$1.8 Million Grant Helps Close Gap for Underserved Students
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Education have awarded a $1.8 million grant to QUICKmed Urgent Care to support the organizations ability to increase school based health centers in qualifying locations.
The grant was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund. QUICKmed was the only for-profit organization to receive the award out of the 15 awardees.
29 new schools-based health centers and expanded services in 107 existing school-based health centers were made possible by the grant. QUICKmed says they will be partnering with Salem City and Liberty Local School Districts to provide campus medical clinics in support of children’s non-academic needs.
A study by ODE showed more than 41% of Ohio school-aged children were recipients of Medicaid benefits last year. Liberty Local School District and Salem School District were both above that number, coming in at 65% and 51% respectively.
QUICKmed says these school-based health centers will help close gaps in underserved communities by improving student access to health care.
8,635 health professionals, including nurses, psychologists, counselors and social workers, were employed in Ohio public schools last year, according to Ohio’s Whole Childe Framework. This equates to 5.19 per 1000 students.
The ODE Healthy Student Profile says there is a connection between Salem and Liberty students receiving Medicaid benefits and lower than average state scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency.
QUICKmed’s grant will extend to 2024 and will cover operational and capital expenses. Clinics will include medical, dental, mental health, audiology and ophthalmology services.
Students, staff and families will all have availability to the clinics during school hours. Uninsured students will be offered free medical services and no insurance is required for additional family members.
For more information on the clinics, contact Stacy Butera at 330-333-6404.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
