(The Center Square) – Ohio and local officials plan to open a mobile health clinic in Springfield, hoping to ease the strain on the community’s health care system following the influx of immigrants.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced the Ohio Department of Health and the Clark County Combined Health District will open a mobile health clinic next week to help deal with long wait times for primary care services and other impacts to the health care system in the area.
“Starting next week, the new mobile clinic will supplement and expand the primary healthcare services that are already here in Springfield,” DeWine said. “Our goal is to reduce wait times and to be able to provide the necessary health care services for everyone – whether you’ve lived in this community your whole life or you’ve just come into the community recently.”
Springfield and Clarke County continue to deal with stress on the health care system, law enforcement, infrastructure and schools following an influx of 12,000-15,000 Haitian immigrants over the past year. In July 2023, a new program from the Biden administration created pathways to lawful immigrants for Haitians, Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.
On ABC News over the weekend, DeWine said the Haitians have been drawn to Springfield because of employment opportunities, the business community is pleased with their employment, and the city’s economy has grown.
City officials have been asking for help in dealing with infrastructure, health care and educational system stress since July.
The clinic coming next week is expected to offer health assessments, vaccinations, lab testing, maternal and infant health and wellness. The Clark County Combined Health District will operate it.
“My commitment to the county and to the city of Springfield is that we, as a state, will not allow either the new mobile clinic or the permanent clinic to fail,” DeWine said. “There is a significant need here, and we intend to do everything that we can to bolster our capacity to reach more people.”
Earlier this month, the state sent $2.5 million in taxpayer dollars to Springfield to expand primary care services.