Today we’d like to introduce you to Casey Edwards.
Hi Casey, 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 can’t recall exactly when I realized that nursing was my calling. God gave me a servant’s heart to be sure and he infused me with compassion for others. When I was a child, I remember caring for wounded and sick animals. Our Siamese cat, 99, would knock baby birds out of trees and I made it a point to be a vigilant guard at our house but in the event a fallen bird needed care, I would dutifully feed them with a water dropper until such a time as they were ready to return to nature or cross the Rainbow Bridge. I did all the other nurse things- pretended my brothers and sister were sick so I could nurse them. It seemed to be something inside me that led me to nursing.
As a fickle college kid, I flip flopped a bit at times as I also loved English literature and writing. So, when I wasn’t studying Hawthorne or Dickens, I was writing a few stanzas or paragraphs of my own. It was not until a very close friend of mine was seriously injured in an auto accident and later admitted to the ICU, that I committed to the field of nursing. While my friend was in ICU, I recognized just how cool and invaluable nurses are. From that moment on, I knew for certain that nursing is my calling.
Fast forward, after working as a floor nurse in a local emergency room, my attention turned to the outpatient setting. I became increasingly interested in family medicine and what happened after patients left the hospital. I studied at University of North Florida and upon graduation, I devoted myself entirely to family medicine which I practiced for a number of years.
It was not until the COVID pandemic that I truly felt led to open my own small clinic. Those were challenging times. People could not get into see their providers as a lot of practices took a hiatus. and understandably so. People were terrified and lost- some were grieving grandchildren they had never seen, lost loved ones and worse. It was incredibly heart breaking but if I had to give care in the parking lot or in someone’s home, that is what I did.
Following this period, I became increasingly concerned about the state of healthcare and the implications of 15 minute appointments for patients- feeling rushed to attempt to provide good care and then feeling like I let patient’s down when so many things were left unaddressed after a quick appointment. To make matters worse, I was tired of spending time checking protocols and not focusing on what I was called to do- love people. So, after much prayer and a great deal of faith, God opened doors for me and my husband to start Casey At The Well, where I am blessed to spend 30 minutes to one hour with patients per appointment, truly listen and hear patients and fully practice holistic and practical health care. I truly feel that being able to meet people right where they are and whatever point they are is a blessing to all parties.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It takes tremendous faith to act of big dreams. Obviously, going from being a woman who is guaranteed a paycheck every 2 weeks to a woman fully relying on God to provide takes a great deal of faith. Any business owner can testify to the financial struggles. Undoubtedly, there were some naysayers and doubters. I had people tell me that I think I am a doctor. Most assuredly, I know that I am a nurse and happy to be a nurse. I am a solo provider and as such, I have had to locate other sources and other solo providers to tap into when questioning a diagnosis or making a decision regarding patient care. Initially this was challenging, but going out alone has forced me to network in a different way. Also, as I am studying functional medicine and integrating contemporary medicine and functional medicine, it is a learning curve. However, I am fully confident that God will finish the work he started.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I provide Primary Care Plus- meaning I integrate functional medicine and conventional medicine to provide holistic care. What truly separates me from other providers is the time spent to care for a patient- no rush. I provide point of care service. We have a simple structure- $75 appointments and no surprise fees. Patients will not get a follow up bill from their appointments. There is no insurance deductible here as we do not run insurance. Insurance does cover the cost of prescriptions, labs, imaging or other services. We simply take insurance out of the office visit equation so that time is spent listening to patients and developing a plan of care and not being sure all the boxes are checked for insurance companies.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
The oldest of 4 kids, the majority of my growing up was in Orange Park, Florida- back when Kingsley was 2 lanes. My best friend and I spent out time in the woods playing in a glass pile which we now know were the cockpits of military plane. Exploring and observing nature were my favorite activities. I typically had my nose in a book or was writing short stories and poems with my mother. My mother was my best friend and companion. As my mother was an elementary school teacher, I spent a lot of time at her school tutoring younger students, helping check homework or kicked back at teacher’s meeting.
Pricing:
- $75/ appointment
Contact Info:
- Website: https://caseyatthewell.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578716434158
