Williamson Health
and Wellness Center
What began in 2011 as a way to meet the
health care needs of the unemployed and
uninsured during an economic downturn
has become a proven model other states
are now using to address similar problems
within their own communities.
Started by Dr. Dino Beckett in his private
practice, the Williamson Health & Wellness
Center has expanded into a full-service
medical facility that provides medical, dental
and behavioral health services. It also enables
patients to take their health into their own
hands and improve their nutrition with the
help of a community garden and farmer’s
market. More than that, the clinic has become
an innovation hub to spin out even more
ideas for healthy living as well as boosting
the economy.
It wasn’t long before the clinic and its spin-off
activities caught the attention of a national
consultant for creating federally qualified
health centers (FQHC), who encouraged
Beckett and his stakeholders to turn the
clinic into an FQHC.
Photo by Charlee Lifestyle Photography.
while giving them the space they need to
be creative and take chances.
He also gives credit to his parents for
demonstrating the importance of family
and community. In addition to his work
with the practice and clinic, he has served
as a volunteer with Mingo County Re-
development Authority; Wild, Wonder-
ful, Healthy West Virginia; the Greater
Williamson Community Development
Corporation; and Williamson Memorial
Hospital, among many others. He also
invests time mentoring students.
“It is very important to share your
knowledge and pull back the curtain to
allow others to experience your success
and see your challenges and how you deal
with them,” he says. “I am amazed at the
talent our students possess and the eager-
ness they put into the work to learn.”
Beckett’s success as a physician, entre-
preneur and visionary has been recognized
Photo by West Virginia School
of Osteopathic Medicine.
by both local and national organizations,
as well as his alma mater. In 2013, the
Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce recog-
nized his vision for change with the Mike
Whitt Visionary Award, and in 2016,
the National Rural Health Association
recognized him with the National Rural
Practitioner of the Year Award. In 2018,
WVSOM awarded him the Distinguished
Alumni of the Year and Outstanding
Primary Care Preceptor awards. His in-
spiration for making a difference comes
from his love for Southern West Virginia.
“I was blessed to grow up in the south-
ern part of West Virginia where I have
witnessed and taken care of the hardest-
working people I know,” he says. “I want
to see my home county of Mingo and
the coalfields of Southern West Virginia
have economic prosperity that rivals any
region of the state.”
The FQHC opened its doors in March 2014
after Beckett—with the help of laid-off coal
miners—converted a second-story storage
area into clinic space. The operation began
with five employees in 5,000 square feet
and has grown to more than 95 employees
in 32,000 square feet in five years.
Beckett’s vision was to use health to create
an economic driver, and this concept is one
the town of Williamson has mastered so well
that it now serves as the model for other
rural communities around the country. In
addition to providing much-needed health
services, the clinic supports entrepreneurs,
helps with matching for grants and creates
healthy living lifestyles for locals beyond the
clinic’s walls.
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