Health department opens at new location in Wooster

Since 2008, the building at 244 W. South Street has housed the American Red Cross. But, due to operational changes, that is no longer the case.

In 2021, the Red Cross gifted the building to the county commissioners, who contacted Health Commissioner Nick Cascarelli to see if he was interested in moving. After two years of planning and renovation, Cascarelli and his staff finally moved from their former 203 S. Walnut St location.

According to Cascarelli, the health department will fully utilize the additional space.

“The rooms at our previous building were tiny,” Cascarelli said. “When a family comes in with a stroller, it takes space to service that client comfortably. We also added an additional clinic room for our community clinic and an additional counseling room for our WIC (Women, Infants, Children) program.”

The primary objective of the health department is to safeguard the health of the community by:

—Promoting healthy lifestyles.

—Preventing and monitoring disease.

—Protecting and preparing against environmental and public health risks.

As a trusted health authority, the health department also advocates for the optimal health of residents through education, outreach, and services. In addition, the staff develops and delivers educational campaigns and initiatives to raise awareness about crucial public health issues, encourage healthy behaviors, and empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health.

By focusing on prevention, communities have the opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle and protect themselves from potential health threats through vaccinations and education.

“This building also allows us to facilitate care to those with access barriers,” Cascarelli continued. “If it comes to a point where there is a need in the community, we will be able to provide that care here as the need arises.”

The department will continue to provide vaccines, but the added space allows the clinicians to react to the community’s needs.

“One example of the work we do clinically is when we had to shift gears is the overdosing issues,” Cascarelli said. “We train community members on how to administer Naloxone, the opiate overdose reversal drug. Now we have a much bigger area to provide that training.”

To learn more about the services provided by the health department, visit www.wayne-health.org or phone 330-264-9590.

Dan Starcher is the Public Communications Coordinator for Wayne County.