Treating East Palestine residents 6 months since train derailment
It’s been six months since a Norfolk Southern train derailed and released hazardous chemicals in East Palestine. This drew statewide and national attention, many calling for increased provisions for railroad safety.
Treating patients at East Palestine Primary Care
Residents now have access to a walk-in primary care and virtual care at the East Palestine Primary Care center, where Mercy Health staff are dedicated to caring for this local community.
Dr. John Kravec is the chief clinical officer for Mercy Health in Youngstown and surrounding areas including Columbiana County and Lorain County.
“Mercy Health physicians in Youngstown have had a practice in East Palestine for several decades, so we have served the patients and residents of East Palestine and the surrounding communities for a long time,” he said. “That said, we have expanded our service in East Palestine. We’ve had a primary care practice for a long time, but we’ve added walk-in care as well. This is our ninth walk-in care in the Mahoning Valley, and we felt there was a need for more immediately available care for those in East Palestine.”
Dr. Kravec said many patients are coming in for treatment and check-ups related to the derailment, as well as expected seasonal illnesses and mental health concerns.
“What we’ve learned with Mercy Health is that we are a main community partner, and so we worked with health departments, local schools, through COVID-19 and now through this train derailment,” he said.
“Our physicians, our nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses are there for the residents of East Palestine and we will take care of them for their physical needs and their emotional needs, whatever care they need,” Dr. Kravec continued. “We’re seeing patients for physical ailments, still things such as their diabetes and high blood pressure. We’re seeing them for upper respiratory infections, cough, cold, maybe from COVID-19, maybe from influenza, or maybe if there was some irritant from right around the time of the train derailment. We’re seeing them for depression and anxiety they may have had for many years; or maybe it’s something new, related to the train derailment. I think that’s the advantage of what primary care does while you’re here, we try to care for any of the needs they have at that moment.”
East Palestine Emergency Support Program application available now
Many businesses lost revenue after the derailment as people weren’t as willing to travel to East Palestine for appointments, events and shopping.
Yesterday, the Ohio Department of Development announced businesses can apply for the East Palestine Emergency Support program.
The program can give out no interest loans with potential for forgiveness in order to assist businesses with ongoing expenses and recovery efforts after the train derailment.
Here are some more details about eligibility for businesses and requirements:
For-profit and nonprofit Ohio businesses located within a two-mile radius of East Palestine that were operational on or prior to December 1, 2022, are eligible to apply for loans ranging from $10,000 to $1 million.
In total, $5 million in loans will be available.
Applicants are encouraged to work with local partners for assistance on completing the application:
~the Columbiana County Port Authority, Small Business Development Center at Kent State Tuscarawas, and Small Business Development Center at Youngstown State University. Partner contact information can be found on the program webpage.Business owners can view, complete and save their application; official submission of applications starts at 10 a.m. Aug. 24.
Funding through the program will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Funds will be eligible for forgiveness if used for payroll, employee benefits, rent or mortgage payments, utility expenses, worker protections related to the train derailment, and inventory replacement expenses associated with the train derailment.
‘Norfolk Southern still hasn’t cleaned up its act’ - Sen. Sherrod Brown
Senators Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance proposed the Bipartisan Railway Safety Act to prevent future derailments in the state.
It’ll revisit safety for trains carrying hazardous materials, the definition of “high-hazard” trains and the heightened safety requirements.
According to the Ohio Capital Journal, the bill would set a minimum crew size of two, require wayside detectors at regular intervals and impose stiffer penalties for safety violations.
According to Sen. Brown’s office, Norfolk Southern and other rail road companies aren’t keen with the heightened safety, but he and Vance aren’t giving up.
“Six months after the East Palestine derailment, Norfolk Southern still hasn’t cleaned up its act,” said Sen. Brown. “After years of raking in massive profits while cutting workers and cutting corners on safety, the company and the railroad industry continue to fight even the most basic safety rules in our bipartisan Rail Safety Act. We cannot allow what happened to East Palestine to ever be forgotten – or ever happen again. Norfolk Southern must pay for monitoring and addressing the long-term environmental and public health impacts of the derailment in East Palestine. I’ll keep holding the big rail companies accountable for the damages their derailments have caused to communities across my state. And even after the cameras have left, I’ll keep fighting for East Palestine for as long as it takes to make this community whole.”
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