File Photo by Joselyn King Wheeling Health Right Executive Director Kathie Brown tells Ohio County commissioners of plans for an addition to the clinic.

WHEELING — A drive-up pharmacy and more space for dental operations and storage are among improvements planned by Wheeling Health Right as part of a proposed $300,000 expansion there.

Also, the free health care clinic soon could be adding preventative periodontal dental care to its offerings.

Executive Director Kathie Brown recently addressed Ohio County commissioners to discuss the project. About $120,000 has been raised so far toward the expected $300,000 cost, she said.

The project is currently at its blueprint stages, and Brown hopes to get it out to bid soon so construction can be completed by the end of this year.

The expansion is necessary as Health Right is seeing a higher number of patients at its clinic, especially for dental extractions.

“We want to work with (WVU Medicine) to bring their dental students here and do the deep cleanings, but we need another chair to be able to do that,” Brown said.

WVU students currently are coming up to Wheeling Health Right on weekdays to do fillings and dental restoration work. Once a month on a Saturday, they also come to the clinic to do oral surgeries.

“It is not an unusual thing for them to extract 75 teeth in one day because we have so many patients with abcesses, and in need of so many extractions,” she said.

Students on their way to being prosthodontists also make dentures for Wheeling Health Right patients, Brown said.

“Now we are wanting to do periodontal cleanings for those wanting to get their mouths back in shape, and who do not need the extractions,” she said.

“We can save their teeth, and help them to have a healthier mouth and consequently a healthier life.”

The current conference room at Wheeling Health Right will be turned into a second dental operatory area, and an additional storage room for needed personal protective equipment also will be placed there.

The need for PPE items isn’t going to go away even after COVID restrictions are relaxed, according to Brown.

“You are still going to need the masks and gowns — particularly in dental, because you are in their mouths,” she said.

Health Right then is going to add a conference room, and a drive in pharmacy so people picking up prescriptions don’t need to come into the building once expansion happens, Brown said.

“If we don’t have people coming in to just pick up medicines that opens up seating and room for social distancing,” she explained. “There is not enough seating if we have pharmacy and primary care in the same areas. That will free up more space for primary care.”

As the number of patients has increased at Wheeling Health Right in recent months, many have asked if they could bring their children in for treatment.

Brown said Wheeling Health Right will next look into offering pediatrics care for children ages 4 and older.

Current tasks are keeping the clinic busy.

Wheeling Health Right is presently working along with the Ohio County Health Department and Wheeling Hospital and providing three employees three days a week to administer COVID vaccinations at the county’s vaccination site at The Highlands.

“We just wanted to bring the commissioners up to speed with all we are doing for the community,” Brown said. “We are not only taking care of the underinsured, but we are doing COVID screening for anybody — doesn’t matter what your income, we are doing it for free.”