Chandler: He Practices Preventative Cardiology at Mayo Clinic, and He Built a Primary Care Practice to Catch Things Even Earlier
Why I wanted to start my own practice
Earlier in my career, while caring for critically ill patients in the ICU, I found myself asking the same question again and again: “If this person had received the right care earlier, could we have kept them from getting to this point?”
That question was the beginning of Soma Health Phoenix.
“Soma” comes from the Greek word for body, and it speaks to the foundation of the practice. I want to create a healthcare experience that looks at the whole person and provides individualized, well-rounded care, rather than treating one problem at a time. My goal is to help people feel better, understand their health, and ultimately live healthier, fuller lives.
Traditional healthcare has become focused on getting through the next appointment and addressing the immediate complaint. I understand why that happens, but something important gets lost along the way: education and prevention.
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My care philosophy
For me, saying that Soma is 'more than a clinic; we're family' is more than just a slogan. It is something I genuinely try to incorporate into the way I care for every patient. I want every person who walks through my door to feel truly listened to and seen.
Owning my own practice has allowed those relationships to become much more personal. I get to know my patients beyond their diagnosis: their goals, their challenges, their motivations, and what’s standing in the way of their health. That builds a level of trust and I’m able to look at the bigger picture: which is crucial in healthcare.
The biggest difference since opening my practice has been time. I can now spend more than 40 minutes with a patient if they need it, and that changes the experience for both of us. I don’t have to rush through a list of problems anymore. I have the bandwidth to listen, ask follow-up questions, review their history and labs, develop an individualized plan, and educate them.
If I’m discussing a lab result, I want them to understand what it means and why it matters. If we’re starting a medication, I want them to understand why we’re using it and what we’re trying to accomplish. If we’re talking about lifestyle changes, I want them to understand how those changes can shape their long-term health.
Education is a core part of prevention. When patients understand their health and become active participants in their care, we have a better chance of preventing chronic conditions from developing, or keeping existing ones from getting worse.
“Fear is one of the greatest opponents we face in life because it can convince us that we aren’t ready, that we might fail, or that we should stay where we are comfortable.”
Before Soma opened, I was nervous about a lot of things. I worried about whether I could attract patients, whether I would meet their expectations, and, most of all, whether I could provide the level of care I envisioned.
What ultimately pushed me to take the leap was having people around me who believed in me: the Corner Health team. Their encouragement and constant support helped me realize I couldn’t let fear make the decision for me.
“At some point, I had to decide whether I was going to keep wondering ‘what if?’ or take the chance and see what I could build.”
I chose to take the chance. Once the doors opened, I started building relationships with my patients, and those relationships quickly became my reassurance that I’d made the right decision. I’ve had the opportunity to help people through some incredibly difficult periods in their lives and to see real changes in their health and well-being.
“When you see that impact firsthand, the fear starts to become much smaller.”
How Corner Health helped my dream come true
Billing and insurance were probably the most confusing parts of starting a practice. They aren’t things you necessarily learn in school or in clinical practice, but they become extremely important the moment you’re responsible for running your own business.
That’s where having Corner Health as a partner made such a difference. Their experts understand these processes, guide you through every step, and take so much off your plate, which allowed me to focus my energy on what I went into healthcare to do: take care of patients.
For me, Corner Health wasn’t just about helping me open the doors. They’ve been there through the hurdles, the questions, the unexpected problems, and the learning curve that comes with becoming a practice owner. If another NP asked me point-blank whether Corner Health was worth it? 100%.
What drives my commitment to independent practice
Honestly, the most rewarding part has been seeing the actual changes in people's lives. Improvements in lab work, helping someone reach a health goal, finding an answer to something they've been struggling with are all incredibly rewarding. But it goes beyond numbers.
Those are the moments that make all the long hours and challenges of owning a practice worth it.
My work-life balance has completely changed, too. It makes a huge difference to have control over how I structure my time and to be able to prioritize what matters.
As healthcare providers, we spend so much time taking care of others that it’s easy to forget we have to take care of ourselves, too. Prioritizing my own physical, mental, and emotional well-being allows me to show up better for my patients.
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