Ohio Governor Mike DeWine dropped by the City of Campbell on Friday to announce millions in funding to support the wellness of students across the Mahoning Valley.
Campbell City Schools was awarded $10,504,763 to construct a 55,000 square-foot wellness facility on the grounds of the district's K-6 school adjacent to the Northeast Ohio IMPACT Academy and Community Literacy Workforce and Cultural Center.
According to a press release, this will provide access to food through an on-site food pantry, greenhouse and composting facility.
The facility would also provide healthcare services that provide pediatric primary care and pediatric mental health counseling both in person and virtually, as well as childcare that provides literacy-rich and developmentally appropriate curriculums aligned with Ohio's early learning standards.
Additionally, this facility would provide workforce services and educational programming related to the medical field including medical coding, medical assistants and much more.
Linkages to care at Akron Children's will be available to students and families as well. DeWine says this is a big day not just for Campbell, but for all of the Appalachian region in Ohio.
"Campbell can be a model for other schools throughout the state. Campbell has already started over the last few years to begin pulling different things into their campus. We think this is going to enable them to go even further," DeWine said.
While Campbell did get the most money, it is far from the only Valley district that received funding for student wellness. DeWine announced funding for plenty of other schools throughout all three counties in the Mahoning Valley.
This includes $238,668 for Bristol, Crestview, Mahoning Valley, Newton Falls and Sebring school districts to establish a mobile in-person provider and telehealth model of school-based healthcare.
Each of these districts designated a private clinical space for Akron Children's use when on site allowing for efficient distribution, coordination and management services including necessary preventative care services.
The East Palestine City School District was awarded $251,528 for its own school-based health center in its high school and elementary school. The locations will receive equipment to facilitate comprehensive in-person care as well as telehealth.
A dedicated school health primary care provider will be recruited and retained at the program launch to partner directly with East Palestine City Schools.
The provider will offer indirect and direct clinical services for the school district and student population and will work with the school nursing staff to leverage health and wellness policy, promotion, education and access to direct healthcare services to create a healthy school environment.
Warren City Schools was awarded $318,360 to establish its own health center in partnership with Akron Children's to prioritize closing gaps in care for students with chronic health conditions such as asthma.
The center will be located in the Warren G. Harding High School connecting to a fully operating pediatric practice that will serve as the central clinical location for the Akron Children's care team.
A dedicated advanced practice provider will provide clinical services for the school district and student population.
Meanwhile medical and community staff will work with school nursing staff to address referrals timely and appropriately with consent from parents and guardians.
Telehealth services will be available to streamline student access to care within their school to eliminate transportation barriers. In the future, telehealth will be utilized to contact Akron Children's Hospital primary and specialty practice providers directly to their patient population in and through school.
"Our vision for Ohio's future is one where all Ohioans, no matter where they are from, have the opportunity to live up to their full potential. These projects will uplift and empower the people of Ohio's Appalachian region for generations to come," DeWine said.