Why a Georgia Provider Started Her Own House Call Practice

Date: 7|3|2024

Dr. Nancy HurlockDr. Nancy Hurlock, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, and owner of Statesboro, Georgia-based Beyond Health Group, knows the importance of providing quality, patient-centered care for homebound or home-limited patients firsthand.

“As a home-based primary care provider, I see the positive impact of home care on my community every day,” she said. “There are so many older adults, homebound and those challenged with leaving their home, that would not have access to healthcare, medical equipment, medications, and so many other services without primary care at home. My hope is that we continue to expand these options.”

Dr. Hurlock recently spoke with Blair Findlay, HCCI’s Development Associate, about her hopes for home-based primary care in the future.

Findlay: When were you first exposed to home-based primary care?

Dr. Hurlock: “I started working with the geriatric population in 2003, and I immediately fell in love. It’s been my passion for a very long time. I did not have any exposure to home-based primary care until I had a mentor who was doing this work in another part of Georgia, and they exposed me to home-based primary care as an option for patients.

There was no other person in my area doing it except for my mentor. I’ve now been a nurse practitioner for six years. I also did not receive any education specifically for home-based primary care, and since entering academia at Georgia Southern University, I encourage incorporating home-based primary care education into what we teach.”

Findlay: What encouraged you to start your own practice, Beyond Health Group?

Dr. Hurlock: “Everything I’ve done in my work so far is because of my exposure to the good, the bad, and the ugly of home care. I had a constant frustration of seeing older adults and homebound individuals having limited resources. I was thinking, “Why aren’t they sending providers to the home?” There’s a difference between seeing someone in a brick-and-mortar and seeing someone in their home. Beyond Health Group was born from all of this and knowing my patients needed a different option, and in my area, there was no one else doing it.”

Findlay: What is your hope for home-based primary care in the future?

Dr. Hurlock: “That everyone does it! For me, I still find myself having to explain what home-based primary care is. I still must assure people it is a viable option and very cost-effective. Nothing is lost. You’re not losing quality, and you’re not losing skill sets. All of it is supported in the home setting. Particularly for older adults, when you consider all the possible challenges they have in leaving their home, why not save that energy for something fun?

I would certainly encourage other providers to recognize the value of extending their practices to offer home-based primary care. So, when their patients move through the spectrum of life and become homebound, the practice can continue to manage them and switch gears to offer primary care at home.”

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