Wellness for all

For nearly 25 years, the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine has been steadily increasing access to health care for thousands of community members across 22 Southeast Ohio counties.

The College’s Community Health Programs (CHP), which began in 1994, today comprise 15 programs and initiatives, including the women-focused Family Navigator and the Breast Education Screening and Navigation programs. These programs fill the health care gaps created by high costs, cultural norms, and lack of convenience.

“I always say [CHP] is the outreach arm of the Heritage College,” says Carole Merckle, assistant director of CHP and Area Health Education Center.

Strategically using a combination of funding sources, such as grants from the Ohio Department of Health and Susan G. Komen Columbus, CHP staff are able to ensure no one is turned away because of their inability to pay.

A permanent clinic in Athens and a mobile health unit that logged more than 10,000 miles last year setting up same-day clinics at libraries, worksites, and other public spaces bring care to patients where they are—circumventing a primary obstacle for patients, Merckle says.

“A lot of women don’t have the time. It’s a convenience factor,” she says. “These same-day clinics are a convenience factor because they can get all their gynecological cancer screenings done in one visit."

What’s more, CHP Director Sherri Oliver says, these services don’t fit common stereotypes associated with free clinics.

“This is free health care, but it’s really high-quality health care,” she says. “Our staff are able to spend more time with each patient than what is typical in a traditional health care setting.”