Why We're Called Samara.

A samara is the scientific name for the winged seed of the maple tree — the "helicopter" seeds that blanket Wisconsin lawns, pools, and leaf blowers every fall.

The Name

Most People Call Them a Nuisance. We See Something Else.

Around here, everyone knows the little whirlybirds that spin down from Sugar Maples — Wisconsin's state tree — every fall. But look closer, and there's a lesson hiding in that "nuisance": those seeds are everywhere, floating in on the wind, looking for the right place to land.

The Metaphor

Healing Works the Same Way.

A samara seed doesn't rush. It takes flight, finds a place to land, and only takes root when the environment is right. True wellness starts at the roots, not the surface — and that's the whole philosophy behind how we practice: meeting you at the flight stage, doing the deep root work together, and nurturing the growth that follows.

The Vibe

Pull Up a Chair at Our Table.

We're rooted in the Midwest — Wisconsin, up through the Illinois stateline — and we want every family who walks through our door, or logs onto a video call, to feel like they're pulling up a chair at our table. Warm, grounded, and focused on deep, foundational care.

Her Story

She Grew Up In and Out of Hospitals.

Kristi was diagnosed with a congenital kidney condition at just two years old, and spent much of her childhood back in the hospital for it — two major surgeries and years of recurring infections before she reached her mid-twenties. Acute care saved her life more than once. But it never answered the question her family kept circling back to: how do you actually live well, day to day, when the standard answer is always another prescription? Watching her parents lean into holistic and home remedies alongside conventional treatment planted something in her that never left.

Becoming a Mother

Why Postpartum Care Became Her Focus.

Kristi earned her nursing degree while pregnant — twice — raising two young sons alongside a husband working long hours. After her first baby, she experienced postpartum depression firsthand, and felt the drop-off in support so many new mothers describe: everyone around for the first couple of weeks, then quiet. It's part of why antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care — especially the postpartum stretch, where support tends to disappear fastest — became the heart of her practice. No mother should have to feel as alone as she did.

Meet Kristi Calmeyer

Kristi Calmeyer — The Hands & The Heart Behind Your Care

Kristi holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and a Master of Science in Nursing from Marquette University — training she treats as a bridge, giving her the clinical grounding to provide safe, evidence-based care while keeping her practice centered on root-cause, whole-person healing. She's an RN, MSN, and postpartum nurse working in collaboration with InnerBirth Midwifery, and the founder of Samara Health Co, running a hybrid practice across Wisconsin and Illinois. At home, she's kept busy by her husband, Dane, and their two young sons — and recharges with CrossFit and time outdoors whenever she can find it.