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Primary Care Nursing Service & Clinic in Portsmouth, OH
Primary Care
Clients may be eligible for up to 40% discount with proof of income.
We offer services for work and school physicals, general wellness exams, and treat diseases such as High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Asthma, and various other conditions.
- Children with Medical Handicaps Program (CMH)
- HIV Testing
- Immunizations
- Insurance Enrollment (Medicaid and Marketplace)
HIV/STD
The HIV/STD division is a source of information and treatment to local health departments, hospitals, and treatment facilities. Prevention is a staple of their educational outreach initiatives and the division provides a variety of sexual health resources to health departments, clinics, local events, and community partners.
The goal of the HIV/STD Division is to provide optimal care, resources, and information regarding HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis C within the 20 counties they serve.
The HIV/STD Division is responsible for the care and prevention of communicable diseases. The staff is equipped with a Program Coordinator and Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) that provide services to 20 counties within the Southern Ohio region.
The DIS provide services within the counties that include HIV/Hepatitis C screenings and testing, referrals to PrEP/PEP, HIV care and treatment, and provide sexual health education.
The Program Coordinator oversees the 20 counties to ensure continuous services and care are provided to the regions.
Important Resources & Links
Please review the additional information below to learn more:
Other Public Health & Nursing Services
Reproductive Health & Wellness
The Portsmouth City Health Department receives funding for the Reproductive Health and Wellness Clinic from the Ohio Department of Health.
Reproductive Health and Wellness (RHWP) focuses on public health, disease prevention, contraception and family planning for adolescent and adult males and females who meet the RHWP eligibility requirements.
The program assists clients in developing a reproductive life plan. Through education and provision of contraceptives that meet their personal needs, clients are provided the resources to have children when they are ready, healthy, and free of disease.
In addition to the medical care provided to our clients, there is a strong emphasis on education related to prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, on benefits and risks of various types of birth control, and on screening and preventative care, to optimize general health.
Vivitrol/Naltrexone Opiate/Alcohol Addiction Treatment Program
Naltrexone is a synthetic opioid antagonist—it blocks Opioids from binding to their receptors and thereby prevents their euphoric and other effects. It has been used for many years to reverse opioid overdose and is also approved for treating opioid addiction. Clinicians have found Naltrexone is best suited for highly motivated, recently detoxified patients who desire total abstinence because of external circumstances—for instance, professionals or parolees.
Vivitrol, a long-acting injectable version of Naltrexone, was approved to treat opioid addiction. Because it only needs to be delivered once a month, this version of the drug can facilitate compliance and offers an alternative for those who do not wish to be placed on agonist/partial agonist medications ¹.
The Clinic assists opiate and alcohol addicted individuals in recovery through Naltrexone / Vivitrol treatment. Clients are treated with the medications while being monitored by Clinic nurses and the Nurse Practitioner. The Clinic works with local drug-addiction counselors to obtain an initial mental health assessment and to provide drug-addiction counseling for each client while they are enrolled in the Vivitrol program.
1 Cornish, J.W.; Metzger, D.; Woody, G.E.; Wilson, D.; McClellan, A.T.; and Vandergrift, B. Naltrexone pharmacotherapy for opioid dependent federal probationers. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 14(6):529–534, 1997.
Children with Medical Handicaps
The Health Department operates the Children with Medical Handicaps Program (CMH) through a grant from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). CMH links families of children with special health care needs to a network of quality providers and helps families obtain payment for the services their children need. CMH promotes early identification of children with handicapping conditions and treatment of those children by appropriate health care providers.
Major components of the program include: conducting quality assurance activities to establish standards of care and to determine unmet needs of children with handicaps and their families; funding services for the diagnosis and treatment of medically eligible conditions; collaborating with public health nurses and local health departments to assist in increasing access to care; supporting service coordination for children with selected diagnoses; and assisting families to access and utilize appropriate sources of payment for services for their child.
Home visits are made by the Public Health Nurse (PHN)to help families coordinate services. The PHN works with other agencies to make sure the child’s needs are met and keeps in touch with families with letters and phone calls. The PHN coordinates and staffs specialty clinics and informs families and care providers about CMH and the Medical Home Concept.
Through the development and support of high quality, coordinated systems, children with special health care needs and their families obtain comprehensive care and services that are family centered, community based and culturally sensitive.
Phone: 740-354-8922 or Email: mary.garlits@portsmouthoh.org
Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided with Naloxone) Program
The Portsmouth City Health Department began Project DAWN as a pilot harm-reduction public health program in 2012. The goal of this program is to reduce deaths caused by overdose of opiates. Naloxone is administered intra-nasally temporarily reverse the effects of opiates in the client’s body.
The drug, along with emergency resuscitation breathing is provided to the individual until emergency responders arrive and transport the individual for further medical care. In October of 2016, Section 4729.44 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) and rule 4729-5-39 of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC), authorizes pharmacies to dispense Narcan to individuals without a prescription.
Communicable Disease
Communicable Disease Control improves the quality of life of all Portsmouth and Scioto County residents by responding to and investigating communicable diseases. The Portsmouth City Health Department closely follows the mandate of the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for reporting and control of communicable diseases.
The primary role of Public Health Nursing is in surveillance- monitoring the number of cases and types of communicable diseases and illnesses in the community, to identify trends and patterns in the population. When indicated, Public Health Nurses conduct follow-up investigations which include interviewing persons affected by communicable disease. In addition, Public Health Nurses educate individuals and the general public regarding communicable diseases and how to prevent transmission, in order to minimize or halt the spread of illness.
Reportable diseases are conditions that, due to their infectious nature and the risks they pose in being spread to others, are mandated under Ohio law to be reported to the local health department for follow-up. Primary responsibility to report these diseases rests with health care providers, hospitals, and laboratories, but anyone with knowledge of a reportable disease is encouraged to report. Recommended preventive measures might include vaccination, treatment of other individuals exposed to the illness, or temporary restriction from work or school.
Click here for the ABC’s of Communicable Disease. It includes a list of all reportable communicable diseases Health care providers, hospitals, and laboratories also report communicable diseases to the Health Department. Remember, anyone can report a communicable disease! During regular business hours, call 740.353-5153, the same number is used after-hours public health emergencies, you will be transferred to the Scioto County Sheriff Dispatch (this option is provided for public health emergencies ONLY – not general calls, appointment requests, or to leave staff messages).
If you are looking for the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Communicable Disease Poster, click here. You will be taken to the ODH online Infectious Disease Control Manual. There is a link to order a poster from ODH. You may also click here for a PDF.
Mary Garlits, BSN
Director
Nicole Brown, RN, FNP
Nurse Practitioner
Carrie Smith
Medical Office Assistant
Angee Allen, RN
Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS)
Beth Johnson, LPN
Public Health Nurse
Anita Murray
Billing Coordinator
JoAnn Griesman, LPN
LPN (DIS)
Kellie Cline, RN
HIV/STI Supervisor/Nurse Educator
Rachael Childers
Navigator
Cindy Long
Receptionist
Latonia Howard, RN, FNP
SSP Nurse Practitioner