CANTON, Ohio (March 23, 2022) – The Ohio Department of Health recently awarded Aultman Health Foundation with a $1.9 million grant to bring primary and preventive care services to Northeast Ohio schools as part of Governor Mike DeWine’s $25.9 million statewide initiative to open or expand school-based health centers (SBHC) throughout Ohio.

Aultman’s $1.9 million grant will improve access to primary care telehealth and other services for students and staff at five rural school districts by creating new SBHCs at Brown Local School District, Claymont City School District, Minerva Local School District and Tuscarawas Valley Local School District, as well as expanding the existing SBHC in Carrollton Exempted Village School District.

“At Aultman, we’ve learned over our more than 130-year history that connected communities are healthier together,” said Dr. Lori Mertes, chief healthcare innovation officer, AultPlan. “This grant allows us to expand access to primary care and other services in schools, keep children in schools to prevent learning loss and expand and grow partnerships to provide for vital health needs in these rural communities.”

The SBHCs take a whole-child approach, addressing not only health needs, but also social service needs as well. These health centers will operate as extensions of existing school nursing services to provide students with improved access to primary care services, help coordinate behavioral health services and collaborate with community health workers to address the health needs of the community.

The new health centers will replicate Aultman’s successful SBHC telehealth model. In April 2018, Aultman Health Foundation established Ohio’s first telehealth service within a SBHC at Rittman Exempted Village School District. In October 2018, Aultman expanded its SBHC model to serve Orrville City School District and Southeast Local School District in Wayne County. On Jan. 5, 2022, Aultman’s fourth SBHC telehealth program went live in Carrollton Exempted Village School District in collaboration with the Carroll County General Health District.

Through this grant award, Aultman will create 14 new SBHCs and expand two existing SBHCs within Carroll, Stark and Tuscarawas counties. In response to individual school needs, Aultman Health Foundation will partner with many community organizations such as Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Tuscarawas and Carroll counties, Carroll County General Health District, East Central Ohio Educational Service Center, Stark County Health Department, Tuscarawas County Health Department and more to provide the staffing, education and community support services needed.

“We are grateful to the ODH for providing this opportunity, and for the wonderful collaboration and leadership between the school districts, community organizations and health departments as we roll out these valuable services to the children in our community,” Dr. Mertes said.

About Aultman Health Foundation
The Aultman Health Foundation is a nonprofit healthcare organization serving Stark and surrounding counties. The integrated healthcare system includes Aultman Hospital, Aultman Orrville Hospital, Aultman Alliance Community Hospital, the locally managed health insurance provider AultCare, The Aultman Foundation and Aultman College. With 1,032 beds, over 1,000 providers and a team of more than 7,000 employees, Aultman is Stark County's largest provider of healthcare services. For more information, visit www.aultman.org.