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Meet Paul Walter, PA, who is bringing mental health care into Hopscotch Primary Care clinics so seniors in Western North Carolina can get support close to home.
Reviewed by Paul Walter, PA-C | Last updated October 2026
At Hopscotch Primary Care, we believe caring for your health means caring for all of you. That's why we're excited to welcome Paul Walter, Physician Assistant, to our team as we launch mental health services at our Hudson, Marion, and Shelby clinics in Caldwell, McDowell, and Cleveland counties.
Integrated mental health care means patients can get support for their mental and emotional health right inside their primary care clinic, from a team that works alongside their primary care provider. Instead of being sent elsewhere and waiting weeks or months, patients can connect with mental health support through a care team they already know and trust.
Paul Walter is a physician assistant with nearly three decades of experience in primary care, mental health, and substance use treatment. He earned his physician assistant degree from SUNY Stony Brook in 1998 and has spent years helping patients access care for opioid use disorder.
That mix of experience shapes how he cares for people today.
“I approach mental health from the whole-person perspective,” Paul says. “I look at it through the eyes of not only a mental health specialist, but as a primary care provider who has treated the underlying conditions that can affect mental health.”
For Paul, this work is about access. “Mental health is an area that often isn't delivered as well as it could be, especially for people who live in rural areas,” he says. “There's an access issue, consistently.”
When he learned more about Hopscotch's mission, it felt like a natural fit. “The physician assistant profession was born out of providing care to at-risk populations, people who are otherwise not getting care,” Paul explains. “Hopscotch's mission aligned really well with the reason I went into my profession.”
Many older adults don't bring up depression, anxiety, or loneliness because they grew up believing they should cope on their own. Grief and the loss of friends and social connection are common later in life. Depression and anxiety can go undiagnosed and/or undertreated.
“I think part of it is generational,” Paul says. “In rural communities especially, these are hard workers, and they expect to go through strife and strain. But that doesn't mean they don't deserve a place to talk about it and receive help when needed.”
The biggest benefit of mental health care inside primary care is trust. Patients can get support through a provider they already know, without long wait times or long drives. For many older adults in Western North Carolina, the nearest mental health specialist may be hours away.
“Trust. Being able to connect with someone quickly, through a primary care provider you already trust, makes all the difference,” Paul says. “Traveling to Charlotte or Asheville from the clinics where I work would be very difficult for many patients.”
Mental and physical health affect each other in both directions. Depression and anxiety can make it harder to keep appointments or take medications as prescribed. Conditions like heart disease and chronic pain can, in turn, affect mood and overall well-being. Caring for both together helps people feel better and enjoy a better quality of life.
“They're completely connected,” Paul says.
Families and caregivers can help by staying connected, checking in often, and talking openly and honestly. Helping a loved one stay involved with the people and places that matter to them, whether that's friends, a day program, or their church community, can make a real difference. So can letting them know that help is available.
“This is not an easy subject to talk about,” Paul says. “But knowing help is available can make it easier to start the conversation.”
If you've been quietly carrying something heavy, Paul wants you to know you don't have to carry it alone.
“Reach out to your loved ones and talk with your provider,” he says. “There's no requirement to be on medication, and no pressure to commit to a plan. This is your health and your life. We would just love to help you get some additional resources and support.”
Paul is looking forward to working closely with Hopscotch's primary care providers. “I think we can learn from each other,” he says. “I want people to feel like they can connect with me at any time.”
After years of telemedicine, he's also excited to be back in person. “Being able to physically see people and connect with them is not a minor thing,” he says. “Knowing the team you're working with builds another level of trust.”
Paul grew up in upstate New York and calls himself “a rural kid at heart.” Today he lives in Lenoir, where he tends a perennial garden and, with his wife, cans somewhere between 250 and 275 jars of homegrown food each year. He loves exploring the North Carolina mountains, especially quick trips up to Boone when the summer heat sets in. He also travels often to visit his three kids and two grandchildren back in New York. (He'll admit he still misses a good New York bagel.)
“This is a tremendous opportunity,” Paul says. “It's a chance to grow something that I think will add to the thorough care patients are already getting at Hopscotch.”
If you're a Hopscotch patient, ask your provider about mental health support at your next visit. You can also call your clinic directly to learn more.
If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
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