Adena Health dedicates first of five new school-based clinics
On Saturday, Aug. 23, Adena Health officially dedicated the first of five new school-based clinics planned over the next two years marking a major step toward improving student wellness and making health care more accessible for families.
The first of these new clinics, located at Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center (PRCTC), will begin serving the school’s students and staff this fall. Work is continuing toward the future opening of school-based health clinics on the Adena, Chillicothe, Huntington and Unioto school campuses.
“Schools are where children spend much of their time, so bringing care directly to them is one of the smartest ways we can remove barriers and help students succeed,” said Kathi Edrington, Adena chief operating officer. “By bringing care directly into schools, we’re helping students stay healthy and focused in class, reducing the time parents miss work for medical appointments, and supporting school staff so they can focus on teaching and mentoring.”
The PRCTC clinic will offer a full spectrum of care, including:
• Acute care for minor injuries;
• Chronic condition management for conditions such as asthma and diabetes;
• Immunizations and physicals;
• Mental health counseling and support;
• Prescriptions and lab testing;
• Primary and preventive care.
For more than 20 years, Adena has partnered with schools across south central and southern Ohio to bring care directly to students where they learn. What began with athletic training services has grown into a comprehensive school-based health strategy that today serves more than 25,000 students and 4,000 staff members in 12 districts.
In 2019, Adena launched its first school-based health clinic at Jackson Middle School, and demand for services has continued to grow. Through in-school visits, the Adena Mobile Clinic, and school-based health clinics, Adena is working with educators, parents, and community partners to ensure children and school staff have the care they need to stay healthy, succeed in the classroom, and thrive in life.
The five school-based clinics were made possible with the help of a grant awarded in 2024 from the Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative, prepared by Nationwide Children’s Hospital on behalf of the Appalachian Children Coalition. Adena and Nationwide Children’s have previously partnered on school health initiatives and will continue to collaborate through shared expertise, technical assistance, and training. The grant funding also expands Adena’s mobile clinic services.
“We need to make sure that our kids have access to the care that they need,” said Randy Leite, executive director of the Appalachian Children Coalition. “What we’re celebrating here is the best manifestation of how you bring care to the people versus making people go to the care. There are 850 students here who, when this clinic opens, will be able to walk down the hall, get the care they need, and be back in the classroom. This is an example of what true collaboration can achieve when you have wonderful organizations like the career center and the health system that come together and say, ‘What can we do for kids?’”
Learn more about Adena’s school-based health efforts at Adena.org/SchoolCare.