Ohio Auditor Faber Tours New Adena Clinic Site in Wellston, Discusses Appalachian Healthcare Access

The new Adena Family Medicine Clinic taking shape inside Wellston's former Kroger building carries public funding from both the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Jackson County Economic Development Partnership, and Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber's March 26 site visit put state-level scrutiny on how that investment is tracking against schedule.

The building will span approximately 8,600 square feet, more than four times the size of the current Adena facility, and will house additional exam rooms for primary and specialty care, expanded waiting areas, and a full-time retail pharmacy with a drive-through. The pharmacy carries particular significance in Wellston following the closure of Fruth Pharmacy. When the new clinic opens, patients managing chronic conditions could fill prescriptions on-site rather than traveling separately to another county.

Sam Brady, president and CEO of the Jackson County Economic Development Partnership, which is serving as the project's developer, joined Faber and regional health leaders for the tour. Brady framed the build-out as a model of coordinated rural investment drawing on federal ARC grant support alongside local economic development resources. Adena Health operates the existing clinic and is the healthcare partner in the expansion.

Construction is targeting substantial completion by Memorial Day, with an official opening planned for later in 2026. The existing clinic will remain open until the transition is complete, ensuring no service gap during the changeover. What was not spelled out publicly from the visit: specific provider staffing levels, appointment capacity, and the precise opening date all remain uncommitted figures.

Vinton County residents who need primary care short of driving to Chillicothe or Gallipolis have depended on Jackson County's Adena services for regional coverage. Expanded specialty exam rooms and a drive-through pharmacy at the new Wellston facility could materially reduce the layered travel burden for patients across the region.

After the site tour, Faber joined local and regional health leaders for a roundtable at Holzer Medical Center in Jackson. The discussion centered on healthcare affordability, workforce pipeline development, and the role of public investment in rural infrastructure, touching on issues that run directly through Vinton County: training partnerships with regional colleges, coordination of specialty referrals across county lines, and emergency care planning in areas without nearby hospital systems.

The project's partnership model, pairing federal ARC dollars with local economic development leadership, may draw attention from neighboring counties facing similar access gaps. Whether the expanded footprint translates into measurably shorter waits for primary care will depend on staffing decisions that have yet to be made public.