EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Just a day after it opened, the Health Assessment Clinic in East Palestine is offering expanded services to patients affected by the train derailment in the village earlier this month.
According to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), all visitors to the clinic will now have their vital signs taken and then be seen by a doctor for a medical examination. Mental health specialists and a toxicologist are also available for consultation.
“We have been working to bring additional medical resources to the community as quickly as possible,” said ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA. “I am pleased we now can offer people a more complete medical evaluation.”
The clinic is located at the First Church of Christ in East Palestine and is being operated by the ODH in partnership with the Columbiana County Health Department and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physicians from East Liverpool City Hospital will also be supporting the clinic.
ODH has also expanded the area for patient eligibility beyond East Palestine to include residents of Unity Township, Ohio as well as Beaver County, Pennsylvania residents in zip codes 16115, 16120, and 16141.
The clinic will be open at least through March 4. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except for this Friday (Feb. 24) when it is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Appointments can be scheduled by calling (234) 564-7755 or (234) 564-7888.
The derailment in East Palestine occurred on Feb. 3, when a 150-car Norfolk Southern freight train came off the tracks and caught fire. Due to the potential for an explosion, officials evacuated everyone within a one-mile radius and conducted a "controlled release" of hazardous chemicals. Although residents were cleared to return home just days following the release, there continue to be health and safety concerns.
