The Heart of Stark: Reaching patients through school-based health centers

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As the area’s only locally owned and operated independent health system, Aultman Health Foundation has expanded its services to incorporate school-based health centers (SBHCs), a new community-based care model.

Within the past 10 years, SBHCs have emerged as effective models for improving student access to healthcare and closing the gap experienced by those who live in underserved communities.

SBHCs remove obstacles to seeking healthcare, including a lack of transportation and missing instruction when leaving school to attend an appointment, by functioning like a primary care office inside of a school building.

More: 'It's just like a doctor's visit.' Canton City Schools students to get telehealth access

A provider sees students— and even teachers and staff— during their school day. The provider can perform rapid tests for conditions like COVID-19 and strep throat, recommend treatment and even send prescriptions to the pharmacy.

Thanks to state funding, Aultman Health Foundation now serves 11 school districts throughout Carroll, Stark, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties.

In the coming years, there are plans to expand the program even further using the $6.8 million the organization received through the Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative. Aultman partners Brown Local Schools, Claymont City School District and Tuscarawas Valley Local School District all received funding to expand their offerings and facilities to reach more children and families.

Aultman serves these schools through a mix of on-site clinics and school-based telehealth services. With telehealth, an on-site nurse serves as the hands for a remote provider, transmitting critical information quickly via a secured video call platform.

For example, the nurse can use a Bluetooth stethoscope to share the patient’s heart, breathing and bowel sounds or use an optical otoscope to transmit pictures of the inner ear. Using this information, the provider can make a diagnosis and share the plan for treatment with the student and their guardians.

Aultman was one of the first in Ohio to establish a school-based telehealth service through an SBHC, partnering with Rittman Exempted Village School District to pilot the program in 2018.

Today, its SBHCs have proven to be a major success. In 2023, the return-to-class rate across Aultman’s SBHCs topped 70%. In addition, patients gave the health centers an 87.5% satisfaction rating. The program is a great example of what can happen when government entities, school districts and healthcare providers come together to address critical needs in local communities.

Stark Community Foundation helps individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits achieve their philanthropic goals. Learn more at www.starkcf.org.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: The Heart of Stark: Reaching patients via school-based health centers