People needing healthcare in St. Clair County that can’t afford insurance now have an option.

On Friday, Easterseals held a ribbon cutting for their new Community Health Clinic in Pell City that will serve the people of St. Clair County.

“We are so pleased to have this facility,” said Pell City City Councilman Jay Jenkins. “This is going to help a lot of people.”

Over the past nine months, David Higgins, Executive Director of Easterseals, has been working with the City of Pell City, Jefferson State Community College, the Ida Moffett School of Nursing at Samford University and local businesses and volunteers to open the clinic to serve the community.  The new location is at 205 Edwin Holladay Place in Pell City, which also houses the Christian Love Pantry and Community Action of Central Alabama. 

“I couldn’t have asked for better support for the people of St. Clair County,” said Higgins. “It’s important to make this a true community effort. We want to listen to what is going on and give everyone a voice. We are honored to serve the community.”

Volunteers from Jefferson State Community College and others painted walls, installed new tile flooring, and arranged medical equipment and decorative items, all of which were donated. Local pharmacies such as Pell City Pharmacy and Main Street Pharmacy have also helped by donating medication and medical supplies.

“There are so many people to acknowledge,” said Annette Hess, PhD, FNP-BC, CNS Associate Professor at Samford University Ida Moffett School of Nursing. “So many people in the community have come together to help.”

Hess said that so far, they have at least 70 patients already signed up to receive services. She will be volunteering her time and experience to help in the clinic. Samford students in the Nurse Practitioner and Pharmacy School will be doing clinical rotations at the new location.  Nursing students from Jefferson State Community College will also be doing rotations.

“Our mission is to help and to make a difference in the lives of others,” said Hess. 

According to 2017 Census information, approximately 12,000 people in St. Clair County do not have health insurance. The new clinic will serve people ages 19-64 and there was a large need for the area, Higgins stated. 

“We all know people individually that need these services,” said Pell City City Manager Brian Muenger. “People have really gotten behind this and I’m so glad that it is available.”

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.

Higgins hopes to expand services at the Pell City location 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 Easterseals Community Health Clinic in Pell City will be open Monday through Thursday by appointment. Call 205-338-4806 or visit eastersealsbham.org.