Esperanza, Well being, Therapeutic: Individuals with the Well being Middle of the Ohio Valley celebrated the annual free clinic gala on the St. Florian Occasion Middle on Sunday. From the left are Jeff Oechslein, grasp of ceremonies; Wilma Ching Household Belief Ching, Group Accomplice of the 12 months; Government Director Ann Quillen; Susan Tarr, volunteer of the 12 months; and Medical Director Dr. Charn Nandra. Sister Mary Meyers was appointed medical supplier of the 12 months. – Christopher Dacanay
Wintersville-Private, volunteers and supporters of the Well being Middle of the Ohio Valley found the thriller behind entry to medical care throughout the annual gala Sunday of the free clinic on the St. Florian occasion middle.
The gala with the theme of masks acknowledged the elemental taxpayers, raised cash and acknowledged the impression of the OVHC on the group, offering medical consideration to residents with out insurance coverage and with inadequate insurance coverage of the Ohio Valley, no matter their means to pay.
“Right here on the Well being Middle of the Ohio Valley, daily begins because the chapter to open a thriller,” stated government director Ann Quillen. “It’s not darkish, however of the sort filled with promise: a narrative that hopes to be revealed to 1 particular person on the identical time. We by no means know who will stroll by our doorways, what fees they’ll carry or what sort of therapeutic they look forward to finding. However we do know this: they won’t face these unknowns alone.”
Because the OVHC opened its doorways 19 years in the past, it has served greater than 5,000 particular person sufferers, representing greater than 26,000 affected person visits, stated Quillen. Solely final 12 months, the clinic offered greater than $ 1.5 million in free medical providers and recipes.
Nearly 300 sufferers have been recorded up to now this 12 months, every of them a “historical past of braveness, resilience and transformation,” stated Quillen.
A kind of 300 sufferers was Jeff Williams of Bloomingdale, whose experiences with the OVHC have been counted by a video message. After dropping his job and medical insurance, Williams turned to OVHC for the assessments, stimulated by his household historical past of coronary heart issues.
The continual signs associated to the center in early 2025 led Williams to return for extra assessments, together with an echocardiogram, which the clinic offered by its personal machine financed by subsidies. Medical suppliers adjusted their medicines, improved their situation and allowed them to proceed residing fully for his or her household.
Diagnostic assessments are certainly one of OVHC’s capabilities, together with most cancers exams, recipe help, case administration, meals dietary supplements and transport support, stated Quillen.
Such an impression wouldn’t be doable with out the devoted OVHC staff, stated Quillen. The audio system provided phrases of gratitude all through this system, recognizing employees, medical suppliers, volunteers, the Board of Administrators and the sponsors.
Amongst these acknowledged have been sister Mary Meyers, the physician in follow of nursing and the medical supplier of the 12 months; Susan Tarr of A & B Pharmacy, voluntary of the 12 months; and the Household Belief Ching, Group Companions of the 12 months.
Mark Judy, vice chairman of the OVHC Board, stated the clinic generates providers value $ 2.50 for each $ 1 that extends by its finances. He added that the annual gala is the most important fundraising within the OVHC, because it offered 35 % of the clinic’s earnings final 12 months.