We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Latonya Hardy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

LATONYA, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

My desire to become a business owner in healthcare is multifactorial and built upon a desperation to address barriers in healthcare I witnessed while practicing in healthcare over the past 15 years. There have been several life challenges that delayed this journey to becoming a business owner, but I am always reminded of my childhood dream of wearing a “white jacket to work”. I was ignorant to what this dream meant. As a child growing up in a single parent home, education was not a priority. Since a college education did not come with a steady income, it was not considered an option in my family. As a senior in high school, I quickly realized that no one in my family went to college and a military career was encouraged. I chose to join the US Navy at the age of seventeen hoping to fulfill my dream of wearing a “white jacket to work” one day.
I served as an engineer in the United States Navy and not only did I gain a high maturity level and increased work ethic of 6 years, the military also allowed me to increase my awareness of various career paths such as nursing, medicine, computer science, special warfare, and logistic. I gained firsthand insight and on the job training in several different fields. The military provided quality healthcare and I was amazed by the diverse career choices in which I was exposed. Of course I naturally gravitated to the hospital setting and was often reminded of my desire to “wear a white jacket to work” someday.

Although I enjoyed working as an engineer, I knew that I had a heart for healthcare. I was eager to take the first step and began planning for a career in healthcare upon an honorable discharge from the United States Navy. I began my college education at the University of Memphis graduating with a degree in Biology. The University of Memphis broadened my horizons to the rigorous academic coursework required for careers in nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, and medicine. I found mentors in healthcare in both students and faculty members. My first post-graduate role was as a chemistry laboratory assistant directing undergraduate students with molecular and quantitative chemistry experiments. It was such a delight to work with undergraduate students and I enjoyed the work while in that role. However, my exposure to healthcare in the NAVY and my desire to wear a “white jacket to work “prompted me to continue to pursue my childhood dream.
I chose nursing at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The nursing curriculum was quite a challenge as a military wife and mother of two small children, but I had finally found a career path that brought great joy to my heart. My nursing career has changed my life. ICU, Hospice, Med -Surg, and Emergency Medicine are just some of the areas in which I spent my career as a bachelor’s prepared nurse. Of course, I wanted to further my education after experiencing the roles of a registered nurse in action. Quick decision-making, diligence, passion, and the ability to perform special procedures were all qualities I gained in clinical practice.

One of the most influential patient populations that continues to persuade my decision to open a Family Practice Clinic in Tennessee is the hematology and oncology patient population. My experience working with both pediatric and adult oncology patients at both St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and West Cancer Center in Memphis, TN opened my eyes to a world of medicine not limited by a patient’s income or insurance. A world where providers’ passion and utter desire to improve patient care and advance medicine prompts them to work countless hours in research and practice. My experience with this patient population taught me how imperative early detection of illnesses are to the prevention of hematology and oncology disorders. Early detection of cancers are important to successful treatment outcomes and reducing the risk of reoccurrence of malignancy. Oncology patients also highlighted some of the major barriers to early detection of cancers are related to the lack of access to preventative healthcare, the patient’s comfort in the clinical setting, and the patient’s lack of trust in the healthcare team. My goal was to cultivate my own practice into an environment that promotes relationship-building between the patient and healthcare provider. One of the goals in my practice is to decrease the negative stigma associated with provider office visits while promoting patient awareness to primary care and prevention of oncological disorders. Hardy House, Your Family Healthcare Provider, PLLC” focuses on primary care and wellness in the Shelby County Community since opening its doors in 2019.
In 2023 we also opened Hardy House Aesthetics which has given us the ability to add on weight loss services, IV hydration therapy, facial enhancements such as botox and fillers.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

This is a bio currently on our website:
Dr. Hardy is a veteran of the United States Navy and spent 6 years in the field of engineering. Dr. Hardy holds a degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Alabama, a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Memphis, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Memphis. She also holds a certification from the American Academy of Nursing Practice in Family Nursing Practice. Her nursing background includes work in the areas of emergency medicine, hospice, intensive care, and medical-surgical observation. As an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), she has worked for Whitehaven Pediatrics, Walgreens Take Care Clinic, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Department. Her work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital allowed her to gain expert skills and knowledge in performing specialty procedures that she was able to carry with her to the West Cancer Center. Dr. Hardy’s passion for providing quality care allowed her to lead a quality improvement research project to improve hematology and oncology care specifically in the chemotherapy infusion room.

Her community involvement at the West Cancer Center includes serving as the provider for the “Love Your Lungs” campaign. The “Love Your Lungs” campaign provides free lung screenings to residents in the Shelby County area with the aim to decrease the rate of mortality for lung cancer. She also participates in multiple health fairs to spread awareness of primary prevention and cancer screenings. Dr. Hardy is a member of the Tennessee Nursing Association, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society. She serves on the Safety Committee at the West Cancer Center and on other leadership committees throughout the community. She has achieved multiple awards and accolades such as the University of Memphis “Black Scholars” award and she was a recipient of the “Robert Wood Johnson Scholarship” and “Chancellor Scholarship” while at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Her most recent accomplishments include induction into the 2019 International Nurses Association and Innovation in Practice Award for the University of Alabama for her research. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Stacy Hardy and their three children, Johnathan, Mariah, and Jasmine. She also enjoys cooking, volunteer activities at her church, and traveling. Currently she is the founder of “

Hardy House, Your Family Healthcare Provider, PLLC” where she will focus on primary care and wellness in the community

Can you talk to us about how your funded your firm or practice?

I am proud to say that We currently have no business loans. My husband and I funded the start up cost with savings and our 401 K plans.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

“Word of Mouth” has been our most effective effective advertising strategy. We focus on building relationships with every patient that we encounter. Our clinic is built upon multi-generational families. We strive to make every patient who enters our doors comfortable while providing the best healthcare possible. Social media has enhanced our clientele also. We have participated in health fairs and other local community events that have increased our clinic’s awareness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hardyhousehealth.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hardyhousehealth