalis.

MSK offers tests including radiological imaging facilities for joints, bones, tendons, ligaments and nerves, with treatments such as shockwave therapy and steroid and plasma injections.

Wilhelmina and Ben O’Keeffe are excited for their longevity clinic Vitalis to open.

Wilhelmina says she and her husband recently got Oura Rings to keep track of their body metrics, sleep and steps – which is a more basic version of what they hope to achieve with Vitalis.

“What we’re trying to do is open the door for people to get real information and knowledge around their baseline health – where it currently sits and what they can do to improve it – bringing the kind of performance medicine traditionally reserved for elite athletes into everyday healthcare,” says Ben.

Party People of the Week

A 5-star evening

Hayu NZ welcomed guests to a Nantucket-themed premiere of their new show The Five Star Weekend at Event Cinemas’ V-MAX Lounge and Cinema, Newmarket, last Thursday.

Starring Jennifer Garner, D’Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, and Chloe Sevigny, the miniseries follows a famed cook and influencer who suffers a devastating loss and gathers her friends in Nantucket in the aftermath.

The evening was hosted by broadcaster Kate Rodger, with guests including The Sound Drive Host Tracey Donaldson; actors Nicole Whippy, Antonia Eaton and Kristin Paulse; content creator Samantha Richards; marketing professional Dani Lyons and drag performer Anita Wigl’et aka Nick Hall.

Dr Aroha Siilata and Dr Vanisi Prescott. Photo / Matthew Broodryk Alana Vale and Kaycharn Paterson. Photo / Matthew Broodryk Beck Robson and Cicely Driver. Photo / Matthew Broodryk Nick Hall and John Goldie. Photo / Matthew Broodryk Alex Hall and Samantha Richards. Photo / Matthew Broodryk Dani Lyons and Sue Gillatt. Photo / Matthew Broodryk Kristin and Sharon Paulse. Photo / Matthew Broodryk Lizzie Solly, Kate Stokes and McKenzie Jennings. Photo / Matthew Broodryk Zoe Robinson and Antonia Eaton. Photo / Matthew Broodryk

An Elle of a night

Prime Video brought an early screening of the first two episodes of Elle, a Legally Blonde spinoff series, to the Boutique Foyer and Cinemas at Newmarket Event Cinemas, Westfield last week.

Wearing their best pink attire, guests included ZM host Georgia Burt, content creators Brit Cunningham and Jess Molina, foodie Jasmine Kim, Dr Vanisi Prescott, man-about-town Colin Mathura-Jeffree, Publicity PR founder Angelique Fris-Taylor, and co-founder at Stealth AI Startup Willow Noome.

Colin Mathura-Jeffree and Angelique Fris-Taylor. Photo / Robert Trathen Larissa O’Reilly and Georgia Burt. Photo / Robert Trathen Dominic Corry and Anna-Lisa Tombolato. Photo / Robert Trathen Shannon Trim and Carwen Jones. Photo / Robert Trathen Toni and Angelina Walker. Photo / Robert Trathen Cynthia Monardez and Rafe Macdonald. Photo / Robert Trathen Rachel Antella and Jordan Bradley. Photo / Robert Trathen Willow Noome. Photo / Robert Trathen

Ricardo Simich has been with the Herald since 2008 where he contributed to The Business Insider. In 2012, he took over Spy at the Herald on Sunday, which has since evolved into Society Insider. The weekly column gives a glimpse into the worlds of the rich and famous.