The Columbiana County Wellness District has received the Ohio Division of Wellness Director’s Award for its ongoing response to the East Palestine train derailment. Pictured are Ohio Division of Wellness Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, left, with Columbiana County Wellness Director Dr. Wesley Vins. (Submitted photo)

LISBON — The Columbiana County Wellness District has received the Ohio Division of Wellness Director’s Award for its ongoing response to the East Palestine train derailment. Ohio Division of Wellness Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff commended the district and its employees although presenting the award to Columbiana County Wellness Commissioner Dr. Wesley J. Vins at this year’s Ohio Public Wellness Conference.

The well being district has been involved in quite a few elements of the response such as the improvement and implementation of the potable water sampling strategy that informs sampling for private water wells in the region and permits the chance for residents who have been impacted by the derailment to have their water co-sampled by the well being district and Norfolk Southern at no price. Along with peace of thoughts, this ongoing sampling system has supplied a total of 442 sets of final sample outcomes to date.

The well being district led state and federal partners in opening and operating the short-term Wellness Assessment Clinic at Very first Church of Christ in East Palestine.This absolutely free clinic supplied residents who had well being queries or issues associated to the derailment the chance to speak with healthcare and mental well being experts. The clinic was open for 28 days and served 338 folks.The Columbiana County Wellness District also initiated the establishment of the permanent Wellness Clinic positioned in East Palestine which is now operated by East Liverpool City Hospital and continues to serve residents with derailment associated well being issues absolutely free of charge.

“This is a testament to our public well being partnership from the nearby to the federal level. Partners are our greatest strength. Our residents have benefited considerably thanks to all of the difficult operate that the well being district employees and our public well being partners have, and continue to do,” stated Vins when asked what this award meant to the division.

Vins also took advocacy for East Palestine residents to Washington, D.C. this March when he testified in a hearing held by the Residence Power and Commerce Subcommittee on Atmosphere. He focused on neighborhood recovery and the want for a lengthy-term private nicely sampling system to assure protected drinking water for residences impacted by the derailment.

The Columbiana County Wellness District was established in 1919 and accomplished national accreditation from the Public Wellness Accreditation Board in 2022.

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