She was presented the award today at the 2023 Rhode Island Salute to Small Business Awards Luncheon. The Knight Award is a recognition of a successful small business owner that SCORE Rhode Island (ri.score.org) has worked with for many years. The award was presented by SCORE chapter co-chair, Jeffrey Bodenstab.
Jeffrey commented, “It is amazing to consider that an emergency room physician working multiple shifts during the pandemic managed to not only navigate her new business through pandemic induced shutdowns but build and grow it in the most difficult of times.”
Oceanside Medical was started in November 2018 based on a novel approach to health, aesthetics, and lifestyle. It was borne out of Kristina’s experiences as an emergency medical physician who saw the need for a more holistic approach to medicine, treating the body inside and out to elevate a patient’s health and life satisfaction.
As Oceanside grew, Dr. McAteer expanded its offerings to a full-service health, aesthetics, and wellness center. As with most business sectors, however, the COVID pandemic posed a significant challenge. But she said, “With guidance from SCORE and the assistance offered by the SBA’s PPP and EIDL programs, I was able to support my employees during this time while strengthening Oceanside’s infrastructure.”
After the early months of the pandemic the business reopened, and Oceanside began to truly blossom. Dr. McAteer expanded into southern Rhode Island with a three-treatment room office in Richmond, followed by the addition of a primary care office located in Warwick. The business has expanded during its lifetime from one part-time nurse and office attendant to employing a team of 10 medical professionals and support staff.
About SCORE: Since 1964, SCORE has helped 11 million entrepreneurs start or grow a business. SCORE’s 10,000 volunteers provide free mentoring, workshops, and educational services to 1,500+ communities nationwide, helping create more than 25,000 new businesses and 70,000 non-owner jobs in 2021 alone. Visit SCORE at https://www.score.org/ri. Follow @SCOREMentors on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.