This is exactly the kind of progress communities need.

A Washington physician has officially opened the state’s first Black-owned primary care facility — a major milestone for equitable, accessible healthcare.

Dr. Margaret Towolawi, a board-certified family physician with over a decade of experience serving children and adults in the Seattle region, has long provided comprehensive care ranging from women’s health and chronic disease management to gender-affirming services. After years of working under a large healthcare organization, she ultimately faced severe burnout and made the decision to forge her own path.

That choice led to the creation of the Nurture Wellness Center, Washington’s first Black-owned direct primary care practice.

“After nearly eight years, I found myself exhausted, with more than 2,000 patients on my panel,” Dr. Towolawi shared. “Opening a direct primary care practice focused on lifestyle medicine became my solution to addressing the problems that affect both physicians and patients in traditional healthcare.”

Through the direct primary care model, patients pay an affordable monthly membership fee that grants them unlimited visits with no copays. Instead of rushed 15-minute appointments, Dr. Towolawi offers one-hour visits that allow for deeper, more personalized treatment. She also provides monthly wellness newsletters, reduced-rate relaxation massages, health-focused webinars, and even a walking program. Virtual exercise classes are planned for the near future, expanding her holistic approach to care.

“Doctors are overworked with far too little time to care for their patients — or themselves, for that matter,” she said. “You cannot pour from an empty cup. I opened Nurture Wellness Center for anyone who has ever felt overlooked or underserved by the traditional healthcare system.”

Beyond primary care, she founded SkinStatMD, a specialty practice dedicated to treating skin conditions in Black and Brown patients, addressing issues like eczema, acne, fungal infections, hyperpigmentation, and hair loss — concerns often mishandled or ignored in mainstream dermatology.

Dr. Towolawi’s biggest hurdle has been educating the public on how direct primary care works and why it can be transformative. Currently, she aims to grow her team and build toward a maximum panel of 200 patients to ensure a high standard of attentive care.

“Things have been going well,” she noted. “Once we reach a full panel, we’ll be able to shift more energy into patient-centered programming and less into marketing. Patient care will always be the core mission.”

Congratulations to Dr. Towolawi — your dedication is reshaping what compassionate, community-rooted healthcare looks like.