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

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

The wellness district has been involved in several elements of the response like the improvement and implementation of the potable water sampling strategy that informs sampling for private water wells in the location and enables the chance for residents who have been impacted by the derailment to have their water co-sampled by the wellness district and Norfolk Southern at no expense. Along with peace of thoughts, this ongoing sampling plan has offered a total of 442 sets of final sample final results to date.

The wellness district led state and federal partners in opening and operating the short-term Well being Assessment Clinic at 1st Church of Christ in East Palestine.This no cost clinic offered residents who had wellness concerns or issues connected to the derailment the chance to speak with healthcare and mental wellness pros. The clinic was open for 28 days and served 338 folks.The Columbiana County Well being District also initiated the establishment of the permanent Well being Clinic positioned in East Palestine which is now operated by East Liverpool City Hospital and continues to serve residents with derailment connected wellness issues no cost of charge.

“This is a testament to our public wellness partnership from the nearby to the federal level. Partners are our greatest strength. Our residents have benefited considerably thanks to all of the challenging operate that the wellness district employees and our public wellness partners have, and continue to do,” mentioned 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 have to have for a lengthy-term private effectively sampling plan to make certain protected drinking water for houses impacted by the derailment.

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

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