I, Dr. Brown-Echerd ND won a grant for a new website in 2020 and this fell through.  The grant was reissued a year or 2 later and this site was not updated well, due to the fact that there was supposed to be a team working on a new website on a different platform.  The team working on that entered in a lot of information about me that did reflect my clinic, had services listed in specialities that I do not provide, had signs of limited demographics served in my clinic and many other issues.  I asked the company where I won the grant to remove the information immediately which they did not and eventually they unpublished the site.  Due to the hopes of thinking the new website would be easier to manage, read, and understand, I kept this site - just in case or to keep for retaining the blogs and other information including wanting to make a payment portal, I did not add the information in the past few years that I had given the other agency which would have also included many updates such as where I am additionally licensed - until recently.  
There have been a lot of errors with insurance companies and I have rarely gotten paid since fall of 2024 and as a low volume clinic with already extremely low reimbursement rates - that don't compare to education and medical experience, I have been resubmitting claims multiple times and spending hours on the phone with insurance companies that offer very little support.  That being said, I have been doing some updates on the website I have been working on today to help make it easier for interested potential patients to see what services are offered and where.  

I am a sole provider and sole proprietor and have no employees.  Office work, administrative tasks, clinic owner task including CME courses, licensing, credentialing, location management, clinical responsibilities, faxing, working with registered agents so that I can work in your state, etc are all done by me.   If you would like more information on timing for lab orders and supplement suggestions as part of the treatment plan please ask, as the duties are getting completed as soon as possible and may be delayed.  If you are a potential new patient please keep this in mind.  Also, I am set up to be on call for births 24-7-365 and make myself available to see clients and patients out of town or state and may not be able to respond to your requests right away if you are not an established patient.  For established patients I typically respond within the same business day.  

Request for additional services, labs, etc outside of the treatment plan will require a follow up appointment.  This does not apply for issues that are related to the same health condition discussed for an appointment approximetly 7 days after an attended appointment or if lab results show that there needs to be an update on meds, supplements, food as medicine or additional tests need to be added as part of a critical level workup.   I.e. if your lab results show a soy allergy then I will look at any supplement suggestions that I gave you and replace the suggestion with new ones that don't contain soy; as applicable.
Please note that I am still recovering from a surgery from winter in which I also had a fire in my apartment 3 days before the surgery.  There is also an issue with a chronic painful and frozen shoulder that has not resolved.  I am not forgetting about getting information out to established patients, but I am catching up from prior clinical commitments.  
Also note that onboarding new patients takes a lot of time with the software that I use and I try to remember to let people know that the 1st appointment is onboarding and getting a look at your medical history and current situation with a treat plan and that the follow up appointments run more smoothly for acute and chronic conditions.

Due to low volume medical labs companies have declined my registration to connect their lab to my EHR.  The EHR is also not connected to the Fullscript online medicinary.  All this information needs to be manually entered in to the labs website or via another system to be shared with the lab and for supplements.  Drug-herb interactions also need to be researched in an additional site.  Lab and imaging orders need to be entered again into the EHR for results to be entered in for patient portal access.   This process is not as streamlined and immediate as the processes at typical offices that use EPIC or Athena EHR.

With insurance plans and for cash pay patients, healthcare providers are given different payments for a myriad of reasons.  I am on the very, VERY low end of the payment scale.  That is why you see some clinics with bigger offices and staff with connected services to EHR and other efficient systems that are out of my price range.
My vision while still in school, as a person  having experienced homelessness multiple times, I imagined a clinic that was accessible to all, with no limitations due to income level, insurance, race, identity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, culture, and other personal demographics, and the ability to treat patients and earn at least a living wage.  I am in my 11th year as a licensed doctor and have not made living wage yet and do not qualify for many grants due to size, license type or other factors that local clinics, health departments, hospitals receive.

This information is to help you decide if my services are a good fit.  It is realized especially in the East coast location that many people want to the service to reflect the speed and efficiency of a local conventional (conventional or integrative) clinic but again I am working with lower budget, less efficient software and running the clinic by myself.
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May you be in good health,
Dr. M. Brown-Echerd ND, CD
PS
...and again for some of you - the state of Maryland does not allow NDs to use physician in the title. "Naturopathic doctor" is required and the other states and DC where I am licensed the title is naturopathic physician or naturopathic doctor.  Thank you for your understanding.

This post has been edited:  
There has been a journey in life which simply results in the desire to share unconditional love.

February Black History Month and Love.
When I was a child my mother would take me onto Wurtsmith AFB to watch a black history month show being preformed on stage.  Later, as a student at Michigan State University, I was a member of the Charles Drew Enrichment Laboratory which helped anyone but especially minorities who had a lower graduation rate after successful entrance, to graduate.  We would have weekly circle groups where we each read our report about a minority, it opened my eyes to all the achievements that I never ever learned about before. I believe that it was at MSU or maybe PSU that we would have MLK day off, in January, and notices were sent out to have a "day on" not a day off, in which you were requested to volunteer in the community and give back.  Since then I rarely hear anyone talking about MLK or Black History month and it makes me feel very sad!  I do not hear of events.  This past week I was told that I can watch a MLK celebration that took place at Beth Israel, in NW Portland recently, online.  I would like to attend their event next year.  I was so grateful that someone from the Jewish faith, after so many years, had informed me of an event and acknowledged history that so many people do not care about.  I am not blaming anyone.  I remember being a medical student and spending the whole MLK day in private clinics, sure kids and college students were out of school and the US mail was not delivered, but could we put up a sign somewhere with a group of diverse people having a peaceful time, pictures are worth a thousand words.  I say that I am woke then casually "forget" that I can have my own celebration.  That no one is stopping me from learning and relearning my history, not just of blacks, but of other ethnic groups, that I did not learn about in standard history courses or even about women, or silent heroes.  Life as a minority can be so discouraging.  I am a single mother and have very few "friends".  There is so much racism in the world that it takes me doing a lot of prayer and meditation each day just to face the world.  What I would like to see is love.  Love for self, love for others and recognizing that each of us is an individual not a product of a stereotype that media attempts to portray.   Peace; may you find yourself in good health.

Disclaimer, the items listed above are NO LONGER connected to an affiliate account and are for entertainment purposes and not to be used as medical advice.  Please see your health practitioner for health concerns and visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or other local office for driving rules, regulations, licensing requirements and other information regarding transportation.

See video on youtube.com  ​https://youtu.be/J9rodvm52uY

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Keep yourself informed about the air quality in your local neighborhood.   Learn more about safety in eating from your own gardens.  Talk to your primary care practitioner about options, testing, risks for children, adults, pregnant women, and to ask questions. 
Lab testing for toxic heavy metals is available at Tower of Health, LLC.  Samples are collected in office and sent to local labs for evaluation.  Urine, blood and hair follicle tests are among tests that can be run for patients of all ages.

Contact us for more information on scheduling; email or call and ask about a FREE 15 minute consult to see if we are a good fit!

Sources for Portland, Oregon (more to come soon):
http://www.oregonlive.com
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/portlands_toxic_air_gov_kate_b.html



Office:  971-407-3684 Please leave a voicemail message.  Somebody will return your call shortly.
Email:  [email protected]

The Birth Experience -Every Birth is Different:  The Goal is the Same.
What to Expect in Natural Births, C-sections, VBACS and Preventing Preterm Births
By Michelle N. Brown-Echerd, ND - June 2015 Portland, OR, USA


Natural Births:  A choice for many and defined differently; natural, vaginal, low risk births can occur with little intervention.  There are many options available; be prepared for plans to change and be ready and educated, in advance, in case an urgent situation arises.  

• Birthing is a special time for mothers, babies and families!

• Each experience is unique and personal.

• Understand what the best birthing option is for you and consider using the help of a doula “birthing assistant”

What will you do if you are preparing for a birth after having a prior C-section?

• VBAC = Vaginal Birth After C-section

• Ask your healthcare provider for information.  Some hospitals have certain policies regarding VBACS.

• Many midwives perform out of hospital VBACs; depending on each individual situation.

• What are the risks of VBACs?

C-Sections: “Cesarean Sections” Many are planned in advance; some are urgent.  Be educated prior to your due date about policies present at the place that you would like to deliver.  Hire a doula for support.  Make a birth plan.   



Preventing premature/preterm labor and births:

• Ask your healthcare provider for a list of signs and symptoms to look for and what to do if they occur.

• Attend health care visits regularly, as suggested by your healthcare provider for monitoring, information and to form a trusting bond.

• Work at being healthy and reduce stress; maintain a healthy diet, adequate exercise and do something you enjoy daily as well as spend time with healthy spirited people you love and who love you.

• Hire a doula for support and as an advocate.

This blog post is for entertainment and educational purposes only.  It is not intended to take the place of medical care and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure any disease or condition.  See your healthcare provider for health related issues.