The Story; in reverse
Thank you to so many who attended the Celebration of Life for Dr. Hurd and so many others who reached out with condolences and stories of his impact on your lives. Many sent regrets for being unable to attend, but genuinely wanted to. For those, please find a link to the recording HERE. The stream was set up before the actual presentations began, so you can skip ahead to minute 17.
If you have questions or requests, please direct them to Lisa at [email protected].
As noted multiple times in earlier emails and on the website, Dr.s Rachael Stockwell and Miriam Croft are waiving exam fees for our patients to begin care in their offices. Lisa has known both of these ladies for years, trusts them implicitly and certain that they are extremely talented practitioners.
You will find Chrissie and Dr. Carmi at Atlanta Restoration Chiropractic with Dr. Rachel Stockwell.
Hands On Wellness with Dr. Miriam, who also offers NRT, has a talented team supporting her as well.
Recently, Dr. Anne Marie Campbell at Compass Chiropractic has now also agreed to waive the exam fee for our ANHC patients.
Again, thank you for the expressions of Love and appreciation. Our entire family has been touched by your presence in Dr. Hurd’s Life.
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12/2/2022
Dr. Hurd’s family is inviting you to join us for a Celebration of his Life at 2:00 on Sat., Dec. 10th, 2022 at the Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation. (1025 NW Mount Vernon Hwy, Sandy Springs, GA 30327-4207)
This is the same church that he and Jenny exchanged marriage vows together in 1982.
We absolutely welcome your stories. Please email them to [email protected].
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Philip Allen Hurd, Sr. was born August 12, 1952 in Los Angeles, CA, to Kenneth and Helen Hurd. The third of four siblings, including Frank, Kathleen, and Robin, he grew up and lived most of his life in Atlanta GA. There he met and married Jenny Anne Westerman (née Swanson) in 1982. He was friend and step-dad to her two children, Lisa and Matthew, and together they brought Gaelyn, Philip Jr, and Peter into the world. He was a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation for over 50 years. Throughout his life, he was devoted to his family, spiritual pursuits, and promoting health and wellbeing, especially through his work at the Atlanta Natural Health Clinic. With friends, he helped open the practice in 1983. Obtaining his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life University in 1991, he lovingly and passionately cared for patients there, delivering amazing chiropractic and nutritional support, until the end of his life. After a prolonged illness, he passed away peacefully at home on November 23rd, 2022, surrounded by family. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his beloved Jenny (passed March 8th, 2017). He is survived by his siblings, five children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He will be remembered for his calm and gentle nature, for his wisdom about life and health, and for his devotion to his profession and principles. He is deeply loved and will be strongly missed.
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11/25/2022
With his decision to stop working at the office, Dr. Hurd accepted a significant end (of his work as a chiropractor) with dignity and strength. That Friday, November 11th, he also chose to begin hospice care sensing the end of his physical journey had also arrived after managing his disease for decades.
When the intake nurse asked me “when did he retire?”, he laughed at my answer; “today”.
His passion to serve was his driving Life force and facing the limits of his body, in his final weeks, his work became internal and very private.
On Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022, Dr. Philip A. Hurd passed away, joining his beloved Jenny on the other side of the veil. You will be invited to join us for a Celebration of Life after we (his kids) figure out when that will happen.
When he transitioned, he was at home, surrounded by the love of his family.
Thank you for making his Life so rich and purposeful. The ANHC family has been more of a gift to him than you can imagine.
In gratitude for his Life and your part in it,
Lisa
“You never know how far-reaching something you think, say or do today, will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.” - Dr. BJ Palmer, Developer of Chiropractic
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11/11/22 (the day he signed up for hospice)
After significant effort to continue to take care of his patients, Dr. Hurd has decided that he needs to focus on taking care of himself and will not be returning to the clinic…he is officially retiring, effective immediately.
We invite and encourage you to share a note of how working with him has impacted your life. To ensure your thoughts are delivered to him, please send them to [email protected] and Lisa will deliver them. If you would like to send a handwritten note, you can send to 4005 Forrestal Dr. Chamblee, GA 30341.
Both Lisa and Chrissie will be in and out for awhile to assist with supplement purchases (1/2 off most items!) and records requests. You may continue to use the [email protected] email or [email protected] for requests.
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10/21/22
Dr. Hurd has decided to take the rest of October for some much needed self-care.
The hope and plan is to resume Monday, Wednesday, and Friday hours, but shifting to a 1:00-5:00 PM schedule beginning Wednesday, November 2nd.
Meanwhile, please remember that Dr. Carmi and Chrissie are at Dr. Rachel’s office M – TH. You can reach them at: https://www.atlantarestorationchiropractic.com/ or by calling 770-851-1500.
Dr. Miriam Croft has also made herself available to care for our patients and her office also provides Nutrition Response Testing. Learn more about Dr. Miriam at: https://www.howchiropractic.com/
Dr. Anne-Marie Campbell at Compass Family Chiropractic (https://www.compassfamilychiropractic.com/) has also agreed to waive her exam fees for our ANHC people.
You may still call, text, or email Lisa with questions or concerns. ([email protected] 404-319-9032)
Thank you for your patience and understanding while Dr. Hurd takes additional and intentional time to support his own well-being.
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10/1/22
For the month of October, Dr. Hurd is modifying his morning hours. He will still be in the office his usual afternoon hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Monday: 2:00 – 6:00PM
Wednesday: 2:00 – 6:00PM
Friday: 9:00AM – Noon and 2:00 – 6:00PM
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AUGUST 2022 – changes
The ANHC story continues:
- For over a year, Lisa has been working very hard to find the doctor who would step into a full time position with aspirations to plant their flag and make the Atlanta Natural Health Clinic their own.
- With the responsibility to ensure stable and long term care for our patients, the team (including Dr. Hurd), her family, and with no new doctor, Lisa has connected our practice to two VERY nearby offices for future stability. (Atlanta Restoration Chiropractic with Dr. Rachel and Hands On Wellness with Dr. Miriam who also offers NRT). Both doctors that Lisa has known for years, trusts implicitly and who are extremely talented practitioners.
- Beginning August 1, 2022, Dr. Carmi and Chrissie relocated to serve patients at Atlanta Restoration Chiropractic, Dr. Rachel Stockwell’s office, and welcome any of you that desire to continue a relationship with them there. You can expect a smooth transition if you decide to relocate too.
- Dr. Carmi will retain her schedule of being available mornings on Tuesday, Thursday and 2 Saturdays a month. You can see Dr. Rachel’s hours on her website. For appointments, please call 770-871-1500.
- Our PCD rates and pre-pay plans will be honored at their new location.
- Dr. Hurd has decided to remain at the Atlanta Natural Health Clinic, maintaining his office hours of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- He resumed being the sole owner of the Atlanta Natural Health Clinic.
- Chrissie does plans to support Dr. Hurd in the office on some Fridays.
- Thank you to all of you that came to send the team off with well wishes and cards!
This chapter of the clinic story is definitely still unfolding and it feels important to bring you up to date as our story wouldn’t exist without YOU.
Lisa will still be around to support transitions and available for questions, feedback, concerns, etc.
Feel welcome to reach out to her at [email protected] or call 404-319-9032.
With gratitude TO and FOR you,
All of us at ANHC
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Shared July, 2022
Our Atlanta Natural Health Clinic story:
- August, 1983, Dr. Hurd was a massage therapist and opened the clinic as a partner with chiropractor, Dr. Dill.
- Dr. Dill sold his part to Dr. Weatherly who then sold his part to Dr. Dean.
- July, 1989, Lisa began working in the clinic with Dr. Dean. Dr. Hurd was in chiropractic school at Life University while still providing massage therapy at ANHC.
- Dr. Hurd graduated from Life College as a Doctor of Chiropractic in December, 1991; also becoming the sole owner of the clinic.
- With a shared passion to improve the lives of MANY, Lisa and Dr. Hurd worked together to build a thriving practice and integrated into the community.
- June, 2000, Lisa stepped back from the full time Chiropractic Assistant position to support behind the scenes (filing insurance, taxes, staff training / coverage, etc.) and focused on her growing family. This began a beautiful list of other CA’s that have come to serve alongside Dr. Hurd over the years.
- 2001, Dr. Hurd began integrating nutrition into the practice and started carrying supplements to address deficiency and toxicity for improved patient outcomes.
- March, 2013 Lisa started her Health Coaching business (OptiMOM Coaching), but continued to support the practice because she loves Dr. Hurd, the ANHC family, and very importantly, it’s success was her mom’s financial provision.
- Late in 2016, with Lisa's help, Dr. Hurd began to negotiate the sale of the chiropractic portion of the clinic to transition responsibility of owning the practice, but planned to continue to offer nutrition.
- Lisa, helping to care for her mom, kids, and coaching clients had decided that after the new owner took the helm, she would be stepping away from ANHC to grow her own business.
- March 8, 2017, Jenny W. Hurd, CNM (Dr. Hurd’s wife, Lisa’s Mom) passed away from metastatic breast cancer.
- With hope of retaining his opportunity to serve in the chiropractic practice, he offered Lisa equity in the business she had served for 27 years.
- The Atlanta Natural Health Clinic, LLC business partnership was formed May 1, 2017 with an agreement that a new doctor would join the team to carry the legacy into the future. Dr. Hurd the clinical partner, Lisa the managing partner. The previously pending sale never took place.
- September, 2017, enter Dr. Chelsea Drda.
- March, 2019, enter Chrissie Forlie, our current rock star CA who helped us navigate COVID and keeps all the plates spinning to ensure your amazing experience at ANHC.
- We shared a great few years with Dr. Chelsea. She had planned on eventually buying the practice, but after some personal challenges and changes, she needed to move closer to family in Florida in April, 2021.
- June, 2021, enter Dr. Carmi Verano. Dr. Carmi joined us to help expand our hours, serve our patients with her amazing skills, but not to eventually own the clinic. She is an asset that any practice would be fortunate to have and we’re lucky to have found her.
- For over a year, Lisa has been working very hard to find the “next Dr. Chelsea”, the doctor who would step into a full time position with aspirations to plant their flag and make it their own one day.
Please return to the top of the page for this current chapter of the story.