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Easterseals of Wheeling asks for opioid-settlement funds; council approves allocation
Summary
Easterseals of Wheeling presented to council seeking opioid-settlement funds to expand electronic health records and pediatric services; the council adopted an ordinance to allocate a portion of the settlement funds to the nonprofit.
Easterseals of Wheeling asked the City Council on Feb. 3 for a portion of the state opioid-settlement funds to expand the nonprofit’s health-records capacity and coordinate treatment for infants and children affected by opioids. After a brief presentation by Easterseals’ president, councilors approved an ordinance to allocate a portion of the settlement funding to the organization.
Eric Filverdo, president and CEO of Easterseals of Wheeling, described the affiliate’s services—pediatric outpatient medical rehabilitation and therapies for autism, ADHD and behavioral health—and said the local Easterseals never turns anyone away for inability to pay. "We never turn anyone away due to their family's inability to pay," Filverdo said, and requested city opioid-abatement funds to add clinicians and link services with WVU Medicine for diagnoses including neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Council then considered an ordinance authorizing the city manager to allocate a portion of West Virginia opioid settlement funds to Easterseals for health-records expansion and coordination with medical providers; the ordinance was moved, seconded and adopted by roll-call vote.
In presenting Easterseals’ request, Filverdo told council the affiliate provides roughly $400,000 per year in uncompensated care in the Ohio Valley and that the proposed use of local opioid-abatement funds would be paired with other sources to sustain the program.
Councilors asked no substantive follow-up questions during the presentation; the ordinance’s language states funds are intended to expand the affiliate’s health-records system and coordinate treatment for infants and children affected by opioids as part of opioid-related abatement.
The measure passed by roll call; council recorded affirmative votes and the ordinance will permit the city manager to proceed with allocating the designated portion of settlement funds to Easterseals. Filverdo thanked the council for its time, and the meeting continued to other agenda items.
The administrative next steps include allocation by the city manager and coordination between the nonprofit and local medical providers for implementation.
