Butler County 1st: Rural Edgewood Schools to have medical center

Butler County’s first rural school district medical center will open next year.

Edgewood Schools are following the lead of three local city districts in creating for the first time, an on-campus health center to treat students, staffers and school families, the Journal-News has learned.

The largely rural Edgewood Schools, which enrolls 3,870 students in parts of three central Butler County townships, will build the medical facility in Edgewood High School. It will serve all students and staffers in the district’s five schools.

In 2016 Fairfield Schools was the first in the county to open an on-campus clinic, followed in 2017 by Hamilton Schools. Last month Middletown Schools opened its first clinic inside its renovated high school.

Edgewood Superintendent Russ Fussnecker said the center will offer medical, dental, vision, and behavioral health referral-based services.

“We are excited to offer these services to those who don’t have access to this type of care,” he said.

The school health facility will be open in August for the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

Like Fairfield, Hamilton and Middletown, Edgewood is partnering with Primary Health Solutions and just as officials in the other districts have cited, the Edgewood center is designed on the premise that healthy students are more successful learners.

Fussnecker said a healthy environment will have “a direct, positive impact” on students’ ability to learn.

Transportation to the medical will be provided to students throughout the school day, said district officials. Services will be free or charge on a sliding scale according to income.

Marc Bellisario, president and CEO of Primary Health Solutions, said partnering with its first rural school system reflects the company’s mission.

“We go where we are needed, and Edgewood is the first rural district to reach out,” to the medical company, he said.

He said Primary Health Solutions is open to discuss the benefits of a school-based health center with any and all districts that embrace the value and benefits of a school based health center.

John Thomas, director of business operations for Edgewood, said no enlargement of the high school building will be needed to accommodate the health center.

About the Author