YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – With the aim of providing a more balanced approach between mental and physical well-being, Meridian HealthCare broke ground Tuesday on a $2 million pharmacy addition and renovation to its Meridian Road facility.
Larry Moliterno, president and CEO of Meridian HealthCare, said too often mental health and physical health are dealt with as separate needs, yet people often need both.
“A number of years ago at Meridian, we recognized what was really critical for people’s health was that we would bring together both behavioral health, mental health and physical health,” Moliterno said. “And this project is just a culmination of that to make it more convenient for our patients to get the services that they need.”
For instance, he said there are those who have been diagnosed with a serious illness or face a surgery with a long recovery who often deal with anxiety and depression, as well.
“We know that people who struggle with mental illness or people who struggle with addictions have a life expectancy that’s less than people who don’t, mainly because they don’t get the proper health care they need,” Moliterno said. “On the other hand, we know so many people who struggle with anxiety and depression who get a prescription from their physician but then don’t go to counseling to get at the root of that problem.”
Serving long-term recovery of patients in the Mahoning Valley for more than 50 years, Meridian HealthCare seeks to make care more accessible to more residents.
The initial building at 527 N. Meridian Road was constructed in the 1980s, and this is the third addition, Moliterno said.
“By doing this today, we’re going to be able to add more exam rooms, more counseling rooms and, most importantly, a pharmacy to make it more convenient for our patients who come here, get services that they need and be able to walk out the door with the prescriptions that they need for their well-being,” he said.
Bill Padisak, president of the Meridian HealthCare Board of Directors, said the pharmacy will not just be available to Meridian HealthCare’s patients but to the general public, and even the staff of the facility. As national pharmacy chains have closed, the pharmacies remaining open have become overburdened with long lines and items out of stock. There’s also transportation concerns.
Padisak said the pharmacy is just the latest way Meridian is looking out for the whole patient.
“We look at complete care of the person. We look at helping them find housing, helping them find jobs, helping them find a pharmacy and helping them find medical care. It’s not just giving them counseling or medication and saying goodbye,” he said. “We call it the circle of care. That’s what really helps a person be successful in recovery.”
Moliterno said 50% of the project will be funded by the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, and the remainder will come from the support of the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board. Strollo Architects designed the addition, and the work is being led by Murphy Contracting Co.
The project is scheduled to be completed sometime in the first quarter of 2026 and is expected to add 10 employees.
Pictured at top: From left are Eric Harmon, construction superintendent with Murphy Contracting Co.; Kevin Willis of Strollo Architects; Mark Dunlap of the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board; Dr. Lewis Spirtos, chief medical officer at Meridian HealthCare; Darla Gallagher, senior vice president, COO, at Meridian HealthCare; Larry Moliterno, president and CEO of Meridian HealthCare; Bill Padisak, president of the Meridian HealthCare Board of Directors; and Mark Gallagher, chief business officer at Meridian HealthCare.