YOUcare QUICKmed clinics open at East and Chaney high schools

YOUNGSTOWN — YOUcare QUICKMed clinics opened at East and Chaney high schools this week to provide medical services within the city.

Debra Wrenn, a nurse practitioner at the East High School location, said Youngstown has a lack of doctors available so many people have been forced to go outside of the city or to the emergency room for non-emergency situations.

“These are strategically placed clinics that provide a service that’s second to none in the tri-county area,” Wrenn said.

The high schools were chosen as clinic locations since not many doctor’s offices to offer services on both the east and west side of Youngstown. There is one nurse practitioner at each location but additional staffing can be added as the need grows.

Clinic services will be similar to urgent care including diagnostic testing, prescriptions, labs and COVID-19 testing. If additional services are needed, the clinic can refer patients to other doctors.

The district plans to get students up-to-date on their vaccinations and physicals whenever they return to in-person classes, officlals have said.

The clinics will work with the school psychologists and school social workers on the health of students without an increase in cost to the district, Wrenn said.

Wrenn said it was difficult to utilize those resources before since there wasn’t someone to directly contact students to those services. Now, the clinic will be able to contact the district’s psychologists and socials workers to get students' appointments immediately.

“We’ll be able to utilize the services that are already here in the school district to their highest capacity,” Wrenn said.

The school nurse will still be available to students. If the nurse can’t treat what the student needs, then they will be taken to the clinic.

During last month’s CEO update, Youngstown City Schools nursing supervisor Kenyetta Burr said the clinic will help students' attendance. There is only so much a school nurse can do so students often return to school the next day with the same issue since they are unable to get a doctor’s appointment.

Wrenn said there have not been many patients so far since it’s the second day of the clinic being open. She’s is hoping once word spreads about the clinic, people will take advantage of the services available.

Wrenn has worked in healthcare in Youngstown for 30 years so she said she understands the need for services like this to be available in the city.

“Why I feel it's so unique and important is because we're in the community that the population sort of needs us the most,” Wrenn said.

Dr. Lena Esmail, CEO of QUICKmed clinics, is continuing to look for more locations to open QUICKmed clinics where there is a lack of services available to the community, Wrenn said.

“She really saw the need and wants to fill the need,” Wrenn said.

The clinics are currently open to Youngstown City Schools students and staff but will eventually open to the community. Care will be provided to anyone with insurance, though nobody will be turned away.

The clinics will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at East High School and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays at Chaney High School.

Call the East clinic directly at 330-740-4005, ext. 6938, or the Chaney clinic at 330-744-8822, ext. 6978. To make an appointment at either clinic, call 330-744-0221.

This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 4:11 AM with the headline "YOUcare QUICKmed clinics open at East and Chaney high schools."