Today we’d like to introduce you to Saundra Lauer.
Hi Saundra, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started my career as a Family Nurse Practitioner in a rural healthcare setting doing full spectrum family practice, emergency room, and in-patient hospitalization. It was a fantastic experience, but I quickly noticed what felt like a conflict of consciousness, especially in the family practice setting. Patients weren’t having access to me as their Provider, care was fragmented, and care was often driven by the patient’s financial abilities or whether or not they could afford primary care. With that being said, I started a personal search on how we could better deliver high-quality healthcare PLUS cost-effectiveness for both parties and ultimately bring primary back to prevention. This fear of billing was driving patients only to come in AFTER disease processes had progressed, and we know in healthcare that means worse outcomes. In my search, I was introduced to Direct Primary Care. This is not a new model; DPC has been making a comeback for the last 30 years. DPC is described as “the new ‘old’ way of medicine, ” resulting in more intimate care between patients and their Providers, a smaller work environment, and an affordable monthly membership billing approach. What instantly appealed to me is that members would have access to Providers and nursing staff as often as needed and still only pay the flat monthly fee. WELL & Company, my practice, was then born based on providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare in primary care and urgent care setting. Our community of Alexandria and beyond has been so responsive to this business model, and we currently provide care to individuals, their families, local businesses, and their employees.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a smooth road?
Yes and no; once I honed in on this being the model of care I wanted to provide my community and patients, the benefits of the vision always outweighed the struggles. I was knocked down circumstantially several times, but I think when you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing in a life sense. You find a way to get scrappy and make it to your destination, even if it’s taking a different route than originally intended.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about WELL & Company?
What we do: WELL & Company was founded on providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare. We are a Direct Primary Care clinic, meaning we do not accept insurance but rather offer a monthly membership fee to our patients. We find that this allows for a greater emphasis on primary care and preventive services by putting patients back in control of their care with the assistance of a Provider who can get to know them. Healthcare doesn’t have to be complicated and expensive. At WELL & Company, we also have a medical spa, offering advanced modalities for skin concerns through laser, peels, and injectables. Our team of skin care specialists, estheticians, and nurse injectors are continually pursuing their education to provide the latest technologies and techniques in the esthetics world.
What sets us apart: I like the saying, “once you’ve seen one DPC, you’ve seen one DPC.” Each DPC has a different look, a different niche, and a different feel, most operating under the same vision of highly accessible and affordable care. Our goal at WELL was to take this vision to the next level and make it feel even more comfortable for our patients. With this healthcare model, we can greatly customize the experience for our patients. Women drive 80% of healthcare, so originally, we focused on the clinic being primarily for women’s health (which has since evolved). Still, that put us at a great advantage from the beginning as we planned the space to aesthetically appeal to women and have a warm, inviting feel. And as it turns out, everyone we welcome into WELL, men or women, appreciates that palpable and inviting feeling.
Pricing:
- Individual monthly membership: $80
- Couple monthly membership: $150
- Family membership: not to exceed $250/month
- Microderm Facial: $110
- Dysport/Botox: $4/12 unit
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wellandcoalex.com
- Instagram: wellandcompany_theclinic AND wellandcompany_themedspa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellandcompanyalex
Image Credits
Sabrina Benning Co. & Maggie Wood Photography
