EAST PALESTINE — A health assessment clinic will open at noon today for East Palestine area residents who have medical concerns related to the Feb. 3 train derailment.

Sponsored by the Ohio Department of Health in partnership with the Columbiana County Health Department with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the clinic will be at the First Church of Christ, 20 W. Martin St., East Palestine. In addition to two assessment rooms inside the church, a mobile unit operated by the Community Action Agency of Columbiana County will be parked outside the church in order to accommodate more appointments.

Hours this week through Saturday in the church assessment rooms are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The assessment clinic will be closed Sunday.

The mobile unit will be open noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

The hours the week of Feb. 27 to March 4 will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday in the church assessment rooms. The mobile unit will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Community members can schedule appointments by calling 234-564-7755 or 234-564-7888.

The clinic will be staffed by registered nurses, nurse practitioners and a toxicologist who will be either on site or available by phone. Mental health specialists also will be on hand.

Columbiana County Health Department spokesperson Laura Fauss said county health district staff members will answer the phones and set up the appointments and also be on hand at the clinic. Similar to what the district did during the COVID-19 pandemic, the health department is using Prolink, a staff company that will provide nurses.

“We’re the boots on the ground,” she said.

The news release issued by the Ohio Department of Health said this is the latest move in an extensive effort by Gov. Mike DeWine and a number of state agencies to help the village recover from the derailment and chemical spill.

“Last week, I was in East Palestine and listened as many area residents expressed their concerns and fears,” ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, said. “I heard you, the state heard you, and now the Ohio Department of Health and many of our partner agencies are providing this clinic, where people can come and discuss these vital issues with medical providers.

“We encourage anyone who has medical concerns or questions to take advantage of this resource,” he said.

Referrals will be made if needed, he said.

When asked if the health department had received any confirmed reports of medical issues caused by the train derailment, Fauss said they had not received any yet, but had heard the same as everyone else that people were getting rashes, headaches and coughing.

During a news conference livestreamed from Columbus on Friday, DeWine announced the medical assessment clinic would be established this week in East Palestine through the Ohio Department of Health with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

He stressed at the time that the decision to establish a clinic was not based on the air sampling or water sampling results, noting the testing has shown the water is safe to drink on the village water system and the air is clean, but he also recognized the toll the last two weeks since the train derailment has taken on village residents.

“We know that the science says that East Palestine is safe, but we also know that residents are very worried. They are asking themselves, ‘Is my headache just a headache, or is it a result of the chemical spill? Are other medical symptoms caused by the spill? Those are very legitimate questions and residents deserve answers,” DeWine said.

The medical experts coming to East Palestine will be able to answer questions, evaluate symptoms and provide their medical expertise, he said, adding the people on the ground will have access to the best experts in the world regarding chemical exposures.

During that news conference, Vanderhoff said they’ll also be working with the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, which will be able to provide area medical providers with information on how to address their patients’ concerns.

Regarding the testing of water wells in the East Palestine area, Fauss explained that no final results have been received yet, but they’re expecting the results early this week. The health department increased staff for that by partnering with registered environmental health specialists (sanitarians) from other counties, giving them four two-member teams to perform the testing.

She noted these teams are separate from the teams being used by the Norfolk Southern contractor. They’re both at the properties at the same time, but each team is getting its own separate sample, which are then sent to two separate labs.

To date, she said more than 50 wells have been tested and there are more to do. She said they’re trying to determine where to go scientifically according to ground water flow and surface water flow, noting that they’ll be heading toward Negley along state Route 170.

“We’re just doing the best we can,” Fauss said.

People can call 330-849-3919 to request the air monitoring in their home by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or to get their water well tested by the county and Norfolk Southern.

Lori Criss, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director, also spoke about mental health services available during the recent press conference, telling people they can call 211 to learn about local providers for counseling services or call the Ohio Care Line at 1-800-720-9616 for free 24/7 confidential counseling.

mgreier@mojonews.com