(COLUMBUS, Ohio) –Nationwide Children’s Hospital is celebrating a decade of life-changing health care services available where students spend most of their time – at school. Since 2015, the hospital’s school-based health centers have helped more than 58,000 students across central Ohio receive vital services during the school day.
“Over the last 10 years, we have seen the benefits of bringing care directly to where students learn every day,” said Mary Kay Irwin, EdD, senior director of school health services at Nationwide Children’s. “In 2024 alone, 42% of patients did not have a medical home before using our services. Children are getting access to services they need to stay healthy and in school, which we know will result in greater academic outcomes. We’ve also been able to expand our services and provide support to allow us to address growing needs.”
Nationwide Children’s first launched school-based primary care services like well visits, sick visits and sports physicals for eight Columbus City School buildings in 2015. Since then, the hospital has expanded to operate 20 school-based health centers throughout the state, which feature 16 specialty clinics and programs, including dental and vision.
Today, the high-quality pediatric services at the school health centers also include a wheelchair clinic, sports medicine, and chronic disease management for students with asthma and diabetes. Nationwide Children’s provides more than a dozen traveling vaccine clinics, transportation services and pharmacy delivery, two mobile care centers, along with health education programs from kindergarten readiness to teen health.
School-based health centers help improve access to care for students who don’t have a health care provider, supplement care during the school day, and reduce some of the barriers many families face, including transportation, scheduling challenges and fear of missed school time. Each student who visits a school-based health center at their school saves an average of three hours of time in the classroom.
“This valuable partnership allows our students who may have never seen a health care provider or who need to see one the opportunity to do so, right at school,” said Angela Chapman, PhD, Superintendent/CEO of Columbus City Schools, the site of the first school-based health centers. “It has been a vital resource not only to keep children in school during the day but also to ensure they miss fewer days throughout the year by staying healthy. It helps students feel supported to thrive.”
To expand access in other regions, the hospital’s School Health Services also provides training and consultation for school-based health services in 38 Ohio counties. A large portion of this consultation work is done through the Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative in collaboration with the Appalachian Children Coalition, a $64 million investment in school-based and community health announced in 2024 by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
This school year, three new school-based health centers – Columbus Global Academy/Columbus International High School, Groveport Madison Schools and Metro Schools – operated by Nationwide Children’s are opening or expanding in central Ohio. In addition, one new chronic disease program is launching: Sickle Cell OUTreach in Schools (SCOUTS). With the hospital’s technical and consulting support, five new school-based health centers are operating in Appalachian counties, with 15 more to open later this year. In addition, a new training and consulting program to help school-based health centers support students’ mental health needs launched in collaboration with The Joe Burrow Foundation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and in Appalachia Ohio.
For more information, visit NationwideChildrens.org/Specialties/School-Health-Services.