As part of our ongoing "Getting to Know Your Local Businesses" series, we sat down this week with Brad Copus, owner of Houston Hyperbaric Oxygen Center.

Tell us a bit about your business:  What does your business offer and how long have you been around?
Houston Hyperbaric Oxygen Center (HHOC) is a facility focused on providing HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) which is a prescribed treatment approved by the FDA and AMA in which a patient breathes 100% medical grade oxygen while under increased pressure. This treatment is beneficial for those that can not afford treatment at a local hospital or those with TBI, stroke, and other conditions insurance typically does not cover.

Originally founded by Dr. Robert Stanton and his wife Terri for their son, Joseph who suffered a devastating TBI (traumatic brain injury) in 2010, HHOC is currently led by Dr. Allison Boyle who oversees as medical director. The mission is still the same, to provide access to low cost HBOT and help those with off label conditions. Dr. Boyle is a board-certified neurologist specializing in neurology and movement disorders.

What is your favorite part of running this business?
The progress patients show before and after sessions is the most amazing thing, and not much else gives you a better feeling knowing you have changed people's lives in a positive way. Seeing a patient grow back into themselves after a traumatic event is worth everything to us. We love our patients like family here; we try to connect them with anyone we think can be helpful to their situation because their growth is our growth.

Who is your target market or ideal customer/client?
Anyone who cannot or does not want to pay $3,000 for a treatment that can cost less than $200. Anyone who is turned away from a hospital because their problem does not meet the insurance coverage requirements. There are thousands of studies on alternative uses for hyperbarics and we are the bridge for the people who need it.

Can you tell us something about yourself as the business owner? What is your background?
I come from a household with a disabled family member who we took care of for 18 years. Then I helped my mother-in-law who suffered from a stroke. I served in the Marine Corps before I volunteered for 911 as an EMT for multiple years. Dr. Stanton and his wife Terri handed over the clinic to us as they knew we would continue in their same caring nature. I knew immediately that this would be the next chapter in my mission to help others.

Are there any special promotions, annual sales, or special events that you'd like to mention?
While we don’t do any promotions, our prices are already the lowest in Texas. If that is not enough, we will try to connect people with groups that pay for treatments.

Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?
We are a facility with hospital grade chambers, and we use 100% oxygen. There is a big difference between chamber types. Non-hospital grade chambers, like the inflatable soft chambers, do not reach the proper pressures required for specific treatments. We are not a medical spa; we are a fully functioning medical clinic with the sole purpose of Hyperbaric Medicine.

How do you see your business growing and improving over the next couple of years?
Our goal is to become the least expensive facility in the country to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments. We also will continue using the exact same hospital grade equipment as the local hospitals for a fraction of the cost.

To learn more about Houston Hyperbaric Oxygen Center, visit their profile on Atascocita.com. To read studies on the benefits of HBOT, view testimonials, and schedule an appointment, visit their website. To view photos and learn valuable information about hyperbaric treatment, see their Facebook page.