Childress Nursing Services (CNS) works to deliver top-notch home health care. Their founder, Quiana Childress, recognized an absence of home care services in the field of fertility and maternity home care. With that in mind, Quiana decided to rise to the challenge and provide greater home care access for families as a private nursing company.
CNS’s mission is to empower and provide Complete Nurturing Solutions to women and their families from pre-conception to post-delivery. As a home health agency licensed by the state of Washington, they are a full-service home health agency. The services are primarily geared towards providing home injection services in the Greater Seattle, Washington metro area.
The company mascot, the CNS Stork, represents the age-old symbol of fertility, motherhood, strength, fidelity, and delivering prosperity. Consequently, their team of nurses are referred to as CNS Storks. They aim to deliver Complete Nurturing Solutions to the doorsteps of their clients. They ensure that all CNS Storks are not only licensed and credentialed, but also properly trained on delivering exceptional home health nursing care.
CNS was also a Celebrating Dreams 2020 Showcase business! Learn more about CNS and take a look at the interview below with Quiana Childress.
What inspired you to provide in home care and how did you get started?
“I have always loved health care and helping people through providing care services. I also wanted to start my own business and be in charge of how that service is delivered. My goal was to provide healthcare with a more personalized touch. This is why I really like the home healthcare arena, because you get a chance to be one-on-one with your clients and really touch lives.
This is different in most hospitals because typically it is one nurse that services several clients. Unfortunately, as a nurse in that arena, you don’t get a chance to make that type of personal connection.People are much more comfortable in their own homes and their own environment. You can be comfortable as a client and a nurse and that healthcare professional can provide the one-on-one care that they strive to provide. I entered into fertility medicine because I received a request for in-home fertility injections. I didn’t really know that was at the time or that there was a need for those types of services. My background was more hospital or medical facility oriented. The injection services for In Vitro fertilization for fertility treatments is generally over course of time. Towards the end of the treatment, my patient explained how everyone should have access to this service and know more about them. As a licensed health care professional with experience in administering these injections, my first thought was ‘how can I provide more service to meet this need?’
We then contacted different facilities and clinics in the area and told them ‘hey, we’re here to help!’ We made the connections and things began from there. These past years have been great and have actually been a lot of fun. Our nurses absolutely love their work and so do our clients. It Is rewarding work, especially when you have a client that has experienced challenges such as infertility. There are a lot of social pressures around that and just being there for your clients means so much.”
Small businesses have a positive impact on our neighborhoods. From job creation to providing a place for community, to being agents of social change. How does your business positively impact your community?
“Our traditional business model is to help grow families. We are helping couples and individuals achieve that and maintain a healthy pregnancy. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the way we currently make an impact in the community.
As of March 2020, fertility treatments weren’t seen as being essential. There has been uncertainty surrounding how the virus affects the fetus. Therefore, we were urged to discontinue that service. Fertility treatments covers 99% of our business and that vanished overnight. We decided to pivot to providing COVID-19 antibody testing and health screening to families and the greater Seattle area as well as to places of employment for their employees.”
What has being an entrepreneur taught you about yourself?
“It has taught me that I have more resilience and that I’m stronger than I thought. Being an entrepreneur has
really made me stretch beyond my comfort level. Sometimes you try to rely on past knowledge and basic know-hows. Entrepreneurship requires you to extend beyond that in so many different ways. It has definitely helped me become more resilient more resourceful.
I am not only responsible for myself and my household, but I’m also responsible for our nurses. As a business owner, I really want to provide my employees with the opportunity to make a true living to support their families.”
What is your connection with Business Impact NW?
“One of my friends was also an entrepreneur and we were talking about my aspirations of starting a business and she suggested that I connect with Business Impact NW. She told me that they provide business coaching and classes for entrepreneurs. I did some research and decided to sign up for the individual coaching and also attend classes for startups. I’ve been hooked ever since. I always get really great information. I have learned how to keep your business going and they have assisted me with navigating through my pivoting stage.
The coaching has been absolutely amazing. They introduced me to the different financing options available, including federal government and SBA disaster loans.”
What are the next steps for your business and services and how do you manage your outreach and connect with community?
“The next step is reaching as many people as possible. The big focus is on businesses because now we’re really talking about re-opening the economy and we need to make sure we do that safely. We are focusing on their occupational health or corporate wellness programs to make sure their employees have access and more knowledge about their health status and to provide more testing.
LinkedIn is a major network for me. In the absence of connecting in person, LinkedIn allows me to let multiple networks and individuals know ‘hey, we’re here to help.”
Part of Business Impact NW’s mission is to provide services to minority groups and the under-served, particularly women, people of color, veterans, refugees and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Do you identify as a member of any of these communities? Do you identify as a business supporting one of these communities through hiring services or other opportunities?
“Yes, I am an African and African American female business owner and we are certified as an economically disadvantaged women owned small business. As a part of the women-owned business community in Seattle, we help and support each other regardless of race, nationality, sexual preference or economic status.
Certain groups have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and I want to support them all. For example, brown and black people have had less access to COVID-19 testing. To that end, we have partnered with nonprofits and homeless shelters to help bridge the gap and provide testing to those who don’t have access. This work is important to me, because at the end of the day, I just want to help people who need it the most.”
Visit Childress Nursing Services’ website: https://www.childressnursing.com/
About the author
Ashley Minter
Ashley Minter is a contract Communications Officer at Business Impact NW. Ashley is a public relations and communications professional and has worked for numerous organizations in Georgia including the City of South Fulton, City of Union City, Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, and Fulton County. Ashley is also CEO of Ashley Nicole Communications, a boutique public relations firm in Atlanta.