Akron Children’s opens new Massillon pediatric primary care, rehab office

Artist Rendering: Akron Children's Pediatrics and Rehabilitative Services, Massillon

04-30-2019 (Akron, Ohio)

Akron Children’s Pediatrics and Rehabilitative Services, Massillon, will open May 6. The 14,000-square-foot facility, located at 1149 Lincoln Way East, will include:

• Primary Care: This location will be a new office for Akron Children’s Pediatrics, which cares for patients from birth through age 21.

When the office opens, it will be staffed by a Catherine Yost, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician, and Jennifer Messenger, APRN-CNP, a family nurse practitioner, who will provide a range of services, including treatment for illness and injury, immunizations, annual wellness visits and chronic disease management. They will be supported by a staff of pediatric nurses, medical assistants and an operations manager. The office also plans to add a pediatric mental health professional to work alongside the providers as concerns such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, behavioral issues and positive parenting are of increasing concern to families.

• Pediatric Rehabilitative Services: Akron Children’s will also have pediatric physical, occupational and speech therapists at this office to assist children recovering from an array of injuries, illnesses, diseases and disabilities.

“In many cases, children have therapy appointments weekly or even several times a week, so having the therapists close to home is a convenience we know parents appreciate,” said Mary Marino, director of Rehabilitative Services.

• Sports Rehabilitation: Akron Children’s sports rehab team will also treat young athletes at this location, helping them prevent injuries and safely return to the sports and activities they love.
• Future Plans:  Akron Children’s has plans to bring pediatric audiology services to this location. The on-site audiology team has special training in diagnosing and treating hearing loss in children. The team’s goals are to identify hearing loss as early as possible, provide access to age-appropriate hearing devices, and coordinate follow-up care and evaluation for patients.

Community Open House Planned

The public is invited to tour the new office on Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will include self-guided tours, family entertainment and light refreshments. Remarks from Grace Wakulchik, Akron Children’s president and CEO, will take place at 1 pm.

Commitment to Stark County

In addition to the Massillon office, Akron Children’s will open the new Timken Foundation Building at Akron Children’s Health Center, North Canton, on May 21. Located at 6076 Whipple Ave., NW, on the Aultman North campus, the three-story, 38,000-square-foot medical center will offer a dozen pediatric specialty care practices by appointment. They include pediatric cardiology, allergy/immunology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, orthopedics, physiatry, pulmonology, sports medicine, urology and vision. The center will also offer pediatric primary care and rehab services.