Ohio & Mahoning Valley - Five local schools will receive grant money after Governor Mike DeWine announced over $25 million dollars toward School-Based Health Centers around Ohio.

Liberty, Salem, Sebring, East Palestine, and Warren City School Districts have partnered with local clinics to bring healthcare clinics inside schools.

Liberty and Salem Schools have partnered with QUICKmed Urgent Care. Sebring, East Palestine, and Warren City Schools collaborate with Akron Children's Hospital.

The grant will create 29 new School-Based Health Centers, and expand services in 107 existing clinics to help provide primary care services and preventative care for students. Expanded clinics will also offer vision, dental, and behavior health care.

Having the clinics inside schools aims to eliminate barriers that students and parents might face when it comes to obtaining care, such as transportation, parents missing time at work, and lack of access to medical providers.

“Studies have shown that health and wellness are interconnected,” said Governor DeWine. “A student who is not healthy or who is chronically absent is not able to achieve their full potential. These partnerships between healthcare providers and schools supports the whole child and ensures that every child may realize their full potential.”

DeWine noted several advantages of School-Based Healthcare Centers, including:

  • An accessible, connected community of caring adults around each student to keep them in class and learning.
  • Preparing the whole student for future success.
  • Families have a convenient, consistent way for their student to receive needed care and maximize their class time.
  • Each student can have greater access to clinicians and therefore increased efficacy of treatment.
  • More students can be treated by existing school healthcare providers in a more efficient manner.

The funds come from the American Rescue Plan.