Paula Price wanted to go into nursing decades ago, but distractions made it nearly impossible.
After becoming a single mom, she realized a minimum wage job was not going to make ends meet. It was then that she finally entered nursing school.
“It was a tough road, but I got through it,” she said.
Ever since starting nursing school, Paula dreamed of owning her own clinic and spending quality time with each patient. After moving to Moore County in 2016, this dream began transforming into reality.
Paula graduated from Gardner-Webb’s post-graduate program in 2018 and became an official Family Nurse Practitioner.
In September 2019, Paula moved into an office space in West End and began transforming it into Haven Total Wellness Clinic. With a formal title and 18 years of nursing experience in medical/surgical, acute psychiatric, geriatric, dialysis, and many years spent in the home with trach/ventilator clients, she knew she was ready to take her role in serving Moore County’s needs.
“I’ve always wanted to own a clinic; I’ve dreamt of it for years. I didn’t see it coming so soon,” Paula said. “I can give everything I’ve got. It means the world to me.”
She started by seeing Veterans, as she had at other clinics. She is available for walk-ins and appointments for all ages from infancy to adulthood.
The clinic operates similarly to an urgent care, providing services for acute illnesses, such as: earaches, sinus infections, and UTIs to preventive care like vaccines, sports physicals, and more. It is the perfect location for those who need to be seen as soon as possible when their doctor’s office is busy. An after-visit summary can be sent to a patient’s Primary Care Provider.
“Sometimes the offices are so busy. It happened to me as a patient. No one could see me for two weeks,” Paula said.
Paula’s approach to health care is more natural and holistic, taking into consideration all aspects of the patient’s concerns. She states, “my hope is to foster healthy communities”.
“It is important to me to take care of the whole person. I love the thought of holistic care, bringing in the mind, spiritual beliefs, and faith,” she said. “I want to take my time with patients to really make a difference and take good care of them.”
Paula hopes to grow her staff to include a mental health practitioner and a women’s health specialist. With these future additions, she hopes to provide more holistic patient care.
“Women deserve special attention and education for their healthcare needs,” she explained. “Mental health is also a huge component that must be included. It’s a big part of being healthy.”
“Paula looks at the mind, the spirit, the body and the whole mindful health,” added Monica, who assists Paula with office duties.
Haven Total Wellness Clinic is able to provide affordable care and accepts walk-ins every weekday afternoon from 2pm-6pm. With COVID-19 precautions still in effect, patients are asked to call ahead of time and wait in their vehicles until they can be seen. Paula also offers telehealth for patient ease.
“When a patient thanks me for being there for them that day, their gratitude brings an amazing sense of affirmation,” Paula said. “I know I’ve done the right thing in my life; I’ve made a difference in theirs.”
Paula’s clinic offers payments plans for interested patients. Hours are Monday – Thursday 8:30am-6:00pm.
To schedule an appointment or for more information, call (910) 400-5272 or email officemanagerHTW@protonmail.com. Located at 149 Woodlawn Street, Suite C in West End.
