HIGH POINT, N.C. — Crystal Montague and Kris Roberson have a close bond. Not only are they both nurse practitioners, but they're also family.
“We're first cousins,” Montague, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, said. “We're approximately a month apart in age and I'm the oldest and we grew up together."
The High Point natives recently opened Mindful Innovations on Mendenhall Oaks Parkway in High Point. The facility is an integrated behavioral health and primary care clinic. It's the first black female-owned clinic of its kind in the area.
“As a mental health provider in looking at the gaps of disparities in healthcare especially mental health today, people are struggling in silence and I wanted to be able to provide the services in the community not only to the vulnerable populations but to diverse populations as well,” Montague said.
While Montague provides mental health services to patients, Roberson focuses on primary care.
“When they're coming in to be treated for whatever their mental, emotional psychiatric issues, they also have high blood pressure, they're also overweight, they have high cholesterol,” Roberson, DNP, MPA, NP-C,” said. “They may have a number of medical issues."
While often treated separately, the two said mental and physical health go hand in hand.
“There are patients who have elevated blood pressure,” Montague said. “It's still elevated and it's not until they address what's causing their stress, it's not until they address what's causing their mental and emotional health that their blood pressure improves.”
Mindful innovations held its ribbon cutting on September 1. Members of the High Point Chamber of Commerce and city leaders were in attendance.