RIVERTON, WY — March 2026 —
Getting a doctor’s appointment in rural Wyoming has never been simple. For residents of Fremont County, the nearest specialist has historically been a two-hour drive in good weather longer when the roads are iced over, which they often are. Wind River Wellness Center is working to change that reality.
The new clinic opened this month in Riverton, offering primary care, preventive health screenings, and integrated behavioral health services including mental health counseling under one roof. It is the first facility in Fremont County to combine both primary and mental health care in a single, walk-in-friendly location.
“We kept hearing the same story from people all over this county,” said clinic director and nurse practitioner Maria Sandoval. “They needed mental health support but couldn’t access it without driving for hours, sometimes in conditions that made that dangerous. That’s not acceptable when people are already struggling.”
Wind River Wellness Center accepts most major insurance plans and offers a sliding-scale fee program for uninsured and underinsured patients. Extended hours are available on Wednesdays and Saturdays, specifically to accommodate working patients who can’t take time off during the standard weekday window.
The clinic is also addressing a broader shortage of rural healthcare providers in the region by partnering with two Wyoming-based nursing programs to offer clinical rotation placements a step that clinic leadership hopes will help build a longer-term local workforce rather than relying on out-of-state recruitment.
Chronic disease management, pediatric wellness visits, and women’s health services are included in the clinic’s current offering, with additional specialty referral coordination being added later this year.
New patient registration is open now for Riverton and surrounding communities including Lander, Dubois, and Shoshoni.
About Wind River Wellness Center: Wind River Wellness Center is a community-focused primary and behavioral health clinic serving Fremont County, Wyoming. Founded by a team of rural health advocates and licensed practitioners, the clinic’s mission is to close the healthcare access gap in one of Wyoming’s most underserved regions. Services include primary care, chronic disease management, mental health counseling, and preventive wellness programs, all delivered with a patient-first approach that prioritizes access over administration.