Beaver County residents near East Palestine now able to get medical help
DARLINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - The Shapiro administration opened the first health resource center in Pennsylvania for people impacted by the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Several Beaver County residents told KDKA's Jessica Guay last week that they felt like they were being left in the dark because they weren't receiving the help they needed.
"It's scary, it's really scary… just got to wait and see, I guess, and hope for the best," said Kim Nalesnik, a lifelong Darlington Township resident.
Many Beaver County residents have been feeling that same way ever since the Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed just across the border in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3.
But now, they have some hope. The Shapiro administration opened a health resource center in Darlington Township Tuesday for residents in the region with health concerns.
"Glad that finally, almost a month after this has started, it's finally getting to us. I still think that it has to improve, and there's more to do," Nalesnik said.
"It should have been done the week after this happened, but I'm ecstatic that it's done now," said Lori O'Connell, another Darlington Township resident.
Public information officer Nate Wardle with the Pa. Department of Health said anyone in the region who wants resources is welcome to come to the temporary health resource center at the Darlington Township municipal building. It will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through March 10.
"We are going to have health care providers from Primary Health Network and also from the state medical assistance team here to provide basic clinical care, check vitals, and overall medical concerns. We are also going to have Beaver County Behavioral Health here to check on people's behavioral health, and we'll have local spiritual care providers," Wardle said.
Pa.'s Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Agriculture will also be at the center to provide guidance on food and animal safety. They will also help residents sign up for free independent water testing, which was welcoming news for Darlington Township residents.
"All of us here have wells; we don't have the city water for them to fix, so that is our next thing, very concerned with that," said Nalesnik. She's hoping to get her well water tested as soon as possible.
Local, state, and federal officials continue to monitor the air and water and say both are safe.
At the same time, people have reported symptoms like nausea and headaches.
"I've had headaches every day, a metallic taste every day, which is awful," O'Connell said.
Now, concerned residents have a place to turn to with questions.
"All we can do is hope that this is part of the answer. I don't know that we'll ever have all the answers, but this is a good place to start," O'Connell said.
"It's really important for us to be here to hear from residents about what their concerns are to make sure that they know the Shapiro Administration is looking out for them and their health," Wardle said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will also be at the health resource center conducting Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE) surveys that include discussing symptoms, experiences, and concerns about the derailment's impact. They partnered with DOH and started conducting door-to-door visits for the survey on Sunday.
This week, the DOH is inviting healthcare providers to join a webinar about what they should be looking for in patients and how to address residents' concerns.
More information about the webinar can be found by clicking this link.