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A health clinic opens on Logan High School’s campus for staff and students

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LOGAN, Ohio (WOUB/Report for America) — A new health clinic aiming to combat a shortage in primary healthcare providers opened Monday on the Logan High School campus.

The district built the clinic in part to encourage more students to get regular checkups. According to Logan-Hocking Director of Programs Brice Frasure, around 45% of the district’s kids don’t have a primary care doctor.

“If people have a primary care physician, we want them to go there and have that relationship. But we know about half our kids don’t have one,” Frasure said.

The clinic is a newly built addition to the high school. It boasts two labs, vaccine storage and three visiting rooms and is staffed by a nurse practitioner from Hocking Valley Community Hospital.

Treatment at the clinic is insurance based and requires parental consent.

A door opens into a medical examination room. A sign on the wall reads "Welcome to the Exam Room."
The examination rooms are outfitted with equipment for primary care visits. [Theo Peck-Suzuki | WOUB Public Media/Report for America]
Mental health counselors from Hopewell Health who work at the high school can also meet students in the clinic. Superintendent Monte Bainter said this was a response to student feedback regarding the district’s mental health resources. Bainter said students told him the counselors’ office was too visible, raising concerns that students could see their peers in crisis.

The clinic was originally meant to open in June, but Frasure said supply chain issues with building materials slowed construction and increased cost.

Frasure said the original estimate for the cost of the clinic was around $350,000. It ended up costing $780,000.

“Windows and trusses and doors were a problem,” Frasure said.

While the clinic is currently open only to staff and students, the district hopes to eventually open it to the public.