LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As AANHPI Heritage Month is celebrated across the country, one southwest Las Vegas healthcare provider is making history while working to improve healthcare access in the community.
Thai nurse practitioner Panissara “Nat” Teeraanukul has opened AJ Direct Care & Wellness, which is believed to be the first Thai-owned direct primary care clinic in the country.
WATCH: Reporter Shakeria Hawkins talks to Panissara Teeraanukul about what the clinic means to her
“I’m proud to bring my Thai culture to help with patients,” Teeraanukul said.
She says being one of the few Thai healthcare providers in Las Vegas, and possibly the nation, motivates her to help bridge gaps between language, culture, and healthcare.
“It means a lot to me," Teeraanukul told me. "I get to help out the Thai people in my community with language barriers.”
She says one of the biggest issues she sees is patients not fully understanding their medications or diagnoses.
“Sometimes, they come to me with medication and ask what diagnosis this is and I’m like, ‘I don’t understand what they are saying, I just take,’” she explained.
That experience inspired her to open her own clinic in the southwest valley.
AJ Direct Care & Wellness operates under a direct primary care model, offering subscription-based healthcare starting at about $80 a month for adults. The model allows patients to access care without waiting on insurance approvals.
“Some have high deductibles and a high wait list,” Teeraanukul said.
She says the goal is to make healthcare easier to access, easier to understand, and more personal for patients.
Teeraanukul says the southwest valley was the ideal location for the clinic because of the area’s rapid growth and accessibility.
“Southwest is a growing area and we found this beautiful space. It’s close to the freeway, and I actually have patients come from every corner of the city,” she said.
She moved to the United States 15 years ago and says caring for her own family inspired her to pursue a career in healthcare.
She says conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol are among the most common health concerns she sees in the Asian community, issues she hopes to better manage through education and accessible care.
For Teeraanukul, the mission goes beyond medicine.
“From the newborns to the seniors, I’m really looking to help families have easy access,” she said.
More information about AJ Direct Care & Wellness can be found here.
