Today we’d like to introduce you to Atou Diarra.
Hi Atou, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a board-certified nurse practitioner. I am 39 years old and the mother of two beautiful boys, Logan (5) and Liam (18 months) currently living in Parkland, Florida. I was originally born and raised in Marseille, France, and moved to the United States when I was 18 years old. Upon arriving to the U.S I enrolled at Duquesne University School of Nursing in Pittsburgh, PA. After graduating, I moved to Silver Springs, Maryland where I worked as a registered nurse in the Emergency department for 4 years. I later relocated to South Florida in 2008 where I met my husband. I continued my journey as a registered nurse until I decided to further my education and enrolled in Barry University for my Master’s degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In 2021, after working in the field of Endocrinology for nine years, I decided to open my own practice, Preventive Health and Wellness Center, in Coral Springs, Florida.
So why did I decide to start my own practice?
After having my kids, my life’s priorities completely shifted. I knew that I needed to adjust my life to not only be satisfied with my career, but also have time to spend with my family.
As an employee working for multiple practices and hospitals, I always felt like something was missing. Throughout the years, I realized that “time” was the missing factor. I didn’t have enough time with my patients or enough time with my family.
While working for these medical companies I had no choice but to work within certain standards that I found to be less then optimal. Seeing patients in 15-to-20-minute intervals was expected of me. I always felt rushed. This was simply not enough time to treat all of the complex conditions my patients had and provide them with the care they needed and deserved.
This brought me to the realization that I was not satisfied with my career. This was not the way I wanted to practice medicine.
In the mist of all my internal struggles, my father was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He was going through irregular blood sugars, fatigue, and weight fluctuation due to being overly medicated. My mother grew very worried for his health and that is when I decided to take over his care. After months of education, treatment, and new habit formation his life was completely changed for the better. All his symptoms resolved, and he was finally in control of his disease. This was my epiphany! I knew I could help patients the same way I had helped my father. More importantly, I realized I wanted to prevent the disease from ever happening.
This is the reason why I opened my own practice called Preventive Health and Wellness Center so I could focus on not only preventing the disease, but also helping, guiding, and treating patients who already have been diagnosed with diabetes.
I created the Diabetes Reboot Program to help patients reclaim their health by helping them reverse habits and a multitude of other factors that contribute to a diagnosis of diabetes. The program addresses all the important elements affecting diabetes such as stress, nutrition, exercise, medications, and much more.
For more information visit: https://preventivehealth.kartra.com/
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It certainly has not been a smooth ride. Taking a leap of faith and jumping in entrepreneurship was very scary, and it still is. Being a provider is one thing, but being a business owner is a completely different animal. I really have been “learning by doing”. From finding the right office location to obtaining city permits, proper insurance, determining costs, branding and advertising, the list goes on. It is such an insane learning experience. Nothing can quite prepare you for this. I just truly believed in myself and what I could accomplish. I had a vision and it needed to be executed. Looking back, I can’t believe I was crazy enough to move into a new home, have my second child, and start a new business all in the same year.
Building a business has been, and continues to be, one of the most challenging yet rewarding adventures of my life. Being able to help and treat patients on my own terms and take a different approach to healthcare is truly satisfying and rewarding.
I am still learning how to juggle the many tasks and responsibilities of a new entrepreneur and spending time with my family. It can sometimes feel very difficult to find enough hours in the day to accomplish all the things that I need to do for my business and still dedicate valuable time to my family. At the end of the day, I always strive to be the best version of myself with my family and try to not to bring the stresses of work home with me.
As you know, we’re big fans of Preventive Health and Wellness Center. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Currently, I am the owner and CEO of Preventive Health and Wellness Center which is a healthcare clinic focusing mainly on treating patients with pre-diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and other endocrine-related disorders such as thyroid problems, polycystic ovary syndrome, testosterone deficiency, and much more. My goal is to prevent future illnesses, treat chronic conditions, and optimize patients’ overall health. I also provide wellness treatments such as Botox, IV vitamin hydration, and customized weight loss programs.
After working in the healthcare industry for 17 years, I have seen so many things that I have wanted to improve and do differently. One way my practice differentiates itself is by giving patients customized one-on-one care in a very relaxing “spa-like” environment. I aspire to provide each patient a unique healthcare experience to foster the feeling that healthcare is truly self-care while simultaneously cultivating a patient-provider relationship that supports their goals. I see each patient at their exact appointment time and provide them with an unrushed, thorough visit.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I have always been into science ever since I was a child. I still remember flipping through my older brother’s biology books and being fascinated by them. We used to run around with a plastic toy stethoscope while my brother pretended to be a doctor, and I pretended to be the nurse. Ironically, we both ended up in those exact careers. Taking care of people is what I have always been drawn to. Around the age of 14, I decided to shadow a home health nurse as part of a school project. I was amazed with how much of a difference she was making in patients’ lives. I had learned so much by shadowing this nurse that I returned home ready to apply what I knew. One of the first things I did was throw away all my father’s cigarettes for months until he decided to quit smoking. I would literally sit him down and lecture him about the risks of smoking, and I loved every minute of it. It took several months of convincing, but he eventually quit.
While growing up in France, I was fairly reserved except when it came to dancing. Dance was, and still is, one of my greatest passions. I could dance and perform anywhere, but I was timid and reserved when it came to speaking in front of people or a large crowd. Therefore, when I look back, I am surprised, but proud, that I was able to move to the U.S at the age of 18 and learn a completely new language. It truly was a sink or swim experience. I remember being extremely uncomfortable and having to go to each professor at the end of class to ask for clarification; And by clarification, I mean full explanation because I did not understand anything that had been said. With a lot of hard work and perseverance, I was still able to graduate from nursing school with my peers. This taught me that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to.
Pricing:
- We are offering FREE IV vitamin hydration with the purchase of the Diabetes Reboot Program or weight loss program. Mention promo code VOYAGEMIA when booking your appointment to qualify. Offer ends 09/30/2022
Contact Info:
- Website: https://preventivehealth.kartra.com/page/uZq1261
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preventivehealthwellness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preventivehealthandwellnesscenter
- Other: https://preventivehealthwc.com/
Image Credits
HAZEDELIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
