Frank Lewis
PDT Staff Writer
Compass Community Health is looking to turn the former Saint Joseph Adoration Monastery at 2311 Stockham Ln. in Portsmouth into a medical facility for women with high-risk pregnancies as a result of addiction or other social problems.
Ed Hughes, CEO of Compass Community Health says their agency has sent out a letter to the community describing what they are doing and to invite them to a community forum Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Monastery.
“We have an agreement with the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, but it’s contingent upon us being able to get a variance to the zoning,” Hughes said. “I think it is just residential and we need to be able to keep people overnight because we would be able to provide a setting for women to be able to stay and receive medical services. Then we would, of course, coordinate with The Counseling Center for any kind of drug, alcohol or mental health services as well.”
Hughes said the need has expanded in recent years because of the extreme drug problems that have plagued Scioto County.
“We had 39 drug-free babies born to women at Stepping Stone House last year,” Hughes said. “But because of the high numbers of pregnant women we’re serving, we just felt that we really needed a separate specialized facility for them, so that they would be able to get all the medical services they needed in addition to the other services that we are used to providing.”
Hughes said the facility offers a one-floor plan, which would be beneficial to those who would be offering the services and to the patients.
“We have to go through the process, of course, of going to the City Zoning Board in terms of being able to get a variance,” Hughes said.
Compass Community Health recently moved into the former Scudder School building on Court Street for the purpose of consolidating many of its community services under one roof.
Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 252, or at flewis@civitasmedia.com. For breaking news, follow Frank on Twitter @FrankLewisPDT.
Just another money maker. AND not all of these women are from scioto county. They come from as far as Cincinnati and Columbus Just to mention a couple Then they stay on our streets. What is the success rate of these women?
Scioto county WAKE UP!!!!!
We are already 88on the unhealthy list. But we have the health department handing out needles and the center giving addicts a known drug that is widely purchased on our streets
Our graduates can not get jobs, because the addicts come
first in my opinion
Why is this center continuing to grow with more facilities and the state pays the bill (taxpayers)?
My opinion we need to just clean up starting with this facility. They are taking over the town. AND they are enablers of the problem. I just don't understand