Family First Primary Care

05/30/2026

Family Care in Calhoun!

05/29/2026

A heartfelt reflection... Last night, my 8-year-old's enthusiastic dive for a baseball led to a shoulder injury that required attention. After assessing him I determined an X-ray was necessary. Given that I don't have an X-ray machine in my office, I reached out to Nite Owl After Hours Urgent Care in Chattanooga to inquire about their X-ray capabilities. Off we went to Chattanooga, where we completed the necessary paperwork and paid a $150 copay, patiently waiting for triage. The medical assistant brought us in, explaining that the provider would assess my child and decide if an X-ray was needed, in which case they'd call in a radiology technician. Knowing me, you can understand how quickly irritated I was with the situation. Here's what I'd like to highlight: 1. With a $150 copay, I'm curious about the charges for self-pay patients. It's clear to me that this is too much money for a copay 2. I would never in good conscience be able to charge a patient that! 3. When I called ahead to confirm X-ray availability, it would have been helpful to know about the on-call radiology technician. Healthcare is fundamentally a human need, and while financial sustainability is crucial, it's equally important to consider the impact of pricing on patients and if it’s affordable SO I say all of that to say this: Make sure the provider your seeing cares about you and not just $$$ and do not be another number being herded through the doors like cattle by a hospital owned office! I’ve worked for all of them and when I say you’re just a number, you are, whether your provider wants you to be or not. They are required to see a high volume of patients. Their pay is dependent upon it. Come see us. We treat you the way we want to be treated! And the cutie pie pictured below is ok, x-rays at TC Thompson’s was negative, other than being sleep deprived and bruised he is good to go!

05/22/2026

For your viewing enjoyment. The little dirty blonde, blue eyed boy on the right is my Boston!

05/13/2026

Happy Birthday to the boss who keeps everything running — even when the rest of us are just trying to keep up!
Wishing you a year filled with success, happiness, and well-deserved celebration. Thanks for your leadership, support, and ability to handle the daily chaos with style. 🎉

05/02/2026

Closing Saturdays!

04/13/2026

04/13/2026

Happy Birthday to Brenda, the hardest working front desk associate in Calhoun! We depend on her daily to keep us all going but most importantly she has become family! We love you and hope your day is as amazing as you are!

04/05/2026

Congratulations to the Appalachian Baseball Club on their tournament win today! I typically do not get to watch too many of Boston’s games (they are usually scheduled during clinic hours), but we were closed today allowing me and our staff spend time with family during the holiday weekend. I hope all of our patients are doing the same! (PS: if you’re looking for a church home I’d love to see you at Salem Baptist Church in Dalton in the AM!)

04/03/2026

How lucky are we? We get to celebrate again today! Happy Birthday Kami, one of our wonderful medical assistants.