Largest School-based Health Grant in State History to Improve Access for SE Ohio Children

A new program announced this month by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted has the potential to change tens of thousands of children’s lives with better access to health care and other program.

The Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative is a more than $64 million investment that includes dozens of projects in 36 communities across 20 Appalachian counties in Ohio. Much of the focus is on providing health services in schools, making this the largest investment in school-based health services in the state of Ohio.

The grant proposal for the program was prepared by Nationwide Children’s Hospital on behalf of the Appalachian Children Coalition to improve children’s access to the care they need where they spend most of their time – in school. The new or expanded services, including primary care, behavioral health and preventive care, will reach nearly 375,000 youth, families and community members. Each project varies based on community needs.

“We know that children can reach their full potential in the classroom when they are healthy, live in a safe and stable environment, and have access to the resources they need,” said Mary Kay Irwin, EdD, senior director of school health services for Nationwide Children’s. “By partnering with schools, we are helping many children access important care they would otherwise not receive. If we want to improve health outcomes for all children, we must work together and meet families where they are.”

Schools can play a critical role in improving a child’s health and well-being. More than 150 traditional school-based health center sites operate or are under development in Ohio, according to the Ohio School-Based Health Alliance. This project will open 16 new school-based health centers, along with mobile care services, behavioral health services, dental services and mobile vision services.

To ensure seamless implementation across the many projects, and sustained success of these efforts and investment, the project incorporates built-in technical assistance support from Nationwide Children’s. Nationwide Children’s operates 17 school-based primary care clinics in central Ohio and has partnered with the State of Ohio, health care providers, nonprofit funders, school nurses and school districts across the state to support the development of school-based health programs in over 38 mostly Appalachian counties.

This unprecedented $64 million investment in school-based and community health is part of the state’s $500 million “OhioBuilds – Small Communities – Big Impact – A Plan for Appalachia” community grant program announced in 2022. The program is administered by the Governor's Office of Appalachia within the Ohio Department of Development.

“We appreciate Gov. DeWine’s commitment to the health of children in the Appalachian region and are excited to be able to lead the effort to bring local health care services to meet their needs,” said Randy Leite, PhD, executive director of the Appalachian Children Coalition. “For many children and families, the lack of access to local health care services leads to any number of negative health and educational outcomes. The school-based clinics and services to be developed as part of this program will provide  access that is so desperately needed. We share Gov. DeWine’s commitment to our children and know that our many partners in this effort do, too.”