Mercy Health Brings Low-Cost Care to YSU Students

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Last summer, the president of Youngstown State University’s Student Government Association, Ernie Barkett, had his third heart surgery.

“I don’t want to say it was a good experience,” he said with a laugh Monday at the grand opening of the new Wick Primary Care office. “But it was a learning experience.”

Growing up, he said, his family didn’t have health insurance and he saw the burden it put on his family. It was with cases like that, he said, that make it so important for YSU students to have the on-campus office, especially considering that it’s just $34 per semester.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Last summer, the president of Youngstown State University’s Student Government Association, Ernie Barkett, had his third heart surgery.

“I don’t want to say it was a good experience,” he said with a laugh Monday at the grand opening of the new Wick Primary Care office. “But it was a learning experience.”

The move by SGA to help expand health care on campus is just one of the moves to improve the quality of life for students, he added. The university also offers the Career Closet, where students can get clothes to wear to job interviews if they don’t have any, and the food pantry, which this school year added a refrigerator and freezer to expand its offerings.

“We have a space where students get milk, eggs, fresh produce and frozen meals instead of just eating high-sodium, unhealthy diets all day,” Barkett said. “That, again, alleviates some of that stress. You’re already paying for school, paying for rent, so you don’t have to add in that extra cost of groceries.”

Wick Primary Care has four full-time staff, a student employee and 10 doctors of varying specialties that will rotate through the center at the corner of Wick and Lincoln avenues. Among the range of services available are immunizations, sports physicals, nutritional care, gynecological services and psychiatric care.

“For too long, people have drawn a separation between physical health and mental health. We’re trying to break down those walls and see the wellness of the individual front and center. By merging the two, it’s very natural in this setting,” Luellen said.

Prior to Wick Primary Care, the student-health clinic was in Kilcawley Center, where it had been since the 1980s. Mercy Health-Youngstown began operating the clinic in 2016 and last year had more than 5,000 visits.

“On one hand, in dealing with the student population, we see a lot more that’s typical for the age group. There’s less of the chronic diseases here and a lot more preventive and acute care,” said Dr. Jessica Handel, the center’s medical director. “The age of being a college student is the time to take charge of your health and prevent problems that can come down the line. It’s critically important to start thinking about lifestyle habits that can contribute to diseases later and get on the right track.”

Pictured: Pete the Penguin, Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, YSU vice president of student affairs Eddie Howard, Mercy Health-Youngstown President Dr. John Luellen, YSU Student Government Association President Ernie Barkett and Dr. Ashley Baroff-Rufo cut the ribbon on the new Wick Primary Care office.

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