ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio University and several area health care service providers are exploring the establishment of a comprehensive regional health care facility in Athens, Ohio, officials announced today.
Representatives from Appalachian Behavioral Health Care, Tri-County Mental Health and Counseling, Health Recovery Services and the colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Arts and Sciences, Health and Human Services and Fine Arts from Ohio University have been investigating a possible expansion of the Appalachian Behavioral Health Care facility which is located at 100 Hospital Drive. The expansion would allow for the creation of a collaborative partnership among the various agencies that would provide a wide range of clinical services to citizens of the region.
Such an expanded facility would offer the services of primary and specialty physicians, audiologists, social workers, speech pathologists, physical therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health and chemical dependency counselors, and others, said Interim Provost Gary Schumacher.
"Our goal is to forge a community-academic partnership in which all parties interact and collaborate," he said.
The facility will centralize health care services as well as resources, noted Ohio University President Robert Glidden.
"The health care needs of families in southeastern Ohio are immense," Glidden said. "Transportation, finances and fundamental communication and information are often barriers to the health and well-being many of us take for granted. By pooling our resources within the university, and forming a partnership with the state and community, we hope we would be able to assist many more families."
"I believe that, working together and with the help of the state and our communities, we can improve our outreach to neglected areas" Glidden said. "The future vitality and well-being of our region depends on the health of its population."
Ohio Department of Mental Health Director Mike Hogan said the new partnerships would build on a strong history of collaboration. "With the co-location of Tri-County, Health Recovery Services, and our Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare facility, southeastern Ohio enjoys good access to a wide array of services. The expanded partnership with the university will support these programs, and help us train much-needed health professionals, especially for this underserved part of the state," he added.
The new facility would link a variety of clinics to one another as well as community-based caregivers and mobile service providers, and could provide telemedicine linkage through the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Services, such as patient reception, communications, maintenance, security and food, would be combined for greater efficiency while maintaining patient privacy.
Research into the health problems of the region would be a key function of the comprehensive facility. Researchers from the Appalachian Rural Health Initiative, the Rural AIDS project, health psychology, and the College of Osteopathic Medicine would investigate such health problems as diabetes, AIDS, cardiovascular illness and other problems endemic to the region, Schumacher said. The comprehensive facility would also provide more clinical and research training opportunities for students from many departments and agencies, he said.
