Mr. Washington’s Story

North by Northeast patient John “Bubba” Washington is a successful entrepreneur, community advocate, father of four, grandfather of two and former foster parent of over 24 young people. He owns and operates Flossin Media, a multicultural marketing and media production agency based in Portland that includes Flossin magazine, TV, outreach and events. He also serves as Chair of the Soul District Business Association.

In 2012, Mr. Washington found himself “trapped between a rock and a hard place.” His son had been suffering from what his family’s longtime primary care doctors had misdiagnosed as eczema. As a result he found himself no longer trusting his doctors or the healthcare system in general to provide him and his family with quality, attentive healthcare.

Simultaneously, he found his own health diminishing. As a former Rutgers University All-American football player, he had always been in great shape. But over the years his weight had begun to rise, and high blood pressure, diabetes and depression had all crept in. Feeling in crisis, it was then that a friend suggested he check out North by Northeast Community Health Center. With low expectations, he arrived to our space at the Garlington Center. “I saw Black people!” he said, which encouraged him slightly, “but I wasn’t sure about trusting another doctor, so I pretty much just went through the motions for a while.” Not long after, he stopped in to the clinic for a blood pressure check, and Dr. Jill sat him down in her office. “She looked at me straight in the eye, which she could do because I was sitting, and she said, ‘I don’t want you to die. You might think I’m BSing you, but I’m not. We care about you and want you to get healthier.’” Mr. Washington says in that moment he realized what he’d needed all this time – a coach.

“You don’t have to tell me more than once, when a coach says do this or do that, you do it. So that’s when I really started my journey with North by Northeast. That’s when I knew I mattered to them.” Over the next several months, both his weight and blood pressure came down as his spirits and energy levels lifted. Years later with continued “coaching” from the North by Northeast staff and doctors, he has managed to stay on a healthy track. In reflecting on the last few years, he smiles and concludes, “North by Northeast gave me my life back.”