New-School Based Health Clinic Opens in Piketon
Article presented by Pike County Career and Technology Center …
(PIKETON, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine visited Piketon Jr/Sr High School to celebrate the grand opening of the Scioto Valley School District’s new school-based health clinic.
The health clinic was built with nearly $1.7 million in grant funding awarded as part of Governor DeWine’s Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative. Through a partnership with Valley View Health Centers, the new primary care clinic will serve school students, staff, and their families, as well as the broader community. Behavioral health services are also offered.
School-based healthcare has been shown to significantly reduce barriers to accessing essential health services, leading to improved physical, behavioral, and academic outcomes for students.
“This new clinic will allow students to get the care they need and get back to learning,” said Governor DeWine. “When families can access care where their children already learn, we see better attendance, higher classroom performance, and healthier, more confident students who can reach their God-given potential.”
The health center got a ringing endorsement from Piketon Senior Alyiah Diack who explained to the audience “help is now, only a few steps away when needed. Whether it’s for medical care, dental services or mental or behavioral health therapy, for many of my classmates and their families, getting access to health care or counseling outside our school can be challenging. This new health center aims to break down the barriers, make health care more accessible, convenient and affordable, no matter the circumstances.”
The Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative has invested more than $64 million to support the creation or expansion of community- and school-based health clinics, as well as the launch of healthcare-focused workforce development programs. The funding was divided among 28 projects that are expected to impact 61,000 students and 375,000 area residents in 20 Appalachian counties.
The initiative is part of the larger Appalachian Community Grant Program that has committed $500 million to strengthen Ohio’s 32-county Appalachian region. Governor DeWine spearheaded this unprecedented investment with support from the Ohio General Assembly in 2022.
