A national ambulance and medical transportation company that has served the Northeast Ohio market for more than 15 years recently opened an Akron location.
Rural/Metro Corp. is leasing space on North Summit Road to house its Akron-area operations.
The company opted to open the new location to meet growing demand from a national contract with Kaiser Permanente to provide interfacility transport services, said Michael Palinski, division general manager for Rural/Metro Corp.
The national EMS provider, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., provides more than 1.3 million emergency and interfacility ambulance transports nationally each year.
Rural/Metro also has locations in Cleveland and Youngstown.
“We’re growing within the Northeast Ohio area,” Palinski said.
In the Akron area, Rural/Metro transports patients between hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and skilled nursing facilities, he said.
The company also has contracts to respond to 911 emergency calls for many communities in the Youngstown area.
The Akron location can hold as many as eight vehicles and a staff of about 18 to 20 people, depending on the number of transports scheduled, Palinski said.
Screenings for mall walkers
Here’s a chance to take steps toward improved health.
Summit Mall and the Cleveland Clinic’s Medina Hospital are offering free health screenings for participants in the mall walker program from 7:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday near the center court.
Available tests will include blood pressure, bone density and hand grip strength.
Medina Hospital began sponsoring Summit Mall’s walking program last year. Mile marker signs throughout the concourse help walkers track their distance.
For more information or to join the mall walking program, visit Simon Guest Services inside the mall.
Free arthritis event
The Arthritis Foundation Great Lakes Region Northeastern Ohio chapter is offering a free program on managing arthritis pain 5 to 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at Summa Western Reserve Hospital, 1900 23rd St., Cuyahoga Falls.
Dr. Shorin Nemeth of the Center for Pain Management at Western Reserve Hospital will lead the presentation.
To register, visit http://cuyahogafallsforum.kintera.org or call 800-245-2275, ext. 6441.
For more information about arthritis and other public education events, call the Arthritis Foundation hot line at 800-245-2275, ext. 6416.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.