Meet Jacobo Avendano-Jassan of Avendano Health Medical Wellness & Lab

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacobo Avendano-Jassan.

Hi Jacobo, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and at the age of three, my family and I moved to Florida in search of greater opportunity. Growing up as a first-generation immigrant shaped my perspective early on and instilled a deep appreciation for hard work, sacrifice, and access to opportunity.

I’ve always been health-conscious and deeply interested in how the body, nutrition, and lifestyle choices affect long-term wellbeing. That curiosity originally led me down a traditional medical path, and I attended medical school with the goal of becoming an anesthesiologist.

Before that, I built a strong academic foundation at Florida International University, where I earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and Natural and Applied Sciences, along with a minor in Anthropology and Sociology. That combination gave me both the scientific framework to understand health at a biological level and the social lens to understand how culture, behavior, and access shape real-world health outcomes.

Along the way, I realized that while I deeply respect the clinical side of medicine, it wasn’t the role I was ultimately meant to play. I’m naturally wired for building systems, improving operations, and creating access at scale. To prepare intentionally for that path, I went on to earn my Master’s degree in Marketing from FIU, with the long-term goal of becoming a healthcare business operator who could bridge medicine, operations, and patient access.

That clarity became even stronger after a major turning point in my life: surviving stage 4 superficial spreading malignant melanoma. That experience profoundly reshaped my relationship with health and purpose. It reinforced how critical early detection, lab testing, prevention, and proactive care truly are, and how often people delay those steps due to cost, confusion, or insurance barriers.

Avendano Health Medical Wellness & Lab was built to address those gaps. My goal was to create something practical, transparent, and human: cash-pay lab testing with clear pricing, a professional brick-and-mortar experience, and a modern wellness platform that makes it easier for people to take control of their health.

As the lab has grown, my focus has expanded beyond a single location to broader community impact. I’m actively exploring partnerships with organizations, sponsors, and healthcare-aligned groups to bring free or subsidized lab work to the community, particularly for preventative screening and early detection, when the right collaborations align. At the same time, my long-term vision is to thoughtfully expand across South Florida, building additional locations that uphold the same standards of accessibility, trust, and compliance while serving diverse communities throughout the region.

I’ve been hands-on from day one, building the compliance foundation, operations, patient experience, and brand with a long-term mindset. Through every challenge and every open door, I give all glory to God. I truly believe He carried me through the hardest seasons of my life and placed me exactly where I’m meant to be, allowing me to build something that serves others with integrity and purpose.

Today, my focus is on scaling responsibly, maintaining trust, quality, and compliance while expanding access, so we can continue building healthcare infrastructure that feels modern, grounded, and genuinely helpful for the communities we serve.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the earliest challenges was realizing that the traditional medical path I originally pursued wasn’t the right fit for me, even after investing years into that direction. Making the decision to pivot required humility, self-awareness, and the willingness to rebuild from the ground up.

On a personal level, surviving stage 4 superficial spreading malignant melanoma was one of the most difficult seasons of my life. Balancing recovery, uncertainty, and long-term health while continuing to move forward professionally forced me to slow down, reassess priorities, and develop a deeper sense of resilience.

From a business standpoint, building a compliant healthcare operation has required patience and discipline. I’ve funded the company entirely with my own personal capital, without taking on loans or outside financing, which meant being extremely intentional with every decision. Navigating regulations, compliance requirements, operational logistics, and growth, all while staying financially responsible, has been challenging but incredibly grounding.

Another ongoing challenge has been earning trust and educating the community. Healthcare can feel confusing and intimidating, especially when people are used to opaque pricing and fragmented systems. Creating transparency and changing expectations takes consistency and time.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Avendano Health Medical Wellness & Lab is a modern healthcare services company built around accessibility, transparency, and real-world impact. We focus on making high-quality lab testing, wellness services, and healthcare access simpler, without insurance friction, confusing pricing, or long wait times.

We operate as a CLIA-waived facility, allowing us to provide efficient, compliant testing while maintaining high standards of accuracy and patient safety. At our Boca Raton location, we offer a wide range of cash-pay laboratory services, including routine and preventative blood work such as CBCs, CMPs, lipid panels, thyroid testing, vitamin and hormone levels, and comprehensive STD/STI screening. We also provide rapid testing services and drug and toxicology testing, serving both individuals and organizations that need timely, reliable results.

In addition to in-office testing, we offer professional blood draw and specimen collection services for several national healthcare platforms, including Rupa Health, MOMS (My One Medical Source), and Ulta Lab Tests. Patients can choose to have labs collected in our facility or through our mobile phlebotomy services, making at-home or workplace collections convenient and accessible.

Alongside our lab operations, we run a growing telehealth platform that provides nationwide access to wellness-focused care under licensed medical supervision. This includes medical weight-management programs using GLP-1 therapies, peptide therapy for recovery and performance, hormone optimization, and sexual health services, with coordinated pharmacy fulfillment where appropriate. To help make these services more accessible, we are currently offering 10% off all telehealth services nationwide through February 28, 2026, using the code RESOLUTIONS at checkout. This promotion applies to telehealth services only and excludes lab work.

What sets Avendano Health apart is the combination of brick-and-mortar infrastructure, mobile services, and modern telehealth access, all supported by clear cash-pay pricing and a strong compliance foundation. We’re not a virtual-only concept; we’re a hands-on healthcare operation built for long-term trust and sustainability.

Beyond individual care, we’re actively exploring partnerships to bring free or subsidized lab work to the community, particularly for preventative screening and early detection. Looking ahead, our goal is to thoughtfully expand across South Florida, continuing to build healthcare access points that feel professional, approachable, and genuinely helpful.

What makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is being able to take care of my family. As a first-generation immigrant, I grew up watching my parents make real sacrifices so I could have opportunities they never had. That perspective stays with me and continues to shape how I approach life and work.

Beyond that, having a goal that can positively impact people outside my immediate circle gives me a deep sense of purpose. Knowing that the work I’m building can help individuals and communities I may never personally meet, by improving access to healthcare, information, and early prevention, makes the effort meaningful on a much larger level.

I’m also a painter, and being able to bring that creative side into my work as an entrepreneur has been incredibly rewarding. Applying creativity to branding, problem-solving, and building Avendano Health allows me to express myself while creating something functional and meaningful.

Being able to support my family while also building something that serves others is what truly fulfills me. It keeps me grounded, motivated, and grateful for the opportunity to create impact beyond myself.

Pricing:

• https://avendanohealth.com/lab-work
• https://avendanohealth.com/hormone-replacement-therapy
• https://avendanohealth.com/sexual-health
• https://avendanohealth.com/hair-loss
• https://avendanohealth.com/tirzepatide

Contact Info:

• Website: https://avendanohealth.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avendanohealthbocaraton/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Avendano-Health-Medical-Lab/61580799008002/#
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avendanohealth/