WINTERSVILLE — Staff, volunteers and supporters of the Ohio Valley Health Center uncovered the mystery behind health care access during the free clinic’s 19th-annual gala Sunday at St. Florian Event Center.
The masquerade-themed gala acknowledged pivotal contributors, raised money and recognized the OVHC’s impact on the community, providing health care for uninsured and underinsured residents of the Ohio Valley regardless of their ability to pay.
“Here at the Ohio Valley Health Center, each day begins like the opening chapter of a mystery,” said Executive Director Ann Quillen. “Not a dark one, but the kind filled with promise — a story waiting to be revealed one person at a time. We never quite know who will walk through our doors, what burdens they’ll carry or what kind of healing they’re hoping to find. But we do know this: They won’t face those unknowns alone.”
Since the OVHC opened its doors 19 years ago, it has served more than 5,000 individual patients, representing more than 26,000 patient visits, Quillen said. Last year alone, the clinic provided more than $1.5 million worth of free medical services and prescriptions.
Nearly 300 patients have been logged so far this year, each one of them a “story of courage, resilience and transformation,” Quillen said.
One of those 300 patients was Jeff Williams of Bloomingdale, whose experiences with the OVHC was told through a video message. After losing his job and health insurance, Williams turned to the OVHC for testing, spurred by his family history of heart problems.
Continuing heart-related symptoms in early 2025 led Williams to return for further tests, including an echocardiogram, which the clinic provided through its own grant-funded machine. Medical providers adjusted his medications, improving his condition and allowing him to continue living fully for his family.
Diagnostic tests are one of the OVHC’s capabilities, along with cancer screenings, prescription assistance, case management, food supplements and transportation aid, Quillen said.
Such an impact wouldn’t be possible without the OVHC’s dedicated team, Quillen said. Speakers offered words of gratitude throughout the program, acknowledging staff, medical providers, volunteers, the board of directors and sponsors.
Among those recognized were Sister Mary Meyers, doctor of nursing practice and medical provider of the year; Susan Tarr of A&B Pharmacy, volunteer of the year; and the Ching Family Trust, community partners of the year.
Mark Judy, vice president of the OVHC’s board, said the clinic generates $2.50 worth of services for every $1 that runs through its budget. He added that the yearly gala is the OVHC’s largest fundraiser, having provided 35 percent of the clinic’s income last year.
