Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Ester.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My healthcare journey began in high school, where I joined HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) and discovered a passion for medicine and service. I was accepted to Florida State University for pre-med, but only months later I realized my path was going to be different—even if I didn’t yet know exactly how. Before 9/11, I walked into an Army recruiting station and began my journey into military service. When the events of 9/11 unfolded, that decision carried me forward with even greater purpose, shaping my resilience, discipline, and unwavering commitment to serve.
In 2004, during my deployment to Iraq as an X-ray technologist, I began to feel a deeper calling. While serving in that role, I realized I wanted to be more directly involved in patient care—to move beyond diagnostics and step into a bigger role in healing. That passion ultimately led me to pursue nursing school, and later to continue my education in nurse practitioner school, where I could combine advanced clinical reasoning with compassionate, hands-on care.
During NP school, my husband and I endured the heartbreaking loss of our third child at 39 weeks due to stillbirth during labor. Walking through that grief reshaped me as both a mother and a provider. It deepened my empathy, strengthened my compassion, and gave me a profound understanding of the vulnerability and resilience that patients carry into their own healthcare journeys. That experience became a cornerstone of my commitment to care for others with tenderness, presence, and hope.
From my time in the Army to caring for patients in the NICU, ER, and pediatric oncology units, each role deepened my understanding of compassion and advocacy. Later, as a Family Nurse Practitioner, my career expanded into family practice, women’s health, pediatrics, and urgent care. These experiences gave me a broad perspective on the diverse needs of patients across the lifespan, from preventive care to acute treatment, and strengthened my ability to adapt quickly while keeping patient-centered compassion at the core.
In 2021, I founded Anchored in Health, a Direct Primary Care practice designed to remove the barriers and complexities of third-party insurance. By stepping outside the traditional insurance model, Anchored in Health allows patients to spend more time with their provider, build a truly personal relationship, and take charge of their own healthcare journey. This model puts the focus back where it belongs—on the patient—empowering families and small business owners with accessible, transparent, and compassionate care.
I also serve my fellow veterans by partnering with VA disability companies to help ensure they receive the support and compensation they deserve. This work allows me to continue honoring my military roots while advocating for those who have served.
Beyond clinical care, I thrive in mentorship and education, guiding NP students with constructive feedback and modeling best practices in reasoning and documentation. As an adjunct faculty member, I have the privilege of teaching and shaping future nurse practitioners, blending academic rigor with real-world compassion. I also embrace entrepreneurship and design, shaping branding and outreach materials that carry warmth, clarity, and faith into the community.
Looking ahead, my vision is to expand faith-based Direct Primary Care to serve more families and small businesses, while continuing to mentor the next generation of healthcare professionals. My mission is simple yet profound: to anchor healthcare in compassion, accessibility, and hope.
As Hebrews 6:19 reminds us: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” That truth is the foundation of Anchored in Health and the guiding light of my journey.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Stepping out as an autonomous Nurse Practitioner brought both freedom and challenges. While my clinical training prepared me to care for patients, it didn’t prepare me for the realities of building and branding a business from the ground up. I had to learn how to design outreach materials, communicate my mission clearly, and create a brand that reflected both professionalism and faith. Every flyer, social media post, and conversation became part of teaching people not just who I am, but what Anchored in Health stands for.
One of the greatest hurdles has been helping patients and communities truly understand the concept of Direct Primary Care (DPC). For many, healthcare has always meant insurance cards, copays, and confusing bills. Explaining that DPC removes third-party insurance companies from the narrative — and instead offers transparent, relationship-centered care — requires patience and persistence. It’s not just a new model; it’s a new mindset.
There have been moments of doubt, especially in the early days of 2021 when Anchored in Health was just beginning. Learning to balance clinical excellence with the demands of entrepreneurship meant long hours, trial and error, and trusting that the vision God placed in my heart was worth the struggle. Yet each challenge has strengthened my resolve.
Today, those struggles have become part of the testimony: proof that Anchored in Health is more than a clinic — it’s a movement toward hope, accessibility, and patient empowerment.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Anchored in Health, founded in 2021, is a Direct Primary Care practice designed to simplify healthcare by removing the complexities of third‑party insurance. This model allows patients to spend more time with their provider, build meaningful relationships, and take charge of their own healthcare journey.
At Anchored in Health, patients can expect:
– Comprehensive Primary Care: Preventive visits, chronic disease management, wellness exams, and urgent needs — all delivered with time and attention that traditional insurance‑based models often lack.
– Family Practice & Urgent Care: Care for patients across all ages, from routine checkups to acute concerns, with a focus on accessibility and continuity.
– Women’s Health & Pediatrics: Compassionate care tailored to mothers, children, and families, ensuring personalized support through every stage of life.
– BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy): Individualized hormone therapy to restore balance, improve energy, and support long‑term wellness.
– IV Vitamin Infusions: Nutrient‑rich infusions that boost immunity, enhance recovery, and promote overall vitality, complementing traditional care.
– Faith‑Centered Approach: Inspired by Hebrews 6:19, which reminds us that “hope is an anchor for the soul, firm and secure,” Anchored in Health exists to bring that same steadfast hope into healthcare. Our practice is known for compassionate relationships, a faith‑driven vision, and care that empowers patients to take charge of their journey.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned along my journey is that fear often shapes how people experience healthcare. Fear of not understanding, fear of being dismissed, fear of receiving bad news — these emotions can be just as heavy as the illness itself. I’ve seen how uncertainty and confusion can make patients feel powerless, and I’ve come to believe that part of my role as a provider is to replace that fear with clarity, compassion, and hope. This lesson became deeply personal during NP school, when my husband and I endured the heartbreaking loss of our third child at 39 weeks due to stillbirth during labor. Walking through that grief was the most difficult chapter of my life, but it also transformed me as a professional. I understood, in a way I never had before, the vulnerability patients carry into every exam room. That loss taught me that healthcare is not just about diagnoses and treatments — it is about walking alongside people in their most fragile moments, listening when words fail, and offering presence when answers are hard to find. Because of that experience, I approach every patient with deeper empathy and a commitment to making healthcare less intimidating. I strive to explain, to empower, and to ensure that no one feels alone or unheard. The most important lesson I’ve learned is that healing begins when fear is replaced with understanding and compassion — and that is the anchor guiding me in every aspect of my practice.
Pricing:
- Membership pricing: $100/month individuals
- Family membership: $250/ month (nuclear family of 4)
- IV infusions range from 135-175
- BHRT price dependent on treatment, initial cosult and labs are $300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://anchorednhealth.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anchored.in.health/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anchoredinhealth1
Image Credits
Nicole Hamel
Astrid Photography
