Westside Wellness: West Virginia Health Right

In Spring 2021, West Virginia Health Right opened a medical clinic at 511 Central Ave in the historic Five Corners area. Health Right CEO Dr. Angela Settle says she saw a need for a free clinic on the West Side – there was also an increase in Kanawha County HIV cases at that time.

Dr. Settle says that because the West Side is a diverse community, she felt it was crucial to be respectful of culture and to include Black leadership with lived experience. Her process started with listening to residents and working alongside well-known community members. She collaborated closely with Shayla Leftridge, the West Side clinic site coordinator, to form partnerships with faith-based leaders like Bishop Robert Haley of A More Excellent Way Life Center Church which is across the street from the clinic. 

“So we wanted to make sure when we went in, you know, that we did that, that we did our homework, that we talked to people, and that we asked the community – ‘What is it that you want? What is it that you need?’ – and then actually instituted it because that is what we wanted to do,” Dr. Settle says. 

The West Side clinic offers primary care, behavioral health, MAT, harm reduction services, peer recovery, vaccinations, and testing. The facility houses a behavioral health/SUD recovery wing staffed with peer support coaches, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and a licensed professional counselor. There is a space in the wing for group recovery meetings.

Health Right accepts appointments and walk-ins. Dr. Settle says walk-ins may have a waiting period, but the staff does not turn away those patients because they may need immediate care for certain conditions. The goal is to ensure people do not have to suffer or visit the emergency room, Dr. Settle explains. Health Right also offers telehealth, giving people the ability to receive care without the need to find transportation.

Health Right is unique with its medical services in that it solely serves uninsured patients or those with Medicare or Medicaid. Through consistent grant work and fundraising, clinic services are completely cost-free for patients who qualify. The organization also develops partnerships with hospitals and volunteers to help people obtain surgeries, specialist treatment, and lab work.  

“It is something we are dedicated to because we really feel like access to care is so important, and we do not want to have a dollar stand in the way of healthcare,” Dr. Settle says. “So it is something our board and our staff and all of us are super committed to.”

Dr. Settle gave the example of a person who was in critical need of immediate cardiac care and was turned away at another facility. Health Right brought them in for an assessment, referred them to a hospital surgeon, and helped get the cost written off the procedure. The relationship formed with that patient and their family helped others learn about Health Right, encouraging more residents to use the services available.

Next door to the medical clinic, Health Right opened the CommUNITY Wellness Center where the public can access multiple free resources addressing the social determinants of health. The wellness center has a kitchen area where people can learn nutritious, budget-friendly recipes.

There is a free gym, plus an activity room with a ballet bar and floor space for dance or fitness classes. Community leaders also use a meeting room to hold classes and groups focusing on finances, grandparents raising their grandchildren, health and wellness, and more. The Health Right UNITY Closet has free, branded clothing for people preparing for job searches and interviews.

There are a multitude of other resources that can be accessed at the center – Health Right offers office space to professionals and organizations providing free assistance or services. Some of those organizations include the YWCA, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, and West Virginia State University. A free, background-checked daycare is available for the children of someone attending an appointment or visiting the community hub.  

As part of the clinic’s completion phase, Dr. Settle and her team helped Bishop Haley move his church food pantry into the center. A More Excellent Way Life Center Church’s John 6 CommUNITY Food Center is open the third Saturday of each month from noon until food runs out. 

“I told him [Bishop Haley] if we ever had the money or got funding to build out that final space, that we would love to just hand over the keys,” Dr. Settle says. “We would use the money to build it out, that we would do the ongoing expenses, electricity, all that kind of stuff, but that they could run the pantry there because I knew how important it was. … All of this connects. The whole goal would be one-stop shop, somebody comes in with multiple needs, and they basically can get multiple needs there.” 

Dr. Settle says maintaining the West Side facility will continue to involve listening to clinic staff and community feedback. The clinic is Black-led with an African American site coordinator, health education nurse, and nurse practitioner. Dr. Settle says Health Right will continue to drive funding to the Five Corners area, and she finds pride in how the vision has grown. 

“We are really, really happy just at how it turned out,” Dr. Settle says. “I hope people feel the love that we have for the community there and that they can see that. … It is things that people need to be healthy, and that is what we are so proud of there. It is not just a clinic, it is things to change lives and help people get better.”