As residents & visitors of Andover, OH, we are faced with a critical issue - the lack of immediate access to healthcare. In emergency situations or urgent needs, we are forced to travel over 40 minutes to reach the nearest healthcare facility. This is not just inconvenient; it's a matter of life and death.

4,275 residents in zip 44003 (according to US Census Bureau) many of whom are elderly or have chronic health conditions that require regular medical attention. The absence of local emergency medical services puts these vulnerable populations at risk. This does not include the 10's of thousands of tourists who visit our area throughout the year.  Our area of Pymatuning Lake is a tourist destination with boating, hunting, fishing, ATV's, motorcylces and more.  Traumatic accidents are taking place and some days, lifeflight is unable to respond.

In rural areas like ours across America, mortality rates are higher than urban areas due in part to longer response times for emergency services (according to National Rural Health Association). We should not be part of this statistic simply because we live in a small village.

We need an Emergency Department and Urgent Care center right here in Andover. It's time our community had access to the same level of care as those living in larger towns and cities. There was previously a facility open, but it closed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

We urge our residents to join local government officials to get health authorities/agencies not to forget us.  The residents in Andover and surround communities are just as important as the bigger cities. Please sign this petition because every resident & visitor deserves timely access to quality healthcare regardless their geographical location.