FAITH

Dr. Richardson Answers the Call

During a stressful time for many health care workers and their patients, one dedicated nurse practitioner is serving as a change agent for local families

By Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

Dr. Nieasha Richardson

When the pandemic made in-person health care difficult for many to receive, the patients of DNP Nieasha Richardson, continued to have their health needs met in the safety and comfort of their home. Nieasha is a family nurse practitioner with a doctorate in Advanced Practice Nursing. She is passionate about proactive health care and tearing down the barriers that prevent patients from receiving critical care.

She launched Premier Healthcare Consultants because, she says, “I never planned on doing house calls, but I could see the difficulty that my church members and neighbors were having trouble getting to a doctor for preventative care. I realized that there was a huge opportunity here to help the underserved, to help those who are falling between the cracks.”

Transitioning from working for a company to owning a company was a big leap of faith for Nieasha. She shares, “It was very difficult because I’d never seen it. I didn’t know anyone who had their own practice. So, there was a huge learning curve for me. Not only was I stepping out in faith into this new nurse practitioner realm; I was stepping out in faith into this entrepreneurial realm.” Her innovation in developing a hospital-based house call program in Indianapolis is allowing her to also help other hospital systems learn how to do the same all over the United States.

Home-based health care benefits not only the patient but also their caregivers and extended family. One patient’s daughter affectionately refers to Nieasha as their “Earth Angel.” When asked how it feels to know that she is having that level of impact in the lives of these families, she replies, “It feels amazing. It is truly a blessing to be able to know that you’re doing what you were called to do.”

Despite her success and the positive changes that she has already made in the healthcare field, Nieasha has a few new projects on the horizon. “I was recently approached by a psychologist who said, ‘Dr. Richardson, I’m taking care of all of these patients with anxiety and depression, and we need somebody to provide medication management.’ The mental health community was not even on my radar, but there is a need and the feeling that God has brought this new opportunity to me. Without a shadow of a doubt, I know that I’m walking in whatever it is He would have for me to do. Is it easy? Absolutely not. I’ve gone back to school to get my certification to be a mental health nurse practitioner because the need is so great, and people are hurting. In order for me to care for them effectively, I’ve got to get that training. It is absolutely amazing to know that I’m in the space that I was created to be in.” Z

I realized that there was a huge opportunity here to help the underserved, to help those who are falling between the cracks.

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is a board-certified internal medicine physician and international wellness expert. She has been an adjunct faculty member at Baker College and Davenport University in Michigan, teaching courses on health, nutrition and disease progression. She is the author of numerous books and shares her expertise with audiences globally on the topics of mind-body-spirit wellness. Learn more about Dr. Dalton-Smith at IChooseMyBestLife.com.