Ribbon cutting planned at new health center

A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. to mark the opening of the new Aultman Orrville Carrollton Schools Health Center at the Carrollton High School/ Middle School complex on Scio Rd.

A free community open house will be held in the center  following the ceremony until 12:30 p.m. 

Through a partnership between Aultman and Carrollton Schools, the Aultman Orrville Carrollton Schools Health Center will provide wellness exams, sick visits, sports physicals and other primary care services to students, staff and the community. Located at 211 Scio Rd. SW, the facility is one of seven Aultman Orrville Hospital Rural Health Clinics serving communities in Carroll, Stark, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties.

“By creating a primary care clinic adjacent to Carrollton’s high school and middle school, Aultman will be able to provide all the services Carroll County residents may need from a primary care office, while also providing convenient access for students and school staff members who may have health needs during and after school hours,” said Dave Davis, superintendent, Carrollton Exempted Village Schools.

The facility will be open to patients Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., beginning Nov. 20.

Davis said the health center is located on the west side (back side) of the complex and attached to the school but has secure locking doors between the school and the clinic. The public will access on the outside of the clinic from the parking lot via a sidewalk.

“Students can come directly from the school into the clinic and not have to go outside,” Davis explained. “There will be a receptionist area that will serve both sides of the clinic in a vestibule. 

The 1,800 square foot facility offers three exam rooms, two counseling rooms, a lab and restroom.  

Funds for the project were secured through a grant from The Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Department of Education. The school district utilized ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds to supplement the grant. 

The board of education approved an agreement to lease the facility to Aultman for $2,000 per month. A nurse was hired through the health department on a grant to do telehealth visits for all grade levels. 

The superintendent noted parents can provide consent for telehealth visits to be conducted without them being present in the room. 

“They can be zoomed into the conference call,” he said, adding the hope is it will save visits to stat care facilities. 

The district has been providing counseling services for some time, so the only thing new is the location where students will be served,” Davis said. 

“A lot of parents use the counseling services of SpringVale, so the school has been providing space for the sessions. They’ve been in the school for about three years. Before we had to find a space for the sessions to take place. That space was the locker rooms. This will be much nicer,” he added.