We recently connected with Natasha Jones and have shared our conversation below.
Natasha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
HD Screening and Laboratory was established in 2021. We had humble beginnings by boot strapping our business as a healthcare professional during the pandemic. It started as an idea to maximize income outside the bedside by providing drug screening services to the supply chain industry. We spent the first year with setup to comply with federal regulations by taking in mentorship, establishing accounts, learning marketing and networking. As we progressed in this space we saw an opportunity to cater to this underserved industry outside mandatory screenings. Many of our supply chain professionals fall through the “cracks” because they don’t have regular exams and follow ups outside the mandate requirements. Therefore, leaving thousands of unqualified employees operating safety sensitive equipment with severe health conditions. We saw this posed a risk to not only the individual but to the community. As a result, we created a framework and rebranded as a comprehensive third party administrator to help facilitate the much needed services for this industry on a national basis to promote continuum of care. During this journey, we faced many challenges such as funding, corporate competition, lack of awareness and resistance to change. However, as we networked with the right people and created valuable partnerships, it began to become easier as we went along. If a young professional who is interested in the Occupational Health space, I would definitely find a mentor who is well versed in business and specific to the area you would like to start a business in. This will help cut down on your learning curve dramatically.
Natasha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a Registered Nurse practicing in the trauma, critical care and emergency medicine space. During the pandemic just like most healthcare professionals; the experience of burnout was real heavy and I was looking for a way out. One day I was on social media and came across an opportunity to start an occupational health clinic. Little did I know this side hustle was going to turn into something bigger. From opening our onsite clinic we are able to solve Employer problems of mitigating risks with their rapid onboarding requirements and helping them stay medically compliant with federal regulations. In addition, we help employees have access to quality care options on the road without risking gaps in care. We are one of the firsts to look at occupational health specifically in the supply chain from a macro/micro perspective and see the current issues associated with them as a critical public health issue; while providing a service to help combat it. Our proprietary framework, “Workforce Wellness & Compliance Initiative Program” was designed to help employers in this industry provide a comprehensive answer to this public health concern. I’m most proud of being able to help companies transform their rapid onboarding processes to help promote workforce development without judgement by building company policies that incorporate non punitive measures for current employees and opportunity to reapply if upon detection of substance misuse. Our mission is to aid in economic empowerment through our service s by partnering with organizations just as passionate as we are.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
What helped build my reputation in my market is being consistent in my messaging and willingness to talk about community health issues. Being a Registered Nurse, I saw correlation between serious healthcare issues which were directly correlated with their jobs. Pushing this information on social media was not popular and was met with resistance. Therefore, seeking professional and self care development was key in continuing in this space while my competitors changed to the B2C model selling courses; I was able to double down on the corporate, policy and reform to have a larger impact.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the lessons I had to learn that knowing a skill or having training does not mean you can operate a business. Occupational health services are skills Registered Nurses acquire but business management and development are two different things. Therefore, YouTube university will only get you so far. Seeking mentorship early is important and keeping mentorship throughout is key to success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hdscreeninglab.com/
- Instagram: @hdscreeninglab
- Facebook: HD Screening and Laboratory
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hdscreeningandlaboratory/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hdscreeningandlaboratory6362?si=N6kfzTNnSrU5D2M8
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hd-screening-and-laboratory-marietta?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
