Port Arthur Doctor Sees Exponential Growth After Launching His First Business
Overview
Dr. Thi Nguyen has a long history with the Lamar State SBDC—as far back as February 2014, when he was still in his medical residency program. At the time, his goal was to eventually move back to his hometown of Port Arthur after his residency ended in June and open an urgent care.
Dr. Nguyen had had some student debt accumulated. Therefore, he needed assistance with applying for a loan so he could use the capital to establish the clinic. His SBDC advisor at the time, Linda Tait, assisted with drafting a business plan that would appeal to lenders and eventually connected him to a banker. The advisor also assisted Dr. Nguyen in finding available locations that would be good options for starting his practice. By November 2014, Dr. Nguyen had signed a lease agreement with a selected property and closed on a loan the following month. He was well on his way to finally opening his business.
Getting the Practice Ready for Launch
The new space needed a few renovations before it would be ready for new patients, and this quickly became an obstacle. The contractor found some lingering water damage in the walls, and going in and taking care of the damage took much more time than anticipated—nearly six months. But even though it was now over a year since Dr. Nguyen completed his residency and was eager to get his business off the ground, he was willing to be patient if that meant he could start the practice on the right foot.
Dr. Nguyen’s patience paid off; he officially opened his clinic in July 2015 with a full staff and an already active patient list. Although it was originally projected that he would see three patients per day, he had already exceeded this within the first two days of business. First Response Urgent Care had its formal ribbon-cutting ceremony the following February and has since been very well received by the Port Arthur community.
I am grateful for the SBDC...for helping [me] be the hometown doctor I have always dreamed of since middle school... Today, First Response Urgent Care is expanding and serving our Southeast Texas communities at the Port Arthur and Lumberton clinics with accessible, high-quality, yet affordable medical care for everyone...
Dr. Thi Nguyen
Owner, First Response Urgent Care
First Response Urgent Care's Positive Reputation
Since its inception, Dr. Nguyen and First Response Urgent Care have received much recognition, starting with the Tekoa Academy Star Award in December 2015. The Port Arthur Alumni Community Group highlighted Dr. Nguyen in their “Small Town Big People” feature in February 2016. That summer, the clinic received the Professional Services Business of the Year Award from Lamar State College-Port Arthur. Not long after, Dr. Nguyen and the practice were selected as the Port Arthur News Reader’s Choice for “Best Doctor” and “Best Urgent Care” in the community.
In August 2016, Dr. Nguyen was nominated for the Southeast Texas Young Professionals Organization’s (SETX YPO) “40 Under 40,” highlighting the top 40 people in the area under 40 who have made significant accomplishments within their industry. His SBDC advisor was happy to write a letter of recommendation, and Dr. Nguyen was later recognized and honored at the organization’s honoree celebration the following September.
Both Linda Tait and his other advisor, Dana Espinal, later suggested nominating him for the SBA’s National Small Business Week Award, recognizing outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners nationwide who impact their communities. More recently in April 2024, First Response Urgent Care received a certificate of Congressional Recognition after being named the STAR Business of the Year by the Lamar State SBDC.
Exponential Growth Leads to Expansion
First Response Urgent Care was also growing exponentially; in November 2018, Dr. Nguyen increased his staff from 6 to 10 members. He returned to the Lamar State SBDC in September 2023 for assistance in securing capital to open two more locations: one in Beaumont and the other in Lumberton.
In December of that same year, the SBDC helped him secure the funding he needed to launch the Lumberton clinic and once again increase his staff to 24 full-time employees across both locations.
“I am grateful for the SBDC of Port Arthur, especially Ms. Linda Tait and Ms. Dana Espinal, for helping this farm boy/Vietnamese boat refugee come home and be the hometown doctor I have always dreamed of since middle school,” Dr. Nguyen says. “Today, after nine years, First Response Urgent Care is expanding and serving our Southeast Texas communities at the Port Arthur and Lumberton clinics with accessible, high quality, yet affordable medical care for everyone at a fraction of ER costs. Moreover, I am extremely proud to be the only doctor-owned and operated urgent care in SETX.”
Aries Payne - Communications Coordinator
July 31, 2024
