Officials with the Arc of the Mid-Ohio Valley appeared before the Wood County Commission on Monday to talk about the services they provide to the community. They are Executive Director Liz Ford, self-advocate coordinator Melissa Southall, program and activities coordinator for the Arc of West Virginia Doug Hess and regional coordinator in West Virginia Birth to Three Program Michelle Curtis. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — Transportation is an issue that impacts many people from accessing services across the region.

Representatives from the Arc of the Mid-Ohio Valley, the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department and the WVU Medicine Camden Clark Foundation appeared before the Wood County Commission on Monday to give an overview of the services they provide to the community.

The Arc works to ensure satisfying and productive lives for children and adults with intellectual, cognitive and related developmental disabilities by providing programs and services that encourage, empower and assist these individuals and their families to live, learn, work, worship and play in their communities.

The Arc has over 30 programs, including a thrift store, educational programs and conducts regular meetings for people with disabilities.

”All of this is done so people with disabilities can live seamlessly in the community just like everyone else does,” said Doug Hess, program and activities coordinator for the Arc of West Virginia.

Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department Executive Director Eric Walker did a presentation Monday to the Wood County Commission on the services the health department offers as Commissioner Bob Tebay listens. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Hess talked about transportation issues that can keep their clients from working and being productive citizens.

Arc of the Mid-Ohio Valley Executive Director Liz Ford said the disabled make up the largest minority block in the country. ”We do whatever we can to educate them,” she said.

Hess said West Virginia has the largest per capita number of people with disabilities nationwide.

”It is the only population, unfortunately, people can join instantly with an accident where you have a traumatic brain injury,” he said.

Melissa Southhall, self-advocate coordinator for People First of West Virginia (which is affiliated with the Arc), talked about transportation needs many people with disabilities face.

Kim Couch of the WVU Medicine Camden Clark Foundation talks about the services the foundation offers before the Wood County Commission on Monday. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

”That is one of the biggest things I hear,” she said.

Ford said people have trouble getting to doctor appointments and needed services.

”These are things a lot of people don’t think about, because we walk out and get into our car,” she said. Others talked how Parkersburg is fortunate to have the Easy Rider service that helps people get around town. However, that does not help them get around the state.

”Many of us with disabilities want to work and want to be productive citizens, but those who don’t drive or have transportation makes it very hard to do that,” Southall said.

Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department Executive Director Eric Walker did a presentation on the services the health department offers, including clinical services, oral health, epidemiology, environmental health, population health, threat preparedness and programs for women, infants and children.

Diabetes and obesity remain big problems in the area, he said. The area has seen a rise in syphilis. The opioid crisis remains a big problem for the area which is leading to the rise of Hepatitis A and B cases in the area.

”There have been no cases in West Virginia of Hepatitis B being transferred from a food service worker to a patron,” said Carrie Brainard, public information officer for the health department, in response to a case that appeared at an area restaurant.

”We are trying to be pre-cautionary,” she said of vaccines given at a local establishment where it was discovered.

Kim Couch, executive director at WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center Foundation, spoke about the foundation’s work. She is also the wife of Commission President Blair Couch.

”We are looking for barriers to care within our community and utilizing funds to reduce or eliminate those barriers,” she said. ”There are so many barriers.”

She spoke about the drug abuse problem and a program that is being started at Camden Clark where people will come in and cuddle newborn infants who were born addicted to drugs. The foundation also raises money for the Pink Mammogram Fund, which helps fund mammograms and other services for women who are uninsured or underinsured, among programs they raise money for.

Transportation is an issue for a lot of people, whether it is getting to appointments or patients being discharged who have to wait for a family member to come and pick them up, Couch said.

”There are people who will get a cancer diagnosis, get a treatment plan and they either delay treatment or never get it at all because they can’t afford to add to their budget to cover transportation costs for six weeks of chemo or radiation therapy which requires them to come to the hospital everyday,” Couch said. ”It is amazing how transportation will affect that. That is a huge issue for us.”

It affects people with cardiac issues, diabetes and other ailments who live on a fixed income.

Gas is around $2.50 a gallon which many people can manage. If it would go to $3 a gallon again, it will impact people’s health, Couch said.

”You see people start to cancel appointments and not able to keep their treatment plan,” she said. ”Transportation can affect that with the cost of gas.”

Many people have relied on taxi services to get to and from appointments. They are looking for more Uber or Lyft drivers that might be able to do something as well, she said.

The foundation informs the community about what is happening at the hospital and the issues facing the community, Couch said.

County officials want to create links on the county’s website to these organizations under a “Community Engagement” tab/listing. People would be able to go to the county website and look at listings to see if one of those organizations can help them with services.