Cleveland, OH,
16
January
2023
|
09:52 AM
America/New_York

MetroHealth, Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District Expand Services for Students, Families and Staff

HeightsWellness-10

The MetroHealth System and Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School (CH-UH) District are proud to announce the opening of the new Heights Wellness Center at Heights High School and the significant expansion of health care services offered to the district’s students, families and staff.

The renovation and expansion of Heights High School’s health clinic and the addition of new health care services throughout the school district are possible because of a nearly $4.5 million state grant awarded last spring to MetroHealth’s School Health Program. In addition to the new Heights Wellness Center, the funding will allow MetroHealth to expand services through its mobile unit that serves other schools in the CH-UH district.

MetroHealth and CH-UH officials celebrated with a ribbon cutting and open house on Tuesday, January 17, at the Heights Wellness Center at Heights High School (13263 Cedar Road Cleveland Heights, OH 44118). 

“Our goal at the School Health Program is to increase access to health care to support student success in and out of the classroom,” said Katie Davis, RN, Executive Director, Community and Corporate Health at MetroHealth. “We are excited that this funding has allowed us to build a physical space that can support the entire district – students, family and staff – to focus on both health and wellness. Being in the building allows our team to build trusted relationships with students and strengthen our partnership.”

The MetroHealth School Health Program offers physicals, chronic disease management, care coordination, immunizations, mental health screenings, urgent care, lab work and other services. And not only are services being made available for students but also district families and staff. The MetroHealth team can also connect families with resources that can help with housing needs, utility assistance, food insecurity, transportation access, legal issues and more.

“So much of what impacts an individual’s health – and a child’s ability to learn – goes beyond traditional medical care, and the caregivers at MetroHealth’s School Health Program understand that fact,” said MetroHealth President & CEO Airica Steed, Ed.D, MBA, RN, FACHE. “We must work together to remove the barriers that prevent far too many of our neighbors from reaching their full potential. Our partnership with this community’s schools is one way we can achieve that.”

MetroHealth has partnered with the CH-UH district since early 2019 when it began offering routine checkups and physicals twice a month at Heights High. Since then, the partnership has continued to deepen and now supports all schools in the district.

“Expanding these school-based services to our families and employees will enhance our ability to deliver an equitable, high quality education to our students,” said Liz Kirby, CH-UH City Schools Superintendent. “I can’t wait to see how the Wellness Center and our continued partnership with MetroHealth positively impact our school community.”

Funding for this initiative is being made available through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Additional funds are being made available through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund. Management of construction and capital expenses are coordinated in partnership with the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Health.

With this funding, MetroHealth also plans to expand services in the coming months at schools within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. In all, MetroHealth’s School Health Program provides care at more than 20 schools throughout Northeast Ohio.

About The MetroHealth System

Founded in 1837, MetroHealth is leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork. Cuyahoga County’s public, safety-net hospital system, MetroHealth meets people where they are, providing care through five hospitals, four emergency departments and more than 20 health centers. Each day, our nearly 9,000 employees focus on providing our community with equitable healthcare — through patient-focused research, access to care, and support services — that seeks to eradicate health disparities rooted in systematic barriers. For more information, visit metrohealth.org.