YOUNGSTOWN, OH, January 07, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Lena Esmail, nurse practitioner and CEO of QuickMed, is calling for grassroots solutions to the growing crisis in healthcare access. In a recent feature titled "Lena Esmail: Leading a Local Healthcare Revolution," she shares how communities can take practical steps to close care gaps in overlooked areas—and why it starts with the people who live there.
"You don't have to go far to find a healthcare gap," Esmail says. "You just have to look down your own street."
Esmail, who grew up in Youngstown's North Side and still lives in the Mahoning Valley, leads QuickMed's growing network of community-based clinics across Ohio. She's using her story to raise awareness around one of the country's most urgent but under-reported issues: local primary care shortages.
The Crisis: Millions Lack Access to Basic Healthcare
According to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, more than 100 million Americans live in designated Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). These include small cities, working-class suburbs, and rural regions where:
Wait times can stretch weeks for appointments
Families rely on emergency rooms for non-urgent needs
School-aged children miss days due to untreated issues
Working parents lack options during off-hours
Esmail saw these problems first-hand while working as a nurse.
"People weren't avoiding healthcare—they just couldn't reach it," she explains. "They didn't need more insurance paperwork. They needed somewhere to go."
A Real-World Solution: Clinics That Meet People Where They Are
Esmail founded QuickMed in Liberty, Ohio, with a simple goal: bring care closer to where people live, work, and learn. Her model uses nurse practitioners and physician assistants—advanced practice providers—to deliver affordable, high-quality care in small community clinics and schools.
QuickMed now operates in nine cities, including Akron, Medina, Ravenna, and Columbiana. The impact is immediate: faster access, less strain on hospitals, and fewer missed school and workdays.
"We're built to fit into the community, not overwhelm it," Esmail says.
"Healthcare doesn't have to be huge to be effective. It has to be present."
What Individuals and Local Leaders Can Do Right Now
While Esmail isn't launching a political campaign, she's urging residents, educators, and local officials to look closer at how care is—or isn't—reaching their communities.
Here's what she recommends:
Support school-based clinics. They improve attendance, reduce ER visits, and give kids and families access where they already are.
Talk to local officials. Push for funding and zoning for neighborhood-based clinics that use nurse-led models.
Ask your employer or school board about on-site or community health partnerships.
Share your story. If you've experienced barriers to care, talk about it publicly or with local leaders.
Volunteer, connect, and amplify. Local action spreads faster when people see others involved.
"You don't need a degree to start making change," Esmail says. "You just need to know your neighborhood."
Reframing the Future of Primary Care
Esmail's call isn't just about QuickMed. It's about redefining what sustainable care looks like—starting with the places and people that have been ignored.
"Seeing my impact in the curbing of the inequity in care here is amazing," she says. "But this isn't just my work. It can be anyone's."
She encourages others to rethink their roles in the health of their communities—whether as a parent, a neighbor, a nurse, or a policymaker.
"Start where you are. That's where all real change begins."
To read the full article, visit: www.quickmedclinic.com
Lena Esmail is a board-certified nurse practitioner and CEO of QuickMed. She holds degrees from Youngstown State University, Ursuline College, and Kent State University. Esmail lives in northeast Ohio with her husband and six children and is a recognized voice in community-centered healthcare innovation.
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