As reported by WCPO, a campus health center is set to open at New Richmond Middle School by the 2025-26 school year in a partnership between Cincinnati Children’s and New Richmond Schools. Serving over 1,000 district students, this center aims to fill the health care gap for those without a primary care provider, forming a crucial lifeline in rural Clermont County.
The facility, placed conveniently at New Richmond Middle School, offers proximity for toddling high school students who could make the short walk and eases the struggle for younger pupils relying on a schlep by car. "We feel very fortunate to be collaborating with the premier organization in the country for providing child health care," said Jill Hollandsworth, interim superintendent of the New Richmond Exempted Village School District, which was included in a statement by WCPO. The center promises access to a sweeping range of services, from care for sick children and immunizations to even chronic health condition management, addressing physical and developmental health needs in collaboration with school staff.
Guided by an experienced hand, Cincinnati Children's has a rich history of steering school-based health centers, with several already flourishing within Cincinnati. "Our health system has decades of experience operating school-based health centers, including several locations in the city of Cincinnati," Evaline Alessandrini, Cincinnati Children’s Chief Operating Officer, informed in a report by WCPO. This model not only bolsters health and educational outcomes but also slashes student absenteeism, cementing the utility of such an establishment.
Funding for the much-needed renovation of 1,400 square feet at the school has been secured through a grant from Appalachian Community Innovation Centers, per information from FOX19. The layout of the health center will encompass an array of rooms, including an intake area, three exam spaces, a lab, and relevant accommodations to service needful children – Cincinnati Children's, already held with high regard nationally in areas from pediatric cancer care to pulmonology and behavioral health, thus extends its reach directly into the heart of New Richmond.
A survey highlighted by FOX19 illustrates the local desire for this project, with 70% of parents supporting establishing a school-based health center. With a schedule set for opening next school year and staff such as a nurse practitioner and medical assistant confirmed by WLWT, the center is poised to become a cornerstone of community health and wellness for the inhabitants of New Richmond.
