'We treat them like family': Valley Beautiful Healthcare marks first anniversary

A year after stepping into ownership of a hometown clinic, two lifelong friends say faith, patience and a supportive community have carried them through their first year in business. Nurse practitioners Whitley Harrison and Mikayla Rice are celebrating the one-year anniversary of Valley Beautiful Healthcare, the Erwin primary care clinic they assumed operations of in March 2025. The two have known each other for more than two decades, growing up together in Unicoi County and spending years as teammates on local softball fields before eventually becoming colleagues in healthcare. Today they run the clinic together, providing family medical care to patients across the region. Valley Beautiful Healthcare first opened in 2019 under Dr. Shanna Peterson as Peterson Family Healthcare. When the practice became available, Harrison and Rice stepped in with the support of Rice's father-in-law, local business owner Ted Rice, who helped guide the pair through the business side of opening their own practice. Today the clinic provides primary care services for patients of all ages, including lab work, injections, small procedures and chronic disease management. Harrison and Rice say their approach centers on treating the whole person rather than simply addressing symptoms. Reflecting on the past year, Harrison said the experience has been both challenging and rewarding. "It has been full of ups and downs," Harrison said. "But it's been great. We've been shocked by the support we've received and we're just so appreciative of our community trusting us with their healthcare." She said the encouragement has extended beyond their patients. "Even people we've known our entire lives who may not be patients still reach out and tell us they support us and are glad there's another healthcare option in Erwin," Harrison said. The clinic has grown steadily over the past year. While exact numbers are difficult to track because some patients transferred from the previous practice, Rice said the clinic now serves around 900 people in its system. "Our goal for our first year was somewhere around 875 patients, and then we pushed it to 900," Rice said. "We actually reached that before the one-year mark." Rice said the growth reflects both community demand and the clinic's focus on building personal relationships with patients. They said the transition from working in healthcare to running a business has brought its own set of challenges. Insurance contracts and network recognition proved especially difficult during the early months, Rice said, as the clinic worked to establish itself with insurers. "They didn't recognize us through networks at first, so that was a challenge," Rice said. "And just running a business and learning the business side of healthcare has been completely different. Usually we're focused on the clinical side. Now we're balancing both." Harrison agreed that ownership introduced a learning curve the two had never faced before. "We had never been in charge before," Harrison said. "Owning your own business brings all kinds of hurdles. It's been a blessing to do it together because you always have someone to bounce ideas off of." The experience has also shifted their role in patient care. Harrison said operating their own clinic means they carry responsibility for every stage of treatment. "We are the front line and the last line now," Harrison said. "We have to stay on top of everything for our patients. But having each other to talk things through makes a big difference." The clinic's patient base has also skewed younger than what the providers previously saw in other practices. "That's been interesting for us," Harrison said. "We've been learning more about treating younger, healthier patients and figuring out what's going on with them rather than just managing diagnoses they've had for years." For now, the pair say their focus remains on strengthening the practice they have built. However, they have started adding a few additional services. The clinic recently introduced professional teeth whitening, which Rice said has already drawn interest from both patients and community members. Harrison also hopes to eventually expand into aesthetic services. "I'm trained in aesthetics, so that's something we'd like to offer down the road," Harrison said. "Right now we're just focused on growing what we have and building the relationships with our patients." Both providers say the first year has strengthened their personal faith as well as their professional partnership. "The biggest lesson is that the Lord always provides," Harrison said. "Every little goal we've set, no matter the road bumps, we've been able to reach it." Rice echoed that sentiment. "My faith in God has grown more this year," Rice said. "It's been a challenge, but a rewarding challenge. Every obstacle we've faced, we've taken it head on and gotten through it together." The two also credit their small staff and supportive families for helping the clinic succeed. Rice said her father-in-law played a significant role behind the scenes, offering guidance on the business side of operations while the pair focused on patient care. Even after 25 years of friendship, the experience of building a clinic together has brought Harrison and Rice even closer. "You would think after being friends for 25 years you couldn't get any closer," Harrison said. "But this has been different. Now we've really had to put that trust to the test." Rice said their long friendship has helped them work smoothly as partners. "We understand each other's personalities and how we work," Rice said. "After 25 years you just kind of know each other." Looking ahead, both say their biggest goal is continuing to serve the community that raised them. "We're just trying to provide full family care," Harrison said. "We want to treat our patients like they're our own family." Rice said that sense of comfort and trust is what they hope patients feel every time they walk through the door. "We want people to know we love them," Rice said. "We want them to feel at home here, to feel welcome and safe talking about anything."