Mompreneurism: Jennifer Harader, MD and Holly Cobb, NP
Photos by: John Burns
Holly Cobb, NP, worked as a bedside nurse for several years while raising a family and studying to become a nurse practitioner. During graduate classes at Washburn University, Cobb became captivated by a direct care model and completed her capstone project on the topic.
“I was good at my job and had lots of ideas, but it’s easy to get beat down in a bureaucratic system,” said Cobb. “I got to a point where I felt stagnant and believed I was ready to pursue a direct care solution.”
She approached her neighbor, Jennifer Harader, MD, with the concept. Harader, a mother of two small children at the time, was receptive but needed time to consider.
“I was working very hard to advance my career and choosing family time where I could while trying to meet lots of expectations as part of a large system,” Harader said. “I needed a different way to practice medicine and that backyard conversation between neighbors is how mompreneurs get it done.”
“When Jenn came back a couple of months later and said let’s do it, I had just accepted a new position that I was reluctant to back out on,” said Cobb. “We each ponied up a fair amount of change and decided that she would get her patient panel put together first and six months later I would follow suit.”
Patients of Oasis Family Medicine Associates LLC pay a monthly membership fee not covered by insurance, which provides them access to primary and urgent care 24/7.
Across two locations, Oasis employs three nurse practitioners and four nurses, all of whom are moms too. Oasis provides health care for Advisors Excel employees and more than 25 small businesses in the capital city.
“We listen to our patients’ concerns and discover cues that can help us diagnose what they need,” said Cobb. “If they need a scan or procedure that their insurance won’t pay for, we can still accommodate that service through our cash-pay model and not jump through insurance hoops.” Harader, a family medicine physician, appreciates the freedom to treat patients without administrative constraints and the flexibility to participate more fully in family activities and school events like holiday parties and field days.
“In my previous practice, my schedule was full far in advance, so if I wanted to attend a school program I couldn’t because it would require rescheduling patients six to nine months later,” she said. “Now if something comes up that I want to participate in with my kids, I can ask my patients if I can move their appointments to a different time that same day or week. They understand that we are more than health care professionals.”
Harader has also discovered that although she and Cobb continue to work hard and put in long days, the arrangement allows her to not only say yes to more opportunities with her kids but also to research best practices for primary care.
“I can take on a school project or help with other activities because I have energy now where once I was just exhausted,” she said. “Holly and I can also spend more time researching options for patients and learning about new procedures.”
Cobb had two children in college and one in high school when Oasis opened in 2015. In the early years, Cobb’s daughter did data entry work, and her son broke down boxes and hauled items away.
“My kids understood that this was a big deal for me and asked a lot of business-oriented questions when I first shared the plan,” said Cobb. “Some people, including my husband, thought we were crazy, but now my husband, Alan, talks about the business all the time, and Jenn’s husband, Matt, is a huge cheerleader too.”
The growth of the clinic demonstrated to Cobb and Harader a need in the community for the model of medical care they provide.
“It’s been so gratifying to see patients willing to take a chance on model they were unfamiliar with and
see success,” said Cobb. “We’ve been able to be flexible and right the ship when we needed to. Best of all, we can always take as much time as we need with our patients.”
Harader’s husband handles the clinic’s finances, and their collaboration has inspired Harader’s oldest son to become a small business owner too.
“We were rebels in stepping outside the norm and that creative decision has served us, our patients and our families well,” said Harader.
For others yearning to be their own boss, Cobb said, “Do your homework and get your champions. If as you’re telling people about your idea, they consistently get that lightbulb moment of understanding, get a great partner and your supporters and do it! If not, then back off a bit and reassess.”
Commitment is also a critical component of entrepreneurship.
“When you own a business, everyone gets paid before you, but that downside is also a powerful part of the motivation to see your company grow,” Cobb said. “Your business is like nurturing another kid.”
For Cobb, being a mother has been good training for her entrepreneurial role.
“You tell your kids to be honest, be kind, put your best foot forward, stand up for yourself and be respectful,” she said. “Being a mother is a good primer for running a business. The responsibilities overlap in a lot of ways.”
