Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell gets a few booster shots during the GuardCare training event this past weekend at Buckeye Career Center. (Buckeye Career Center)

NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) - Hundreds of people have been able to address some healthcare needs while helping the Ohio National Guard train at administering those services to large numbers at once.

The Tuscarawas County Health Department, Ohio Department of Health, and other agencies partnered for the GuardCare event at Buckeye Career Center Saturday and Sunday. Ohio National Guard Commander Major General John Harris says this fulfills one of the guard’s main missions of adding value to the community.

“In many cases, the National Guard may be the only entity from the [U.S.] Department of Defense that people see, so it is the connection between the military and the population. So to be able to come out to events like these, not only to show the skills of the National Guard but to prove our capabilities, and also to strengthen that partnership with the communities is very important to us,” he says.

Ohio Department Of Health Director Amy Acton says it was in the works for over a year.

“I think it’s one of the most comprehensive of its type that I’ve seen, and I’m a global health doctor so I’ve seen doing this in countries that are very remote to the fact that right here in our own country we have such need,” she says.

Tuscarawas County Health Commissioner Katie Seward says she even took advantage of the opportunity.

“I think it’s important for anyone whether they have health insurance or not. I mean, I have health insurance, and I have co-pays and deductibles and so to be able to come here, and I received three vaccines myself,” she says.

The annual GuardCare event happens in a different region of the state each year. Next year’s guard-care event is set for Athens.

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