“I’d never really seen a Black doctor before,” Legall said. “Of course, it’s different now, but it never dawned on me then.”
Legall, who had dreamed of following in her mother’s footsteps to become a nurse, said the idea of becoming a doctor first formed when she was competing in the Miss Houston Pageant as a teenager after a judge asked her why she did not want to become a doctor.
“After he said that, ... I started to say, ‘I want to be a doctor,’” she said. “The more I said it and the more I thought about it, I thought, ‘Wait a minute. Maybe I can.’”
Following a stint during which she contracted with Humble ISD to provide health care to district employees, Legall opened Integrity Family Healthcare in Humble in 2010.
“I decided to take a leap of faith,” Legall said. “I probably didn’t get paid for five years because you have to pay your overhead and learn what works and what doesn’t work.”
While the practice offers primary care and family medical services, Legall said her goal is to provide a holistic healing experience that emphasizes both medical and wellness solutions to develop realistic lifestyle changes instead of temporary fixes.
The health care practice also offers cosmetic services, including Botox, skin care, weight loss regiments, hormone replacement therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
“For the long-term benefits, so many things come into play—your mental health, accountability,” Legall said. “I don’t like the idea of putting a Band-Aid on something. I would rather figure out what’s wrong and cure it from the root instead of hearing the symptoms.”
Despite her initial trepidation, Legall said her practice quickly gained steam. In late July, Legall is planning to relocate her practice to Rockmead Drive in Kingwood, where she said she will be better equipped to streamline her medical and wellness services under one roof.
“The sense of community and belonging [is really important],” she said. “When we start implementing some of the other programs, I’m hoping to foster some friendships.”
In her free time, Legall has offered free wellness exams to homeless women across the Greater Houston area. In the future, she hopes to launch a nonprofit to give low-income individuals access to services offered at her practice.
Legall said the struggles have been worth surmounting, both for her patients and her six children.
“To feel like I have made a difference in someone’s life and just have so many people tell me that I saved their life and to have my children look up to me and ask to work with me [has been rewarding],” she said.
Integrity Family Healthcare
1485 FM 1960 Bypass Road E., Ste. 340, Humble
281-973-9503
www.facebook.com/integrityfhc
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., closed Sat.-Sun.
