(Photo by Shelley Hanson) WVU Medicine Family Clinic of Paden City’s nurse practitioners are Holly Young, left, and Alisha Placer. The clinic celebrated its one-year anniversary of operation on Nov. 18.

PADEN CITY – The WVU Medicine Family Clinic in Paden City celebrated its one-year anniversary with tours, food and speeches by hospital and community dignitaries on Nov. 18.

The clinic, located at 533 Fourth Ave., Paden City, is considered an arm of WVU Medicine Wetzel County Hospital in New Martinsville.

The family clinic sees patients of all ages and is run by nurse practitioners Alisha Placer and Holly Young. Since opening in November 2023, the clinic has served more than 650 patients.

The clinic was made possible via a partnership between WVU Medicine, Paden City and the Paden City Development Authority, which owns the building and is leasing it to the clinic.

Tony Martinelli, Wetzel County Hospital president and CEO, noted the hospital typically holds ribbon cutting ceremonies to celebrate promises made for expanded services; however, Monday’s event was a little different.

“It’s even more exciting a year after that promise was made because today we are here to celebrate promises kept,” Martinelli said. “We’re here to celebrate a year of care where folks don’t have to travel nearly as far to receive world-class health care services.”

Martinelli congratulated the clinic’s entire team on a successful year.

“Any effort we can make to provide high quality care close to home is a wonderful thing. This community has embraced us and our team, and we’re thankful to be able to work and serve alongside them,” he said.

Jessica Huffman, senior vice president of nursing for WVU Medicine, thanked everyone involved in getting the clinic started including Placer, who identified the need for a clinic in the city, and Cork Bowen, director of the Paden City Development Authority, along with the clinic’s employees.

“I toured the building early on and it did not look like it looks right now,” she said. “It’s beautiful and clean and modern, and it’s a great place for us to provide care to our patients.”

Bowen said he was celebrating the great partnership between the groups.

“We kept trying and trying and things fell in place here,” he said. “All of sudden this building became available and the council stepped up and provided us with a boost of money. The hospital kicked in and did some expensive things for us. We bought the building and did a bunch of other things as well. I’m just happy because this is something the citizens of Paden City can really enjoy.”

Douglass Harrison, president and CEO of WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, said the clinic is the starting point for many patients’ primary care.

“At WVU Medicine we talk about creating access and this is truly the creation of an access point for health care,” he said. “I’m a big believer in primary care. That’s where health care starts and is delivered at a local level. So I couldn’t be more proud of this site. … I see a lot of opportunities to grow here.”

The clinic has six exam rooms and a laboratory on site. The clinic sees a variety of patients from new patients, return patients, child well-visits, acute appointments and annual wellness visits. The primary care services can include diabetes management, outpatient lab services and treatment for hypertension, migraines, rashes, arthritis, high cholesterol, cold and flu, sprains and fractures and more.

Placer said she was grateful WVU Medicine took a chance on the clinic location and on her.

“I’m from this area and I plan to stay in this area. I love providing care to my community. … I’m thankful we can be here,” she said.

The clinic is taking new patients; call 304-455-8020.