Officials toured the new Niagara County Department of Health headquarters at 55 Stevens St. in Lockport on Tuesday and learned of the site’s new capability to deliver programs and services.
In addition to offices, the building houses a clinic with three exam rooms, a small clinical laboratory with refrigeration, and a mini warehouse with a loading dock for emergency response supplies. Kevin Schuler, public information officer for the county, said the original Shaw Building at 5467 Upper Mountain Road did not have an on-site clinic.
“Programmatically, the space was limiting for NCDOH, with no ability to provide clinical services to meet the needs of the community,” Schuler said. “It also had limited accessibility, as it was not located on a main transportation route.”
For years, the health department provided all of its clinic services at the Trott Access Center in Niagara Falls, making this the first time in years that eastern Niagara County has a public health clinic available for residents to receive basic health services funded by their tax dollars.
“Through this facility, we will be able to expand our services and improve access for our community on the east side of the county and meet the public health needs of the clients where they are,” said Dr. Fauzia Khan, the county’s health director since September. “By providing immunizations and other services, this building is an opportunity for us to serve underserved communities that we were unable to reach before. This building isn’t just steel, glass, and concrete; it is a tangible investment in prevention, resilience, and equitable care of our entire community.”
The building at 55 Stevens St. is the former location of Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union. The county leases the building for approximately $187,000 per year, with remodeling and construction of an addition costing $700,000 in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, Shuler said.
Rebecca Wydysh, chairman of the county legislature, told those gathered that the Connect Niagara bus service runs along West Avenue in Lockport, but riders will be taken to the public health building upon request. She said if there is enough demand, the Stevens Street building could be added as a regular stop.
The health department manages several programs for early childhood health, including the Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs Program, which serves children from birth to age 21. The Division of Public Health Emergency Preparedness is responsible for preparing Niagara County for emergencies and managing strategies for possible mass care and mass fatality situations.
During the tour, Janice Jenosheck, director of early intervention for the health department, presented some of the books and sensory items used when working with preschool children who may be developmentally delayed. She said the early intervention program served 1,000 Niagara County children up to 3 years old last year, while the pre-school program served 1,100 children ages 3 to 5.
Speech pathology is the program’s service of greatest need, Jenosheck said, with the health department employing five speech pathologists, two special education teachers, and contracting with nearly 20 agencies that provide services.