SPRINGFIELD — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently talked about several ways to cut down on long wait times in Springfield health clinics.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Springfield’s population has rapidly increased with more than 15,000 Haitian immigrants arriving in the last three years.
Springfield resident Thomas Barnette said he has seen a rise in wait times, specifically over the last two months.
“There’s a lot more people here now. Going to need more doctors, for sure,” Barnette said.
News Center 7 went to the only urgent care in Springfield and learned that wait times for emergencies are around 30 minutes and 45 minutes for primary care.
“At least a couple hours just sitting in there,” Barnette said.
News Center 7 Malik Patterson reached out to multiple practices in the Springfield area and learned that doctors are extremely booked and are not accepting new patients until the new year.
On Thursday, DeWine announced that a mobile clinic will be coming to Springfield to help.
The clinic will provide services like, “basic primary care needs, this includes health assessments, vaccinations, lab testing, and certainly maternal and infant health and wellness,” DeWine said.
He said this resource will help cut down wait times for all who are seeking healthcare.
“We’re going to include care services that target mothers and infants who need care after delivery, to get the give the baby a very good start with life,” DeWine said.
DeWine said the clinic will be open to all Springfield residents and will be unveiled next week.
Its location and opening date have yet to be announced.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story and provide updates.
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