Healing Powers
Tabitha Ervin
Of Fort Wayne Ink Spot
Dr. Belinda Smith-Wilson and Dr. Angela Stewart-Martin have known each other since 1996 and they are now board-certified nurse practitioners, each holding a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP), a degree that provides graduates with a broad perspective on health care including understanding how social and economic factors influence health outcomes. Both Belinda and Angela are Fort Wayne natives, who met while undergraduates studying to become registered nurses. They worked together at Lutheran Hospital and Parkview Hospital together and have a comprehensive range of experiences that also include nurse educators.
I recently caught up with them about their journey and their new clinic — Health Essentials — which opened this year at 3030 Lake Street. Belinda currently works full-time at the local Veteran’s Administration Hospital in the women’s clinic while Angela works full time at the VA in Marion in the Rehab/Hospice Unit. Both point to their Christianity as an important aspect of who they are as professionals, spouses and mothers.
Tabitha: How did you both get into the medical field?
Belinda: I always wanted to do something in the medical field. I ended up having my first and second child in high school and a counselor suggested nursing, so I went that route.
Angela: I was a 21st-century scholar at Northrop High School and was raised by my grandmother who was a nursing assistant at the VA, and I remember she always wore white. Sometimes I would go to work with her. One year for Halloween she made me an all-white nurse costume out of a sheet, and I have wanted to be a nurse since then.
Tabitha: Tell me about your educational journey together.
Angela: I always wanted the highest level of education in my field and I knew I wanted to do advanced practice.
Belinda: I didn’t want to go for my doctorate, but Angela encouraged me and I started a semester after her. It was wonderful to have a friend that believed in me more than I believed in myself sometimes.
Angela: She forgot to add that we both finished with a 4.0! We pushed each other throughout our journey even as life happened (being wives, mothers, experiencing losses, serving our community, and working full-time).
Belinda: We are so much alike even our siblings think so and we now finish each other's sentences sometimes.
Tabitha: This is an amazing journey you two have been caring for and encouraging each other. I love it! Tell me all about your practice.
Angela: I always wanted my own practice. In school, we created a business plan as a part of our course work which created the framework for what our business is today.
Belinda: We knew we wanted to serve vulnerable populations in healthcare and that we wanted to give back to our community to make sure people had access to excellent and cost-effective health care despite their insurance or lack of it.
Angela: At our facility, we serve all ages through primary care. We are located at 3030 Lake Ave, Suite 14, which is central and easily accessible. Our hours are in the evenings M-F, 5-8 pm as we both still work full-time jobs; on Saturdays, we are open 9-5.
Belinda: Our goal is to provide high-quality excellent primary care services at a low cost, and we accept most insurance as well as we can provide payment plans. We also do telephone/virtual visits, labs, and acute care as we strive to prevent ER visits and hospitalizations.
We collaborate with Dr. Bhaktavatsa Apuri (cardiologist and internal medicine physician). He has been an advocate and inspiration for us. He has supported and encouraged us to start and continue this journey.
Tabitha: Thank you, ladies, this is Black Girl Magic!
