‘When one door closes, another opens:’ Former St. Mary health clinic is set to open its new location

"I feel like I just won the lottery."

NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY)–Alexander Graham Bell once said, ‘When one door closes, another opens.’ That’s what happened to a free dental clinic in Wilmington that was forced to close recently.
It’s back, and they say better than before. The New Hanover Outreach Clinic held tours Thursday evening, showing off its new location. This comes after the clinic was evicted operating at the Basilica of St. Mary’s on Ann St. Executive Director Laura Vinson is excited about its future.

“I feel like I just won the lottery,” Vinson described. “I used to think that the place we were at was special, but it’s not the place that is special it’s the people that we have come to us, is that’s special. It feels like the spirit of the clinic wasn’t at the place itself. It’s here.”

Vinson was the Executive Director at St. Mary’s Health Center and Dental Clinic. Last year, it was evicted from the location. It looked like they might be homeless for good, but a $695,000 grant from the New Hanover Community Endowment changed that.

“We were sort of crammed in a small space. Now, we have this huge space. We have even more people who want to come in and help,” Vinson shared.

The new clinic has four dental rooms with upgraded equipment for more in-depth procedures. Prasad Vacamsetti is a volunteer dentist there. He’s been practicing for 20 years and says every day is a new challenge. However, he’s happy seeing the clinic has a new home and can get new patients.

“It’s very rewarding doing stuff like this. Even at our private clinic, it’s a very rewarding feeling. You know? When you transform someone’s smile and get them out of pain,” Vacamsetti described.
For those who need a little extra support to visit the dentist, maybe a therapy dog could help. The clinic has a 10-year-old Golden Retriever named Abby. She’s the clinic’s therapy dog and has been certified for 8 years.

Vinson is very excited about the new space. She says it’s a clinic that transforms the lives of those who are less fortunate, including some of the workers, who feel they’re fortunate to do the work of unsung heroes.

“I feel like when you’re poor, you look different. You need people to represent you, and sometimes you need people to advocate for you. I’ve been doing this for a while, and there’s no one else who does what we do here,” Vinson said.