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Trimble Receives $25,000 Grant For School-Based Wellness Center
By: Arian Smedley | Athens Messenger
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Trimble Local School District is one step closer to getting its school-based health center, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Sisters of St. Joseph Charitable Fund.
The bulk of the funds ($20,000) will go toward medical supplies, furniture and other equipment, said Barry Oches, of Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. Oches wrote the grant. The rest ($5,000) will go to the university.
The health center will consist of two exam rooms and a reception area. It’s expected to take up space about the size of a classroom. Hopewell Health Centers, which is partnering with the district, is covering the cost of the building renovation, Oches added.
As previously reported, the tentative plan is to house the center at the elementary/middle school in Jacksonville. It's possible it will open as early as the fall of 2014.
Children will only be cared for in the center if parents give permission, unless there is a life threatening situation. While the school health clinic will be open to all children, whose families will be charged on a sliding scale based on household income, it is not intended to replace the primary care physician.