Today we’d like to introduce you to Francine Nosworthy.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have been in the healthcare field for over 26 years. I have always known that I wanted to gain a career in nursing at a young age. I started off as a certified nursing assistant and did this for four years. During this time, I worked in a nursing home taking care of geriatric patients. While I felt a sense of joy taking care of these patients, my ultimate desire was to expand my education and obtain a nursing degree. It was a long and tough journey, but I pushed forward. I went to BOCES vocational school in New York and was able to graduate in 1997 with a degree in licensed vocational nursing. I slowly made my way up the education ladder. I was able to graduate with an associates degree in nursing in 2001, a bachelor of science in nursing in 2003 and I completed my family nurse practitioner degree in 2015. Throughout the years, I have worked in many areas of nursing, from children to geriatric. My passion to open up my own clinic came about while working for a community clinic. I saw that there was a great need in being able to provide affordable healthcare for patients that were uninsured and I wanted to make I could also provide the adequate medical services that are needed without patients having to sacrifice their health care needs.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There has been several challenges along the way, personal and financial, but these challenges has been a blessing for me and helped me to grow stronger. The hardest challenge was when my daughter was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at the age of 16. I was in the middle of school, working to complete my master’s degree. I did have moments of “why me,” but I did not let this stop me. My daughter’s diagnosis allowed me to learn more about autoimmune conditions, and I am able to use this knowledge to help my current patients.
Total Wellness Family Clinic – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The business that I currently own is a family practice clinic. I see patients of all ages. I am able to manage chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. I do wellness exams for adults and children. I am also able to manage acute illness and minor trauma. I take various insurance plans. What I am most proud of is the low cost of services that I provide for uninsured patients. Office visits are just $50. What sets me apart from other clinics is that this price is not only for uninsured patients but for patients who have a high deductible with their insurance plans. This sets me apart from others because most clinics in the area are charging more than $50 for patients that fall in this category.
Another aspect of my company that I am proud of is that I like to treat my patients like they are family. Being that I am the only practitioner, I get to know all of the patients that are seen which provides continuity of care. I am also available to take calls after hours, instead of having an answering service or another provider who may not know the patients’ needs. I know that there are a few cash pay clinics in Houston and surrounding areas that allow patients to be seen on a cash basis only. While this is a good service for uninsured patients, I feel that this limits patients that have insurance and needs services. Why have a patient pay for services upfront when some services are covered by insurance 100% (preventative services) without the patient having to pay out of pocket.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career is being able to have a goal in mind like, completing my education and opening my own clinic, and being able to accomplish all of those goals. I am also happy that I am able to provide affordable health care services.
Pricing:
- $50 office visits for uninsured patients or for patients who have high insurance deductibles
Contact Info:
- Address: 2384 S Dairy Ashford Rd
Houston, TX 77077 - Website: www.totalwellnessfamilyclinic.com
- Phone: 832-243-6104
- Email: Fnosworthy@totalwellnessfamilyclinic.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/totalwellnessfamilyclinic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/totalwellnessfamilyclinic
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/totalwellnessfamilyclinic
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