ÀÏ˾»úÖ±²¥

By ERIC AYRES

Staff Writer

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Accessibility to quality health care has never been a higher priority or of more importance to people in the Ohio Valley than today, and Trinity Health System has worked to provide continuity of care through challenging times.

Based in Steubenville, Trinity Health System has served the residents of the greater Steubenville area for decades, with Trinity Medical Center East and Trinity Medical Center West offering a comprehensive slate of health care services at these hospital facilities.

Trinity Health System also provides medical and health care services at a variety of offices throughout the Ohio Valley and beyond, including services at the Tony Teramana Cancer Center in Steubenville; the Trinity Twin City facility in Dennison, Ohio; Trinity ExpressClinics in Cadiz, Toronto and Calcutta; Trinity ExpressCare in Wintersville, and more.

Most recently, Trinity Health System expanded its services in Belmont County, opening the Trinity Medical Plaza facility in St. Clairsville, located in the back of Plaza West behind Riesbeck’s. Trinity also opened a primary care clinic in Bellaire, located in the Kroger Plaza.

These satellite facilities play an important role in offering needed services to local patients, especially in light of the 2019 closures of three area hospitals — Belmont Community Hospital in Bellaire, Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling and East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry, which reopened earlier this month under new ownership.

“We stood up the St. Clairsville and Bellaire locations in September of 2019, within 30 days of the closures of OVMC/EORH,” said Laurie Labishak, marketing director for Trinity Health System.

The St. Clairsville providers include Dr. Carol Greco, Dr. Maria Setlak, Dr. Michael Blatt, Dr. Triston Smith and Dr. Gregory Suero.

“We also have multiple nurse practitioners in this location, including Kari Sowers, Jeanne Huffner, Amanda Cummins, Gina Toth, Patricia Torbett, Staci Butkus, Danielle Rosen, Breanna Burkhart and Physician Assistants Brandon Bolduc and Caitlyn Williams,” she said. “Kathi Harris, NP, is our provider in the Bellaire location.”

Trinity Health System offers full-service laboratory, radiology, physical therapy and occupation lung services in its St. Clairsville clinic location. The lab and radiology services are walk-in services

“Our provider offices accommodate same-day appointments, so basically you can call in the morning to see a provider and see them that same day,” Labishak said. “We offer mammography and dexascan, as well, at that location.”

This is a great convenience for patients living in Belmont County, Labishak noted.

“We accept orders from all providers regardless of whether they are a Trinity Health System provider or they work for another hospital in the area,” she said. “Most recently we opened our cardiology services in the St. Clairsville clinic, offering interventional cardiology services with Dr. Gregory Suero and Dr. Triston Smith, who practice interventional and structural heart services.”

Suero and Smith have a full staff of qualified nurse practitioners and physician assistants who support the patients in their practice, Labishak said.

As with all other health care providers, Trinity Health System has worked to provide the best possible services to its patients through the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Protocols and safety procedures may have changed, but the dedication to quality health care has remained the same.

“During the pandemic, we were able to provide both in-person and virtual visit options for our patients and maintain continuity of care for all,” Labishak said. “We have implemented precautions in all of our locations for social distancing and cleaning protocols to protect our staff and patients.

“We will soon be offering pre-op COVID testing in our St. Clairsville location for any patients who are required to have a COVID test prior to surgical or diagnostic testing.”

Since opening the Belmont County locations, the public feedback has been exceptionally positive and welcoming, she noted.

“The response from the community has been overwhelming,” Labishak said. “It has far exceeded our expectations and we are honored to provide health care options for the individuals in the Belmont County area.

“We are only just beginning, and we anticipate expanding services as needed.”

For more information, visit Trinity Health System online at trinityhealth.com.