city-of-concord

Bringing Healthcare Home

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:03:26 GMT

Johnna Johnson Builds Cornerstone in the Heart of Concord

In a small town, the places that matter most are often the ones where people know your name, understand your story, and care about what happens next.

That is exactly the kind of place Johnna Johnson hoped to create when she opened Cornerstone Family Wellness at 60 Main Street in downtown Concord on May 4, 2026.

After more than 21 years of practicing medicine, Johnna made the decision to step away from corporate medicine and return to a smaller, more personal model of care—one built around time, relationships, and asking an additional question she felt was too often overlooked.

Not only what is happening with a patient's health, but why.

Cornerstone Family Wellness blends conventional and functional medicine in a cash-based family practice focused on whole-person care. Patients are given extended appointment times, with an emphasis on education, deeper evaluation, and understanding the full story behind their health concerns.

For Johnna, however, opening Cornerstone was about more than changing the way she practiced medicine.

It was about bringing that care home.

Caring for Her Own Community

A New Chapter Inside an Old Building

The story of Cornerstone is also tied closely to the building it occupies.

Johnna had considered several possible locations over the years as the idea of opening a practice came and went. But when she first walked inside 60 Main Street, she could immediately see beyond what was there.

“I saw what it could be, and I immediately knew it would be an excellent fit,” she said.

Within about 30 minutes of returning home, she had sketched out a floor plan.

The building was largely an empty shell, but Johnna saw “good bones”—and opportunity.

She and Kyle embraced the restoration process, carefully peeling back layers added over the years while preserving as much of the building's original character as possible. Plaster was removed to expose portions of the original brick walls, and the building's original lift was preserved and remains operational.

For Johnna, preservation wasn't simply about making an old building look attractive.

It was about respecting the people and history that came before them.

“The heart of a good historic restoration process is to recognize those elements that tell the building's story and make sure that the story is preserved,” she said, “allowing the walls to still speak while creating new stories within them for future generations.”

As the work progressed, she found herself imagining the people who had built it.

“I imagined the hands that laid the bricks and wanted to honor their craft and work.”

Today, those old walls are telling a new story.

Why “Cornerstone”?

Time to Hear the Whole Story

Cornerstone's care model is intentionally designed to create room for a deeper look at each patient's health. Functional medicine appointments are scheduled throughout the week, allowing flexibility based on individual needs and availability. These longer visits provide additional time to review records, explore health history in greater depth, and consider how the different pieces of a patient's story may connect.

Since opening in May, Johnna says the practice has grown steadily while still allowing her to protect one of the things she values most: time.

“People have been so kind and encouraging,” she said. “We have been growing at a healthy pace, enabling us room in the schedule to listen to people's whole story.”

For Johnna, that has already produced some of the most rewarding moments of this new chapter.

“Being able to find answers to things that people have struggled with for such long periods of time has been so rewarding, both personally and professionally.”

More Than an Exam Room

Hopeful and Refreshed

Ask Johnna what she wants someone to feel when they walk into Cornerstone, and her answer is simple:

“Hopeful and refreshed.”

She wants the experience to feel different from the moment someone enters the building until the moment they leave.

“They are seen; they are valued; their whole story will be heard,” she said. “Health challenges will be looked at through a different set of lenses, offering a fresh perspective with more holistic treatment options.”

For Johnna, opening Cornerstone has brought together many pieces of her life—more than two decades of medical experience, her faith, her family, her love of restoration, and the community she has long considered home.

After years of working in larger medical systems, she describes this chapter of her career with two words that seem especially fitting for both Cornerstone and Concord: Settled and grounded.

“I pray that the Lord allows me to continue to serve in this capacity for a long time,” she said.

And inside a restored building on Main Street, a new chapter of service has begun.

Visit Cornerstone Family Wellness

Cornerstone Family Wellness will host an Open House on Thursday, August 20, from 4:00–6:30 p.m.

Community members are invited to meet the team, tour the office, learn more about the practice and its services, and see the restored space.

Cornerstone Family Wellness
60 Main Street
Concord, GA 30206

Learn more at cornerstonefamilywellness.com .

Greenleaf

bramjaminfo@gmail.com (Jamie Bramlett) — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 15:14:52 GMT

Greenleaf: Concord’s Last Full-Service Gas Station Gets a Patriotic Makeover

In the heart of Concord, Georgia, there’s a place where time slows down, stories are shared across the pump, and neighbors are treated like family. That place is Greenleaf Gas Station , proudly owned and operated by Mr. Chris Lee , and it’s been serving the community since 1945.

Just in time for the 4th of July, Greenleaf has a new burst of color: a bold, hand-painted American flag mural that now spans the side of the building—a tribute to patriotism and to the enduring spirit of a business that has weathered nearly 80 years of change.

A Concord Legacy Since 1945

More Than a Gas Station

Mayor Strickland recalls the early days as a time when bartering was the norm.

“ There wasn’t much money around,” he said. “We had to charge things until the crops came in. That’s what Chris and I grew up with. And even when the convenience stores came in… Chris was still here. ”

He adds with a smile:

“ He’s the man here in town. He won’t admit it, but he is. I have to go to him to find out who everybody is. Being the Mayor is one thing—but running this filling station is something else. ”

Today, Greenleaf truly stands out as one of the very few—perhaps the only—consistently full-service, full-time gas stations in Georgia. Chris still pumps the gas, washes the windshield, and greets each customer by name. His dedication to service and tradition has earned him loyal fans across generations.

A Mural With Heart

The new mural was a gift—both in spirit and in gesture.

Frank Ciccio , a world-traveling mural artist based in Florida, met Chris through Jeff Beavers , a Concord resident and friend. From the moment Jeff visited, he felt something familiar about the place.

Frank, whose artwork spans the U.S. and beyond (see frankciccioart.com ), knew exactly what belonged on the side of Greenleaf: a patriotic mural that honors the character of both the business and the town.

Funded through donations—and a bit of poker winnings, according to Jeff—the mural now serves as a proud landmark and photo-op for anyone passing through.

“ It just felt right to do something meaningful here,” Jeff said. “Chris didn’t ask for it. But sometimes you just do things for people who deserve it. ”

Stop By and See for Yourself

Greenleaf is more than gas and tires. It’s where memories are made, stories are swapped, and strangers become neighbors. It’s the kind of place where you’re greeted with a handshake, a nod, and the kind of familiarity you don’t find just anywhere.

“ It’s my favorite spot ,” one local said. “ Sure, I don’t have to pump my own gas—but more than that, you get to catch up with Mr. Chris. It’s the kind of place that reminds you what Concord’s all about. ”

Next time you’re in Concord, stop by Greenleaf Gas Station. Say hello to Mr. Chris, snap a photo with the mural, and experience a piece of living history—still running strong after all these years.

Special thanks to Mr. Chris Lee, Mayor John Strickland, Frank Ciccio, and Jeff Beavers for sharing their stories. Photos and interviews collected July 2025 by Jamie Bramlett for BramJam .