CLEVELAND — Crews continue to clear out debris inside Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services' Hough Health Center in Cleveland after a fire tore through this community staple two months ago.
Firefighters said an electrical problem likely started the fire, leading to more than a million dollars worth of damage.
For 47 years, Hough Health Center housed an all-in-one medical operation, including primary care services, dentistry, pediatrics, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynecology.
It's where Dr. Beverly Foster worked for the past two and a half years.
“I’m just happy to see progress is being made,” she said.
Because of the fire, Foster’s office now sits across the street, inside a 40-foot long mobile dental unit stationed in the parking lot three days a week.
“What I used to do over there, I can do it here also,” she added. “It lets them know we’re still here. Even though the event occurred, we’re still here. we’re still going to take care of them.”
The dental van is available at the Hough Health Center on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers emergency dental care, teeth cleaning, fillings, extractions, partials and complete dentures.
Appointments are offered, as well as walk-in care, and the mobile unit accepts dental insurance plans as well as Medicaid and managed care plans.
The mobile unit first went into service about 10 years ago.
“Now we’re using it more than before,” Foster added.
As for what's next for the building, leaders at Hough Health Center said it’s too soon to tell when the building will reopen.
While NEON was fully insured, a GoFundMehas been set up to help upgrade technology and services offered at the facility.
“Not only do we plan to rebuild the facility but upgrade it to reflect today’s practice of medical and dental services.” NEON President and CEO Mr. Willie Austin said in a statement.
