9 January 2013
The last year has been transformative for The Well. After winning Propeller and Tulane University’s PitchNOLA competition in October of 2011, and then becoming Propeller Accelerator Fellows this past spring, we have devoted ourselves to realizing our vision for a trans-disciplinary clinic in New Orleans.
Over the past seven months in the Propeller Social Venture Accelerator, The Well’s team—Dr. Arwen Podesta, Sarah Mason, R.N., and Sarah Galos—has been working with our Propeller Consultant, John Laurie, to write a proof of concept and business plan. We are now in the final stages of this process and feel confident it will help us attract investors in the coming months.
Who is The Well?
We believe there exists a disconnect between mental and physical healthcare in our local and national healthcare system. The Well’s mission is to amend this systemic deficiency by bringing providers of different specialties under one roof to offer complete treatment for patients.
The spatial design of The Well’s facility is essential to achieving our vision for healthcare. Meetings with local renowned architects and developers have helped us to envision and plan for a thoughtfully constructed, beautiful clinic space. We are now finalizing The Well’s location and design.
Defining our Short and Long Term Goals
The construction of The Well’s facility is a long-term project. In the meantime, our team of three is beginning to practice in collaboration. Dr. Arwen Podesta’s private practice is expanding and will be partnering with the private practices of The Well’s future acupuncturist, massage therapist, and social workers. Podesta Psychiatry is also preparing to hire Sarah Mason, APRN to offer primary care to her clients. We will all be working together in a leased space until The Well clinic site is constructed and ready for business. We anticipate seeing patients at this location beginning in Spring 2013.
In addition to expanding our practices, we continue to advance our academic careers to keep our knowledge on the forefront of healthcare.
Dr. Podesta attended the 13th Annual Science and Clinical Application of Integrative Holistic Medicine Conference and is preparing to become certified by the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine.
Sarah Mason has been widening her scope of practice by studying under an OB/GYN so that The Well can offer high quality women’s healthcare among their services.
Sarah Galos continues to research the implications of the Affordable Care Act, so that The Well can reach a wide variety of patients while maintaining our practice of not directly accepting insurance.
The coming months will be an exciting time for the entire team at The Well. We are thrilled with the progress of our architectural planning for the eventual clinic space. We are also eager to begin offering truly collaborative services to clients in a single location during the spring of 2013.
Ventures mentioned in this post
