Staff photo / Bob Coupland Lena Esmail, CEO of QUICKmed, left, and Kristen Olmi, CEO of KO Consulting, speak to Girard City Council and city officials Monday on what would be involved for the city to have an urgent/primary care facility to serve local residents. Olmi said she will see what grants and funding are available from different foundations for such a project.

GIRARD — City officials have decided to have KO Consulting look into the feasibility of having an urgent care and primary medical care facility in the city.

Girard Mayor Mark Zuppo said at Monday’s meeting that he and Struthers Mayor Catherine Cercone-Miller have discussed with KO Consulting and QUICKmed having such facilities in Girard and Struthers, but need to know what funding is available to help get such proposed projects started.

At Monday’s Girard council meeting, Lena Esmail, CEO of QUICKmed and Kristen Olmi of KO Consulting of Youngstown, gave a presentation about what could be located in the city to meet local residents’ health care needs.

Miller attended the Girard meeting just as Zuppo attended a similar meeting last week in Struthers.

Esmail said what is being discussed is having medical facilities in both communities to provide free urgent care and primary care for patients.

Both mayors said they want to see buildings where anyone residing in Struthers or Girard would get free health care with no insurance needed, with one in Girard and the other in Struthers. Zuppo said he wants city officials to at least look into the feasibility of a medical care facility in Girard.

Miller said the concept is new for the Mahoning Valley.

She said there also was a presentation at last week’s Struthers council meeting.

“This is something that would benefit the residents. Girard and Struthers are like sister cities. We both have worked with KO Consulting and MS Consultants. The two cities do a lot of the same things and have a lot of the same benefits. We get a lot of the same grants that Girard does,” Miller said.

She said Struthers council approved having a feasibility study done.

“We want to see if this project can be funded for three to five years. That (health care) is the number one thing that our city wants,” Miller said.

She said she and members of council have received numerous calls from residents wanting Struthers to look into the idea.

“We are not saying we are doing this.This is just the opportunity to look further into this and see if it can be done,” Miller said.

Olmi said she will research what foundation money may be available to help with costs.

“This is something that can be monumental and put us on the map,” Miller said.

She said Struthers fire and ambulance personnel often spend hours sitting at area hospitals after transporting patients, but if such an urgent care facility were in Struthers, patients could be transported there.

Zuppo and Miller said they want to explore the idea, and if it turns out to be feasible, then move forward; and if not, at least it was researched and explored.

Zuppo said the city already is getting a children’s dental facility off U.S, Route 422 to help serve underserved families.

“Girard could become a beacon having the kids dental clinic and an urgent care facility providing services to the local population,” he said.