photo by: Joselyn King
Wheeling Health Right Executive Director Kathie Brown speaks to Ohio County commissioners during a recent meeting.
WHEELING – The Wheeling Health Right call center will be on the road two extra days each month with the approval of the Ohio County Commission.
Commissioners recently passed a funding proposal that will bring cell phone coverage to many Ohio County communities. It costs $1,523 a day to take a cell phone on the road, and the county will pick up an additional $33,552 in annual costs.
Kathie Brown, executive director of Wheeling Health Right, told commissioners the agency has been going out every Thursday to provide care in local communities.
It is currently scheduled to go somewhere in Ohio County on the first Thursday of each month, and in Marshall County areas on the second Thursday.
It was going to Brooke County for third place Thursday, but that will change in January, according to Brown. Instead, it will start going to the public housing development in Hil-Dar on the third Thursday of every month.
Fourth Thursday the mobile unit visits Wetzel County.
Brooke County’s telehealth service “hasn’t gone away,” he said.
“But in Wetzel, Marshall and Ohio counties, there are meetings and things are starting to come together,” Brown continued. “We talked to Hil-Dar, and they are very worried about us coming there. There are many residents who do not come out at all.
“We will have a big party on the first Thursday we go to – which is January 16. We encourage people who live there to get involved and take advantage of what we have to offer.”
Brown told commissioners Wheeling Health Right’s primary goal is to have a mobile unit on the road three days a week while focusing on Ohio County.
Many county residents can’t get to the Wheeling Health Right clinic on 29th Street in Wheeling.
“It’s hard; it really is,” he said. “Every time we take our services to them, it works really well.”
Commissioner Zach Abraham, however, said expanding the service to two days a week would require too much commitment from commissioners to begin with.
“I think we should start with two days a month,” he suggested. Everyone agrees that it’s a good plan, but we have to figure out if we’re going to cut some space first.
Brown indicated that he would welcome any additional support.
“Even two extra days a month are important. Anytime we can go out to the community instead of them coming to us is important,” he said. “We’ve given out a lot of flu shots and COVID vaccines. We’re doing COVID testing and masks.
“Even if they don’t have time, we involve the community and ask them to join. It’s not just Right to Health patients. ”
Commissioner Randy Wharton asked if he had asked the city of Wheeling to support the mobile unit.
Brown said he hasn’t, but the city is giving HealthRight $25,000 in community development grants.
He told them that two extra days a month in Ohio County cities “makes sense,” and he was changing the schedule to accommodate the community.
#Tire #Health #Extend #Phone #Service #Days
