A federally qualified health center soon will occupy a Ravenna building that once housed the Portage County Health District.
Mark Frisone, CEO of AxessPointe Community Health Centers, said the "one stop shop for health care" will include providers for pharmacy, dental, optometry, behavioral health and primary care. The Ravenna location also will focus on maternal care.
To make the project happen, Frisone needs to amass $3.5 million to $4 million in funding. The state of Ohio already has pledged $1 million to the project. Other funding sources also are being sought, including Community Development Block Grants from Portage County.
COVID funding allocated
State Rep. Gail Pavliga said the $1 million grant was part of a $700 million, one-time allocation statewide. In addition to AxessPointe, Portage County projects funded with federal money included $29 million for various items at Kent State University, improvements to Happy Trails Animal Sanctuary, improvements to parks in Shalersville and Mantua, funds for the Kent Fire Department and Kent Safety Town, Freedom Historical Society for a display of working farm equipment, HVAC improvements at Children's Advantage, and funds to build housing for the Serenity House Residential Facility.
Pavliga said she wants Axess Pointe to focus on maternal care, now that University Hospitals Portage Medical Center has closed its birthing center. The closure, which took place in fall 2022, left expectant moms scrambling for options in the middle of their pregnancies.
She said she hopes AxessPointe eventually will be able to handle live births, but for now, the center can help with prenatal care, including testing, blood pressure and ultrasound.
'An interdisciplinary approach to health care'
Frisone told Portage County commissioners in 2022 that he realized the need for a AxessPointe location in Ravenna when he learned that nearly 20% of those using the Kent location came from ZIP codes in the Ravenna area.
AxessPointe also has locations in Akron and Barberton.
In addition to maternal care, the Ravenna location will offer primary care, pharmacy services, optometry, pharmacy, dental and behavioral health. The providers, he said, will be able to collaborate, offering "an interdisciplinary approach to health care."
"It just leads to better outcomes," he said.
Frisone said he became an AxessPointe patient when he became CEO of the organization to see how the approach works, and has found it to be convenient.
"America's all about convenience," he said. "These are darn convenient for a community to be able to have."
He predicted that the center will be an economic driver for Ravenna, offering high-paying health care jobs.
"Health care is a big economic driver in any community," he said.
Social service merger boosts effort
In January, AxessPointe merged with Family and Community Services of Portage County. Frisone has been CEO of both organizations for three years, and had always envisioned bringing both organizations together.
Frisone said the combined social service agency is one of the largest non-profits in northeast Ohio. The agency is now able to address "social determinants of health," such as access to food and transportation to medical appointments.
"It just made sense to me," he said. "It was one of the a-ha moments."
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.
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