Seattle Nurse Practitioner Grace Grymes Chapman: I want to provide quality service, not quantity service
Grace Grymes Chapman will be hosting the first Biznik event in 2007 - a speed networking night on Tuesday, January 2. Grace is a nurse practitioner who sees patients of all ages, both with and without insurance, and offers a hugely reduced fee to patients without insurance, not because she has to, but because she wants to. Let’s find out why…
Q: You just opened the West Seattle Community Clinic last August. Can you tell me how you came to start that business?
I have worked in healthcare for sometime and after I received my Masters in Nursing I worked for a few places as a provider. I knew I wanted to open my own clinic but didn’t think it would happen so soon. I just got tired of the politics and B.S. that came from the organizations and managers. I want to practice my own way without being told how many patients I need to see or how long I can spend with patients. I want to provide quality service, not quantity service.
Q: What makes a community clinic different from, say, a doctor’s office?
They are both pretty much the same except one is private and one is for public health. A community clinic offers service to the disadvantaged and gets government funding for the services they provide. My clinic is not a “community clinic” on that level. I wanted the community to know we are there for anyone. No one is excluded, insured or non insured.
Q: That’s awesome, but how can you afford to stay in business if you accept patients without insurance?
It is not easy, but I am not in it to be rich, I do it because I love what I do and I also have been in the same place as some of my patients. They pay cash for their services at a steep discount from most clinics. I give cash-paying, non-insured patients a 50 percent discount on office visits, that does not include lab fees. I dont know of any other clinics that offer that, even public health and community clinics are stopping their sliding scale fees due to financial woes. Because I see patients w/o insurance means I have to step up the marketing for the clinic and referrals I receive so that I can balance my patient panel with insured and non insured. Hopefully it will all work out in the end.
Q: Are there any unique challenges that you’re facing with your business right now that you’d like help with?
I would really like to have a gazillion referrals and low cost/free effective marketing. My first month in business I spent my budget on advertising with little results. I talked with Dominic Canterbury a couple of Fridays ago and because of his advice and our brainstorming, I am hosting a children’s health fair in March and have partnered with the King County Health Department to help me put it all together.
Q: You’re hosting a speed networking event on Jan. 2. What can members who attend expect to experience at your event?
I hope they find it fun and informative while they meet new people. I attended my first event last week and it was fun and relaxing and I met some very nice people while I was there.
Q: How’d you hear about Biznik?
I was told about it by one of the massage therapists, Michael Mandell, in my building. I think he found it by searching the internet or by one the members. But after I joined and told him about the events I persuaded him to join, he even attended the event with me last week at Kallaloos. I think the members I have met have been very supportive and seem to be genuine. I also like the way Biznik is willing to help new businesses w/o charging you dollars for listening to the same old B.S. from one or two successful people who aren’t really trying help you get were they are.
Grace’s website is www.westseattlecommunityclinic.com.