Moving an entire department to a temporary location while continuing to offer the same services might sound like a tough challenge, but it is one the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department’s Clinical staff has stepped up to overcome.
The Wood County building, which houses many of the clinical employees at least part of the week, suffered from a water line break over the Memorial Day weekend, causing damages to the building and equipment, and all operations had to be moved elsewhere to continue to serve their clients until a new building could be found.
For the clinical department, it also meant storing their vaccines off-site as well.
“We stored our vaccines at WVU Camden Hospital for a while, and went to get them (and bring them to the current site) when needed. We recently moved them again,” said Christi Merrill, the Clinical Director for MOVHD. “And we have to go to the site twice a day to check the temperatures (for safety.)
The logistics have just been harder, we’ve had a lot of things to deal with.”
The Wood County Clinical Department has been hosted by the South Parkersburg Baptist Church on Division Street, in their Wellness Center, and the staff has been very grateful.
“The staff here has been so kind to us and have been so welcoming,” Merrill said, noting that they have had to move an examination table, a refrigerator, and a lot of supplies into the facility.
Merrill said not having their own space can be awkward. “We’ve been putting stuff away when we leave every day, and then getting it out the next day. We know we’re in someone else’s space.”
There’s one exam area, which means less appointments available each day, though the staff does what they can to maximize it for their clients during this time.
So far, the clinic has seen 675 patients this year, which is down from last year’s numbers at this time, possibly because of the confusion related to having to relocate.
“We’ve been through a lot for 3 months,” Merill said.
Though the Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane and Wirt County offices have been keeping their usual business hours and locations, Wood County’s absence has had an effect on them.
“They are doing good, but it’s been an adjustment for them too,” said Merrill. They’ve had Wood staff coming out to other offices, and many phone calls have been diverted to Pleasants County, and that can be harder on them.”
But they too have taken this situation in stride. “They’ve been very helpful, getting the faxes, sending mail and/or packages to (Wood) and with communication – it took a few weeks to get everything going, but it happened.”
The Wood County staff has been able to bounce back and continue the hard work they had been doing before all of this. “We’ve just learned to adjust; it’s not perfect, but we come every day ready to see patients and do what we normally do,” Merrill said. “I try to keep a positive attitude, because if I get negative, the staff will, and this is the situation we’re in, and we are going to continue to see patients the best way we can.”
Merill has nothing but praise for all of her staff. “The staff has given it their all and I am proud of them for that.”