Clinic opens in Saltz building

Technically, the newly opened Huffman Counseling and Wellness LLC is at 325 S. First St. in Tucumcari.

However, the co-owner simply tells prospective customers it's at Dr. Saltz's old office.

Dr. Jim Saltz operated as a physician in that location for several decades until he shuttered the building about 10 years ago. Saltz died in 2017 at age 82.

"It's Dr. Saltz's building. I don't mind saying that," said Cassie Huffman, who co-owns the building with her husband Clay. "Obviously, his name came off the building and mine is going on, but everyone knows where Dr. Saltz's building is, and I love that."

Huffman, who previously worked as mental health counselor at Sunrise Medical Group in Tucumcari, said she had been looking a location to set up a business where she could be her own boss, set her own hours and have more time to spend with her family.

She didn't first consider the Saltz building, however.

"I actually thought this building would be way too big," she said. "We looked at different places here in town, and we started off really small."

Huffman then heard from a resident that Saltz's daughter was in town, and she could open the building for her to look at it.

"I told Clay, 'It's not going to hurt; let's go take a look at it,'" Huffman recalled. "We came in here, saw the space, and everything started working out."

The Huffmans closed on their purchase of the building in February. Right after that, she posted photos of her and her daughter in front of the building on social media and wrote: "Don't worry Dr. Saltz. We'll take excellent care of her. First day officially owners. Feeling super blessed."

"He'd been in business for so long and had such an impact, I wanted to make him and his family proud and make them feel good about selling this building," she added last week.

Though the building had been vacant for about 10 years, it was in good shape.

"It needed a lot of work, but the bones and the plumbing were good. It just needed an update," she said.

Huffman said she tried to keep much of Saltz's phone number. His was 461-2222; hers is 282-2222.

Before Saltz set up his medical practice in the 1970s, the building was a Weir's Country Dinners restaurant, according to a Le Deane Studio photograph taken in 1955.

Huffman will run her mental-health counseling service there, and she has three other tenants leasing space there to offer their services.

One is Dr. Tina Guerrero, who offers chiropractic services, acupuncture and nutritional services.

Another is Tonya Rivera, whose Sagebrush Hyphotherapy offers therapeutic hypnosis.

A third is Liliana Sandoval, whose Bella Bodies offers body sculpting, nonsurgical laser liposuction and skin care.

And there's space for a fifth healthcare provider.

"If you know a massage therapist, send them my way. I want them in here," Huffman said.

Huffman enrolled in Tucumcari MainStreet's FORGE business accelerator program.

"Anyone who starts a business, you think you know the basics, but you just don't," she said. "You need to go through this program. I found it to be very beneficial - lots of information, feedback, support, everything you need because you're going to hit bumps in the road and things you don't think of."

Huffman Counseling and Wellness held a soft opening last week so it could book patients and the clinic could be open in earnest this week.

Huffman said she's encouraged by the bookings and feedback she's received.

"I think we're going to do really well. I feel confident," she said. "I enjoy what I do, and I know I have a following. I'm ready to get back in and start serving the community."