Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandy Van Heyde.
Hi Brandy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began my nursing career after spending 4 years in the US Air Force. I have been a nurse for over 20 years, including 9 years as a Nurse Practitioner. In my local community, there is a great need for accessible, quality, and affordable healthcare. We have a large uninsured and underinsured population that does not qualify for many sliding scale programs or free healthcare. My husband and I decided that we could provide a much-needed service in our community by offering primary care and walk-in medical care at an affordable price without sacrificing the quality of care.
In 2017, we opened Palmetto Express Clinic in the Grand Strand area. Our office visits are affordable at $50, and we offer other easy to access affordable services onsite; such as labs, point of care tests, minor procedures, joint injections, IV hydration, and more. Many of the patients we have to take care of do not have other options and had chronic or acute conditions that were going untreated.
Now, these patients have a place to come and have their healthcare needs met. We have worked to establish a network in our local community of places where our patients can get outside services, such as ultrasound, x-rays, and MRIs at affordable prices. Our clinic has grown and we now have two full-time Nurse Practitioners and one part-time NP.
At the beginning of 2021, we opened BraVa MedSpa and began offering med spa services, such as Botox, dermal fillers, PDO thread lifts, and laser services. Many of our patients travel 45 minutes to an hour or more. We are excited to continue to grow and hope to open a second clinic location in the next few years to make our services more accessible throughout the area.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Opening a business is always a struggle, no matter how prepared you are. I spent five years researching and planning to open the clinic, but there were still aspects of opening a business in healthcare that I had to learn along the way. Since there are no clinics like Palmetto Express Clinic in our area, there was no road map for me to use to figure things out.
We’ve been impressed with Palmetto Express Clinic, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Palmetto Express Clinic is a nurse practitioner-owned and operated medical clinic. We do not bill any insurance and all of our services are self-pay allowing us to keep our costs affordable. Our office visits are $50 and we offer many other services for the management of acute and chronic healthcare needs that are accessible and affordable.
We are a locally owned, family-owned, and veteran-owned business. We are proud to be able to fill a need in our community that was previously unmet. When you come to Palmetto Express Clinic, you might see my mother managing the front office, my son might escort you to the exam room, and my husband may answer your questions on the phone.
You get to know us, and we get to know you. We take care of you as if you were part of our family, and we are grateful to our patients who trust us with their healthcare needs. We have been recognized as Best of the Beach.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Opening the clinic was a huge risk both professionally, personally, and financially. I am definitely a risk-taker. I think it takes stepping out of your comfort zone to really see your full potential. Risk is necessary for success!
Pricing:
- Office visits $50
- Child and Adolescent Sports Physicals $20
- Rapid Anitgen COVID testing $75
- Rapid PCR COVID testing (available soon) $150
Contact Info:
- Email: palmettoexpressclinic@gmail.com
- Website: palmettoexpressclinic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palmettoexpressclinic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PalmettoExpressClinic
