SHELBY — Third Street Family Health Services saw total patients increase by more than 100% across the past five years at their Shelby center.
Located at 31 E. Main St, the Shelby Health and Wellness Center is currently undergoing renovations to expand services including OB/GYN, behavioral health and existing medical and dental areas.
Peggy Anderson, Third Street CEO, said the team is hoping to reopen the Shelby center this August.
“It’s a pretty significant primary care and dental location,” she said. “We’re investing more than $1 million for this, including some grant money.
“We’re adding some services and overall, making the inside layout more collaborative and easy to navigate.”
Alex Goff, development director for Third Street Family Health Services, said the Shelby Community Foundation, Delta Dental, the Gorman Family Foundation and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have contributed to the Shelby expansion.
“None of this would be possible without all of the support we have received,” he said.
Third Street serves Richland, Ashland and Crawford counties. Its merger last year with Community Counseling & Wellness Centers in Bucyrus and Marion expanded mental health services.
Mansfield Middle School to host school-based health center
Third Street Family Health Services opened a school-based health center at Malabar Intermediate School in 2019. Anderson said two community health workers help students and parents with mental health coping skills.
A nurse practitioner also visits regularly to provide medical services.
“That location has been fantastic,” Anderson said. “Kids get back to school so much faster if they have medical or mental issues. Parents can come into those sessions too, or even use telehealth.”
Malabar Care Connect has a full-time therapist. Other staff members also provide sports physicals, vaccines and other medical services.
Funds from AndHealth and the HRSA are supporting the expansion of the Malabar clinic and a new site at Mansfield Middle School.
Anderson said Third Street hopes to open the Mansfield Middle School location near the start of the fall semester. It will offer pediatric care, sick visits, telehealth appointments, dental hygiene and behavioral health resources.
The site will be adjacent to Mansfield Senior High School and also accessible to high school students.
“We’ll be looking to bring in a therapist, community health worker and a dental hygienist for that location,” Anderson said.
“Our main goal is to provide healthcare resources to students who might not have them and support healthier outcomes for kids, teachers and families.”
Matt Scantland, Founder and CEO of AndHealth, said his organization chose to support the school-based care centers to expand healthcare access, particularly to children.
“Their centers are an innovative and important lifeline to ensure that our communities’ children — both our future and our most vulnerable population — are supported with mental and physical health services,” he said.
“It is an honor to support them in this community investment.”
Mobile unit to serve schools & other community areas
Goff said Third Street’s mobile unit will travel to schools and other areas where medical care is needed.
He said the team plans to launch mobile services this spring, which is believed to be the first mobile unit in Ohio to provide both medical and dental services.
Services will include primary care, pediatrics, vaccines, dental and lab services. The mobile health and wellness center will also officer medication-assisted therapy and telehealth appointments.
Anderson said the mobile center aims to reduce transportation barriers some patients may have for healthcare.
“Most of our clients receive Medicaid or Medicare, so our main goal is making sure they get the care they need,” she said.
“We plan to have the mobile unit go to all of our service areas in Richland, Ashland, Crawford and Marion counties.”
The Richland County Foundation, S.N. and Ada Ford Fund and the Black Family Foundation have all donated to support the mobile health and wellness center.
