Today we’d like to introduce you to Keisha McKinsey.
Keisha, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I finished grad school three years ago, I quickly realized the market in DFW for Nurse Practitioners was saturated. After applying for several hundred jobs, leaving an unethical work environment and encountering several situations that were less than desirable–in patient care–I decided that I would not allow quotas or numbers to dictate how healthcare should be delivered. That is when I decided to start my own practice. McKinsey Health & Wellness was created with the uninsured patient, in mind. After seeing firsthand what delay in healthcare can do, I wanted to provide affordable healthcare to everyone. All uninsured patients pay a low monthly fee to be seen as needed. I wanted to provide patients with the best experience possible without the worries associated with lack of insurance coverage. I know that there is a need for primary care providers in the area. With the cost of healthcare and the changes in healthcare, I figured if people had better access to healthcare maybe they could be healthier and better off.
As a Family Nurse Practitioner, I can diagnose patients, managed acute/chronic care, prescribe medication, and provide treatment. It is not like your regular doctor’s office where you will be seen in five or 10 minutes or so. It is more personalized care and education for the patient, so they know what is really going on with them in the comfort of their own home, work, or place of business.
Although I tailored the practice with the uninsured in mind, I do accept insurance.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
NOT AT ALL! Whenever you are creating your own business or changing directions in your career, that is when life happens. You are learning as you go. There are tools to prepare yourself on how to start and maintain a practice but there isn’t a handbook on how to keep it together when life happens. Three months prior to launching my practice my Grandmother died and my Shih Tzu, Lady of 12 yrs died. After the loss of my grandmother, I felt I had to push forward for her. When I opened my solo practice I continued to work part-time in order to fund my practice. Building a clientele is a slow process that takes time. Being a business owner also means wearing MULTIPLE hats. I also learned that trusting others with your vision comes at a cost. In the beginning, I had to completely take over my marketing, website, and social media postings. No one is going to put as much effort in your vision than you. In the midst of trying to grow my practice, market, and build clientele the building that I was leasing was sold without my knowledge, which caused me to regroup and rebrand into a housecall practice. Keeping the faith has helped me thru this process but the next life event changed my world forever. On December 3, 2018, tragedy struck again and my Mother unexpectedly passed. At that point, I wanted to throw in the towel altogether. But I had to keep telling myself that when life goes bad, God is present in life’s contradictions.
My advice to other women who are starting their journey… DO NOT GIVE UP NO MATTER WHAT! And always remember that even if you are delayed with starting your business it does not mean you were denied.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with McKinsey Health & Wellness – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Keeping you healthy is my responsibility at McKinsey Health & Wellness. I am able to spend time with patients to create an individualized healthcare plan for them. I take my time to get to know each patient and their medical needs. What sets us apart is we bring healthcare to you! I travel to see patients within a 50-mile radius in the DFW area. Telemedicine visits are offered to patients as well, which allows you to stay in control of your health. At McKinsey Health & Wellness, we offer personalized housecalls to both insured and uninsured patients. We also offer health plans to small businesses for their employees.
McKinsey Health & Wellness, a Nurse Practitioner owned clinic serving the DFW and surrounding areas in Texas. Keisha, a Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner with over 15 years’ experience in the medical field, delivers specialized care to her patients in the comfort of their own home. Keisha received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grambling State University in Grambling, LA and her Master of Science in Nursing from the Maryville University of St. Louis Missouri. Keisha actively volunteers for the Susan G. Komen organization, the American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association.
I am grateful and thankful that throughout all of the trials and tribulations I had to go through, I did not lose my faith.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
I do feel there are opportunities for women, however, it is not on the same playing field as men. If a male nurse practitioner earns $121,000 per year (the average based on salary data from the AANP), then an equally educated and experienced female in the same field would make $15,730 less per year. Although most NPs are women, they are compensated 11% less than their male counterparts.
That is something that needs to be addressed.
Contact Info:
- Address: McKinsey Health & Wellness
791 N. Hwy 77, Suite 501C
Waxahachie, Tx 75165 - Website: https://mhwclinic.com/
- Phone: 469-297-6408
- Email: info@mhwclinic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckinseyhealth/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McKinseyHealth/
Image Credit:
Ryan Sherman Photography
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