(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Columbus City Schools announce the grand opening of a school-based student health center at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center – part of ongoing efforts to increase access to health and mental health services for students across the community, including children who live in areas that are underserved.
The school-based health center will provide additional access to primary health care services, such as well visits, immunizations, sports physicals, sick care, and asthma and diabetes management, for all Columbus City Schools students and their siblings. These primary care services are not meant to replace a child’s existing pediatrician but will provide services for those students who may not have a regular doctor.
Behavioral and mental health services are currently provided at Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School, and will also be provided at this school-based health center. Those services include both preventive and therapy services. Individual and family counseling, as well as medical evaluation and medication management services are available for students.
“Nationwide Children’s has been serving Columbus City Schools students across the district with comprehensive primary care service since 2015,” said Sara M. Bode, MD, primary care physician at Nationwide Children’s and medical consultant for Columbus City Schools. “The Fort Hayes Center is an additional needed critical access point to provide equitable service delivery across the school district.”
This grand opening of the Fort Hayes Center marks the 12th school-based health center within Columbus City Schools. Since the partnership with Columbus City Schools began in 2015, Nationwide Children’s school-based health centers have seen 11,165 students and completed 25,072 patient visits across the district.
“The opening of this new student school-based health center marks a significant step toward providing accessible and comprehensive healthcare to our students and families,” said Columbus City Schools Interim Superintendent/CEO Dr. Angela Chapman. “We are thrilled to partner with Nationwide Children's Hospital to make this a reality and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our community."
Physically and emotionally healthy children are more likely to achieve academic success as they experience fewer school absences and are better able to focus and learn while in school. School-based health initiatives help ensure students are in school, healthy and ready to learn.
"We are excited about the opportunities this partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital brings to our school community,” said Chief Student Services Officer Dr. Machelle Kline. “By having this student health center on-site, we can provide easy access to healthcare services to help support the well-being of our students and children. It's a great step forward for our school and our community."
The Fort Hayes Student Health Center Grand Opening Ceremony is April 5 at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center (468 Cleveland Ave., 43215), from 4–6 p.m. The ribbon cutting takes place at 5 p.m.
About Nationwide Children’s Hospital: Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs, as well as prioritizing quality and safety, are part of what allows Nationwide Children’s to advance its unique model of care. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 14,000 that provides state-of-the-art wellness, preventive and rehabilitative care and diagnostic treatment during more than 1.6 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.
About Columbus City Schools: Columbus City Schools, established in 1845, is the state of Ohio’s largest school district, serving the needs of 47,000 students in 113 schools. The district, which employs more than 9,000 teachers and staff, is under the leadership of Interim Superintendent Dr. Angela Chapman and a seven-member Board of Education. The mission of Columbus City Schools is that each student is highly educated, prepared for leadership and service, and empowered for success as a citizen in a global community.