Health site naturally wants you to be well

What: Salugenecists, a made-up word meaning "health creators," is derived from the words "salut," from the Latin root for health, and "genesis" for creation.

What it does: A Web site that offers information to people on why they are sick. It pulls information from databases using artificial intelligence; the technology mimics how an expert with natural-medicine experience would think about an ill patient.

The site also offers lifestyle and diet tools for better health.

Salugenecists users: Consumers or doctors treating patients who want guidance on how to treat someone naturally.

Who: Dr. Joe Pizzorno, founder and president. Pizzorno was a co-founder of Bastyr University, the Kenmore-based school for science-based natural medicine. He left in 2000 after serving as president for 22 years to pursue the idea for Salugenecists.

Certification: Pizzorno is a naturopathic doctor licensed as a physician in Washington state.

Library: Salugenecists contains information for 22 diseases.

Subscription model: Pizzorno hasn't decided the cost to consumers but expects it to be $25 to $50 a year. Physicians will pay more for access to the database for multiple patients. The site officially launches this month.

Investments: Salugenecists was started in 2001 and has been kept alive through $600,000 in capital from investors and personal investments.

Next up: The company is looking for $250,000 in capital and an additional $500,000 in six months to expand research and marketing.

Employees: There are 12 employees, including Pizzorno's wife, Lara, a health writer. Everyone works from home and meets at Pizzorno's North Seattle house once a week.

General advice: Pizzorno suggests Americans eat more whole, organic foods and cold-water fish. If you live in the Northwest, he says, take Vitamin D. Cold-water fish are high in fatty acids, something Americans are commonly deficient in; and Vitamin D is to make up for Seattle's rainy days.

— Tricia Duryee