Bringing home healthcare education and support

by Gina Gallagher, Citizens Contributor

High blood pressure happens. According to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it's already happened to nearly 50% of Americans.

But because it presents with no symptoms, the condition, also known as hypertension, often goes undiagnosed, putting those who have it at serious risk of heart disease and stroke, and even death.

It's why high blood pressure is known as a silent killer, and why Toimeicka "Toi" Worthy, a nurse practitioner from Cleveland, Ohio, has made it her business to do something about it.

Toi is the creator and owner of The Doc In A Box, a company that delivers blood pressure monitors and other medical equipment, along with ongoing health support to those in underserved communities. For its dedication to community health, The Doc In A Box was recognized as a 2021 Citizens Small Business Community Champion and recipient of a $10,000 award.

As the owner of a successful medical practice and former home health nurse, Toi knew that high pressure could happen to anyone.

She just never imagined it would happen to her.

But that's what she accidentally discovered while teaching an in-home patient how to use a blood pressure monitor.

To demonstrate on herself, Toi rolled up her sleeve, strapped the cuff around her arm, and waited for the reading.

“I remember thinking, 'My pressure is so high! This monitor must be broken,'"

But a few days later, she experienced serious nausea, lightheadedness, and dizziness, and went straight to the emergency room.

There, she received a life-changing diagnosis: high blood pressure.

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Learning news of a serious medical condition is difficult for most people.

For Toi, who had dedicated her career to practicing and promoting good health, it was devastating.

“I was so embarrassed,”

“I didn’t want to tell anyone."

But eventually, she was able to gain something powerful from the experience – an even greater appreciation for health and a deeper understanding of what her patients faced. And with that, came the motivation to not only take control of her own health but to also empower her patients to do the same.

Being motivated is nothing new to Toi. After earning a degree in nursing, she began as a floor/clinical nurse at a medical center, eventually moving to a supervisory role. A few years later, she went back o school to become a nurse practitioner.

After working in a physician's practice for a few years, Toi decided to go out on her own, starting a practice and freelancing for a large healthcare company, caring for patients at home.

In that role, she continued to encounter an all-too-familiar problem: patients who suffered from high blood pressure who were not diagnosed or treated. Some had even passed away.

“They desperately needed health education and support,"

In her spare time, she would develop an outside-the-box solution to that problem; one that was actually inside a box that would be sent to people's homes. The Doc In A Box would contain a blood pressure machine, thermometers, a stethoscope, a pulse oximeter, as well as resource cards on how to use the equipment and understand the readings.

People could then use that information to manage their health and seek medical care when needed. They could also access email support from Toi to help answer any questions they might have.

Toi funded the business herself and promoted The Doc In A Box on social media. It wasn’t long before people began purchasing them, including a large healthcare development company that gave them out to its patients.

“The kits were making healthcare accessible to those who couldn't otherwise afford it,"

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Toi understood the value she was providing with The Doc In A Box, but with the exorbitant cost of medical equipment, she faced a challenge in making the boxes available to those who needed them.

That's why she was eager to apply when she learned about the Citizens Small Business Community Champions program. Receiving the award funds was particularly timely since COVID-19 had prompted so many people to skip regular doctor visits, putting them more at risk of having undiagnosed conditions.

“The award money will allow me to give away boxes for free to people in underserved areas.”

She will also collect data on those who receive the boxes to show the impact that having access to equipment can have on patient health.

But that’s just the start of Toi's inside-the-box thinking.

This summer, she will roll out three new solutions including a congestive heart failure box, another for diabetes, and even a baby box that provides equipment to help parents of newborns monitor their babies' health.

She'll also continue to run her practice and her business while pursuing the passion that got her into nursing in the first place.

"I love caring for others,"

"No matter where my career or business takes me, I'll never get away from serving the patients."