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    1. Healing Tribe
    2. Introduction
    3. Sue Walkley
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    Susan Walkley
    Jul 19, 2018
      ·  Edited: Jul 19, 2018

    Sue Walkley

    NAME: Sue Walkley

    ADDRESS: 3740 Lake Powhatan, Williamsburg, VA 23188 PHONE: 757-903-7551 EMAIL: susanwalkley@gmail.com WEBSITE: www.susanwalkley.com

    1) What inspired you to become a healer? This is almost a little hard for me to answer as I have never used the word healer to describe myself while I love the ideas of healers and feel I have met some. There are many experiences that inspired me on this path, including some lovely practitioners as a teenager, studying health and psychology in college, first job (my "dream job" at the time) as a "counselor" with schizophrenics in a small residential facility, becoming a massage therapist at age 22, going back to graduate school to study medical anthropology but instead of something more exotic wrote a dissertation on treating low back pain in Manhattan, teaching anatomy, anthropology and massage for many years and then turning around to go back to school to become a nurse practitioner instead of going into academics. I am inspired by the many patients who have touched me and trusted me over the years.

    2) Describe your dream clinic/practice/workspace/job: In some ways, I already have my dream office space. It is an office in a fun, creative coworking building. I have ocean pictures on all four walls, a massage table with a soft white blanket, two comfy chairs and a wooden cabinet. Outside the window is a garden bed where you can see black eyed susans and echinacea going nuts right now. Most people comment on how peaceful it is. I have had this office since last September and have only done massage in it. A month ago Virginia became the 26th state to allow nurse practitioners to practice without a supervising physician so I am contemplating opening my dream private practice either this fall or next year. While I had local physicians that might have signed off on me before, I couldn't face the idea of them being called in a lawsuit for a patient they never saw, I am a little too integrative for most and also I would have had to pay their professional liability so I never considered going forward before. My idea for a dream practice keeps evolving. I have worked over 7 years as a NP, mainly in urgent care and orthopedics. I have been studying herbal medicine for 4 years and functional medicine for the last 2. I have a (hidden) webpage on my site where I have been exploring how offering different services might look to the public. I find this exercise very helpful. I am currently landing on offering some simple urgent care services, intergrative and herbal consultations for chronic issues, musculoskeletal appointments and continuing to do massage. I am beyond frustrated by our current health insurance system and am passionate about offering transparent pricing and helping the many working and middle class patients I've met who rarely sought healthcare due to no insurance, high deductibles and anger over past outrageous bills after the fact. My last day at a very toxic urgent care (corporate takeover from a previously nice urgent care) was last Thursday (first day of this course!) and I am currently starting a 6 week sabbatical, just doing massage. I was almost paralyzed there by the end there when I became aware self pay pts had been charged $290 for a wet prep and $493 for a CBC, Vitamin D and cholesterol panel. In September I will start part time at a local clinic for uninsured/low income patients that seems lovely, as well as teaching Medicine and Culture as an adjunct and lining up some PRN urgent care jobs. This would be the perfect time to launch my small scale little clinic... I have concerns about offering such an unusual hybrid practice in my not very progressive area, imagining some physician backlash (I am acutely aware of some negative opionions on independent NPs and know this forum is mostly physicians and am very clear about my scope of practice and level of education) and also because I also would ideally get like to get back to my old medical group (before the urgent care corporate takeover) part time for at least 832 hours in one calendar year within the next 5 years to get a pension. I'm almost worried they won't take me back if they see me doing something on own. But then I think a lot of specialists/surgeons I know wouldn't care at all! I've always patched together part time jobs as an adult and in some ways just doing that now feels good and back to my roots. I'll stop here on this question. 4) What book are you most excited about and why? I started Your Money or Your Life as an audiobook and it has already really inspired me to look at money differently. Wow. I have to say I have been on a trip to North Carolina since last week so have the books waiting at home for me, so am not up to speed on the other ones yet. They all look great! Also, I apologize in advance if I have any technical computer difficulties tonight as the internet is not great here. But I will try!

    5) What are you hoping to take away from this course? Inspiration to open myself again to the broadest ideas of healing after a soul crushing work experience. Courage for moving forward with an eclectic practice. Rediscovering magic in medicine. And understanding at least how to reasonably explain dosages of CBD oils for patients to try on their own!

    5 comments
    lamblattner
    Jul 21, 2018

    OMG!!! Virginia turned green!!! Yay! Wow, this is really exciting. Holy cow, when the stars align. You are going to have an absolutely beautiful practice and Virginia is so lucky to have you. I can't wait to come and visit!! :D

    Susan Walkley
    Jul 23, 2018

    Thanks LeeAnn! It is so great to reconnect with you here. It sounds like you are on your way to an amazing practice too. I'm fascinated to see where this class will lead us. :)

    Dr. Kayla
    Aug 1, 2018

    Oh my goddess SUE you have a PHD???? Change your name to Dr. Sue!

    Good Grief!!!!!


    https://susanwalkley.com/about/


    $300/hr consultation fee, immediately. Please. Just add it to the website and open the door. You are BEYOND READY. You have skills to SHARE immediately! With patients AND with young, budding healers. WOW!


    CBD: Great tool, we will talk about it for sure.

    Here is the line I use if you want to order some to try: https://greenearthmedicinals.com/

    The dosage on the bottle is by a board certified internist with TONS of experience. Dr. Le.


    I bow to you literally, can't wait to keep talking!!

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    Susan Walkley
    Aug 2, 2018

    Thanks Kayla. I just saw your response and will look at that website. No, I will never use Dr! LOL I think it is too confusing since I am a NP and I would never use it as an adjunct professor either.


    I'm going to answer the new question:

    6) What (was) or (is) the launch date of your clinic? If your clinic is already open, what is the launch date of your "next release" or your "next project"?

    My massage office has been open a year and I could work out of it as a clinic. I keep wavering on the next step. I had been putting it off until maybe Spring 2019 as I watched to see how a couple things worked out this fall but since an old employer is offering me some PRN hours (great money, easy work) if I just get my own personal professional liability policy I might start offering some nurse practitioner services this fall...


    But then my list of what I need to do suddenly grows to what forms are you legally required to have a patient sign (HIPPA? waivers of some kind?) and where do you find this information, talk to lawyer about how my scope of practice as NP (which I am trying to get from Board of Nursing) must say something like "can provide education on medications, nutrition, supplements" but is that enough to cover "herbalism" legally? and then needing to incorporate (LLC vs. PC) to have more liability firewall... Then I get a little overwhelmed. :(

    Dr. Kayla
    Aug 16, 2018

    Don't let any of those things stop you Susan!!


    What is it that you MOST want to do?

    educate? hands on? prescribe? deliver babies? teach? meditate? cook? retreat? the sky is the limit!


    Figure that out FIRST, then figure out what license you need.


    Operate under don't ask, don't tell. These are MINOR things in the grand scheme of our government and society now. Your application will slip through no problem. This is a low liability practice, malpractice is truly optional.


    If you are feeling overwhelmed, get back to the basics because at this point EVERY DAY should be bringing you JOY! You are ready!

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