On April 13th, we had the honor of opening our brick and mortar location in our local community, Oxford. Our local chamber of commerce has been nothing short of supporting our new venture and helping us promote what we hope will become a staple for our community.
Being new to the business owning side of things, this was a large undertaking filled with a number of unknowns. Late February while spending one morning downtown, my husband, Andy saw a sign that said office space for lease in a window. Over the next few days and week he worked with the owners to come to an agreement for the entire lower floor of the building.
Old reception space --> old large exam/procedure room --> hallway on the wellness side looking into the lab/my office --> one corner of the old IV/wellness room
We were able to make some of the spaces multi-purpose with the ingenuity of Andy and my dad who lives in Durham. We added new flooring to our wellness side of the clinic (from a very old, challenging blue carpet to a beautiful wood, waterproof flooring option). This change although an investment, really added the charm that side of our clinic needed. A new sink, cabinets, and counter top created the lab area which was added to one of the existing rooms--making it multi-purpose as my office/the consult room and the lab area in one. Furniture was chosen including some recliners that offer not only a heat option, but also full body massaging. We felt like the added bonus these features offered was perfect for promoting a relaxing environment that promotes healing and health. Some pain and a fair amount of clean-up were done to bring the full vision (thanks to some Pinterest inspiration) to life.
The hydration/wellness room from one side to the other --> Frontal view of our wellness room --> The lab from my desk view--> My office area from the lab view
On the "urgent care"/"clinical" side of the clinic, doors were put up in place of the bi-fold doors that were in their place. This also meant we needed to retro-fit the doorways to add sealed openings offering privacy for each of our patients being seen on that side of the clinic. The largest room on that side was set aside for a reception area--my father graciously took my vision (and Pinterest photos) and created a functional, beautiful reception desk that will be with our business for years to come. One of the exam rooms was larger, so that was multi-purposed into a procedure room for I&Ds, sutures, and other necessary procedures.
Initial view of the waiting room from the entrance door --> the waiting room view from behind the reception desk --> smaller exam room --> larger exam room/procedure room
Our furniture was sourced from various locations--helping the vision of welcoming function come to life. As opening a clinic was becoming more a reality in my mind, of course lots of ideas came and went. I knew I wanted furniture that was welcoming and comfortable and created a different feeling than the traditional medical clinic. Nothing was set in stone....except not wanting the "typical". I also wanted to be mindful that as a wellness clinic offering weight management services, I had furniture that accommodated patients without them having to worry about it being appropriate or able to hold them. Finding furniture that fit the asethetic and also checked the purposes that were needed took a large amount of research as well as some trial and error in ordering. There were a few hiccups along the way ...including receiving two dog strollers in place of two exam tables we had ordered at one point.
The dog stroller that was meant to be our exam tables for the urgent care side of the clinic
In addition to the physical build out and supplying of the clinic, one of the most important aspects of growing the practice was hiring some incredible staff. I believe that in order to provide our community (both near and far) with the best possible care and experience, I needed top of the line staff who also believed in the vision I had for the practice. Joining a start up is a lot of risk for not only the owner, but also the people who support that owner. When I asked my financial director (and let's be honest, she wears many hats including having to manage me as I can squirrel at times....), why she agreed to come with me and be a part of our growth, the first thing she stated was that it was because she believed in not only the mission we have at Hygenerate (to make quality compassionate care accessible and affordable to everyone), but also IN ME. Hearing that of course is wonderful, but also engrains that she is the RIGHT person to have forward facing our incredible patients. I have been incredibly blessed with knowing Nikki. We initially met by her daughter and my youngest son began in the K2/K3 class at their school. Since that time, we have grown closer and gotten to know one another better. Beau and McKenna have been two peas in a pod since they met almost 3 years ago. Having someone who is truly an amazing person at her core, loves my children like her own, is a joy to be around no matter the reason or environment, and who wholeheartedly believes in the mission of this new venture is more than I could have imagined. I cannot wait for more of our patients to get the pleasure of knowing her more as well!
This is Nikki!
We are really looking forward to serving our community for all of their wellness needs. The website has been updated with the service lines that are primarily offered from our clinic. We will continue to update as more are added. We welcome new and existing patients to utilize any and all of our offerings. We currently have some specials that will run until April 20th.
I encourage anyone who doesn't see a time for an appointment available that works for their needs or schedule to not hesitate to reach out so that we may work to accommodate your needs. You can do so by texting or calling our business line at 919-339-1641, emailing Nikki at Nikki@hygeneratellc.com, or clicking the button on our website.