Easterseals has been a resource for families facing disabilities nationwide for over 100 years, and now they seek to expand those resources for the people of St. Clair County.  

At the Pell City City Council meeting held on Thursday, Dec. 21, David Higgins, executive director of Easterseals, presented a plan to city council members about a possible location in Pell City. The plan includes creating a space that would serve as a health clinic for those without insurance who need to seek non-emergency medical care, whether they are disabled or not. Approximately 11 percent of St. Clair County residents are uninsured, and Higgins hopes to bridge that gap with the Easterseals services.  

“We would like to utilize space at the (Social Services Center) building,” Higgins said, “to help the citizens of the city and the county. St. Vincent’s St. Clair helped over 5,000 patients that were not insured and not true emergencies. That creates a huge economic impact, and we want to help serve those patients.” 

Easterseals has been available to citizens of Blount and St. Clair Counties, but their office is located in Pelham. Higgins wanted to create a space that would be more convenient for people in the area.  

Their goal is to be in the location by Spring 2018, but would require cooperation from the agencies currently occupying the building, including Community Action, The Christian Love Pantry, and St. Clair Referral Services, Inc. 

“We have some available space,” Pell City City Manager Brian Muenger stated. “There is a lot of positive synergy with those agencies and a lot of the same clients will utilize those services.” 

Easterseals offers services to over one million people of all ages with a variety of disabilities worldwide.  Easterseals works with a network of 73 communities nationwide and international partners in Australia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Canada to offer home and community-based services that they categorize into five support areas: Live, Learn, Work, and Play.  

“Live” incorporates Day Care, In-Home Care, Therapy, Mental Health, and Autism resources.  “Learn” focuses on accessibility, safety tips, transportation, and offers guides for caregivers. “Work” has programs for employment and training, Veteran reintegration, and Senior Career Employment. “Play” has learning resources such as Brain Games, Respite Services, and Camping and Recreation.  

While each location offers different services, David Higgins hopes to expand those services if they are able to locate to Pell City to include dental care, mental health care, and partnering with UAB and local hospitals for specialists services. They currently have a 7500 square foot pediatric outpatient clinic in Springville, where their ten therapists offer speech therapy to children. The location in Pell City would potentially be a full-service clinic, eventually offering prescription services as well.    

“We also want to help identify persons that are underemployed or unemployed that have disabilities, and give them the opportunity to gain better employment with benefits,” Higgins said. “Collaborating with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services we can provide employment training to fully bring that benefit to bear for the citizens of St. Clair County.”  

The program will also benefit from the Jefferson State School of Nursing with Dr. Cristy Daffron involved. All medical personnel are volunteers from local hospitals, clinics, and nursing schools such as the one at Jefferson State Community College or the Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing at Samford University.  

“There are a lot of resources in the county but not a lot of connection,” Dr. Daffron stated. “We would like to be that dot connector, taking care of people and getting them where they need to go.” 

For more information about Easterseals, visit www.easterseals.com or contact David Higgins at 205-942-6277.  

“We are working with Pell City and other city leaders to bring this service to the county,” Higgins said. “There is a lot of momentum and we are very excited.”