Fishing Point Healthcare is open in the Wellons Village community, as there is a critical need for quality healthcare. It offers primary care services and mental health support to Medicaid patients and members of federally recognized Native American tribes.
One patient, who didn’t want to be identified, was on site Monday morning. She was there for a behavioral health consultation because she said she believes she has autism. The signs have been there all her life, she said.
“I hope to find out more answers to see if I am or not,” she said. “Developmental stages have been awkward.”
There is a huge need for mental health services in this area.
ABC11 walked through the facility with Clinic Operations Director Jamie King. There are four exam rooms, a behavioral health room, a conference room, a lab, and a space that will eventually become a physical therapy area. She said the visionaries behind the clinic were intentional about its opening in this community because of the lack of access to quality healthcare.
“With our services, you have no co-pay. Nothing out of pocket. You get labs done, you’re not going to receive a huge bill in the mail after you receive services from us,” she said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average life expectancy in the United States is 78 years. In Wellons Village, it’s 59, according to the Durham Neighborhood Compass. The nearly 20-year difference from the national average is troubling.
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“There is a huge need for mental health services in this area,” said Dr. Prayna Joseph, who is a family medicine doctor.
Joseph said she is seeing patients who are struggling with mental health challenges and are seeking support, in addition to primary care services.
“We are all about the healthcare equity. We aim to provide the highest quality of medical care to all patients,” she said.
Pictures on the wall inside the facility tell its origin story as the company was founded in 2023 by the Nansemond Indian Nation in Virginia. The center aims to transform the lives of those living in Wellons Village and beyond.