BARNESVILLE — As more and more people become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination in the Buckeye State, Ohio Hills Health Service is ready to serve anyone who wants to get the shot.

OHHS spokeswoman Jan Chambers said the provider is now booked with appointments through mid-April and has been receiving about 100 doses each week. She expects that trend to continue but said officials with the clinic never know what they will get from the state until about a week before a shipment arrives.

“I think we haven’t had as big of a waiting list as some places,” Chambers said. “We’ve been able to move people through relatively quickly.”

Chambers stressed that anyone who is eligible according to state guidelines can receive the shots at OHHS.

“People do not need be our patients at all,” she said. “It can be anyone who wants to call and make an appointment. If they have insurance, we will bill their insurance to administer the shot, but if they don’t have insurance, there is no cost at all.”

Rather than directing people to use the state’s online registration system, OHHS urges people who want to schedule a vaccine appointment to call 740-239-6447. Chambers said officials made that decision based on the population OHHS serves, many of whom are older individuals or who may not have a computer.

“The best way to communicate is with a good old-fashioned phone call,” she said. “That way they get scheduled immediately, and they don’t have to wait for a call back.”

When people do call, they will be given a specific appointment time. Upon arrival at the Barnesville OHHS location at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets, patients have very little wait time before receiving their shot. Afterward, they must wait on site for 15 minutes to be certain they do not have an adverse reaction to the shot. The appointment for their second dose of vaccine will be scheduled before they leave.

Chambers noted that, so far, OHHS has only received the Moderna version of the vaccine. She said that consistency has made scheduling simpler for the staff and for the patients to know what they have received. And, the staff has used every dose received.

“We are really fortunate that we have not wasted one single dose yet,” Chambers said, noting the center has a call list on hand to contact people who can come on short notice if a scheduled patient has to cancel or fails to report. “The last thing we would want to happen is waste even one single dose.”

Just at Barnesville location, don’t need be from Barnesville – hoping serve immediate area, other counties other areas

At this time in Ohio, anyone who age 40 or older is eligible for the shot.

In addition to the vaccinations, Chambers said OHHS offers primary health care, behavioral health and dental services. Since the organization is a federally qualified health care center, it offers a sliding fee discount program. Chambers said for those who qualify, perhaps even due to a high insurance deductible, that sliding fee is a “huge benefit for a lot of people.”

In addition, OHHS accepts Medicaid for dental services, which are offered at its Barnesville and Freeport locations. Additional clinics are located in Woodsfield, Quaker City and Caldwell.

“Our mission is to provide accessible and affordable health care,” Chambers said. “You don’t have to be low income — that’s a misconception. Even prominent people in the community come here for their health care.”

In January, the Barnesville site began offering evening hours until 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays and Friday. The facilities also accept walk-in patients, although they are not urgent care or emergency room locations.

“We want to be able to treat everybody,” Chambers added, noting the organization’s services include mobile mammography, free or low-cost screenings and sports physicals. “Everybody deserves to have access to health care.”