SHELBY – Only seventeen schools in the state of Ohio house a Nationwide Children’s Hospital school-based health center (SBHC).
Shelby City Schools Superintendent Michael Browning said his district is fortunate to officially be a part of that group as of Wednesday morning.
“We believe this partnership will help promote healthy living for our students and our community,” Browning said. “This new facility will be a cornerstone of health and wellness in our schools and our community.”
Representatives from Nationwide Children’s Hospital joined Shelby City Schools administrators, staff members, and local residents at the Board of Education Building, 109 W. Smiley Ave., Wednesday for a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Browning, whose involvement with the project began during its later stages, credited the previous administration for its hard work.
“I came into the fun part of the project,” said Browning, who was hired by the district earlier this year.
“However, this endeavor came to fruition with the foresight of Mr. Tim Tarvin, former superintendent, and the Shelby City Schools Board of Education.”
Nationwide Children’s Hospital partners with Shelby City Schools
Headquartered in Columbus, Nationwide is partnering with four Ohio school districts, including Shelby, Mount Vernon, Reynoldsburg, and Columbus City Schools.
Nationwide received $3.24 million in funding through a contract with the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Department of Education.
Funds were distributed and allocated for the design and construction of facilities, as well as purchasing and operating medical equipment.
What services are available for students?
Doctor Sara Bode, medical director for Nationwide Children’s Hospital school health services, said available services include wellness checks, immunizations, blood work, as well as sports and work permit physicals.
Additional health services include yearly checkups and treatment of asthma, ADHD, and more.
Assistant Superintendent Paul Walker said staffing for the SBHC will be provided by Nationwide, who will correspond with the district’s current health services personnel.
The SBHC will accept Medicaid and several other insurance plans. No child will be denied care due to the inability to pay for services.
District staff members will also be able to receive immunizations at the SBHC.
Walker said parents/guardians will always be contacted before their student receives any services.
Bode expressed her gratitude for the district and community for embracing an undertaking of this magnitude.
“When you’re putting health-care services in an educational space, it’s not as simple as just building walls and opening a door,” she said. “This is a community effort.”
Room for growth
While the SBHC will offer an array of services, Bode said there is still room for growth.
Incorporating dental and vision services top her list of offerings to someday weave into school clinics.
“We know that a bunch of students have unmet dental needs,” she said. “There are opportunities to think about expanding vision services here, too.”
Overcoming early challenges
Bode said when the grant opportunity became available, Shelby City School administrators were eager to partner with Nationwide.
“We partner with areas and school districts to really think about combining efforts and services,” the doctor said. “They (Shelby) were ready from the get-go.”
Walker said early challenges with construction bids exceeding the district’s allocated amount of funds were overcome thanks to local commercial contractors.
“We changed some of the design and shrunk it down,” he said. “Lamb Builders was able to go under the last bid we put out and here we are today.”
GALLERY: Shelby City Schools celebrates SBHC grand opening
Shelby’s new school-based health center features two exam rooms, a waiting area, and office space for clinic staff members. 
Melisa Oberdier, Nationwide Children’s Hospital nurse practitioner, speaks to those in attendance Wednesday. 
Doctor Sara Bode, medical director for Nationwide Children’s Hospital school health services, speaks at Wednesday morning’s ceremony. 
Shelby City Schools Superintendent Michael Browning and Melisa Oberdier, nurse practitioner, cut the celebratory ribbon at Wednesday’s school-based health center grand opening. 
Connecting with other local school administrators
Walker said he spoke with Stephen Rizzo, director of curriculum for Mansfield City Schools, who’s district began offering health services in November 2019.
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Mansfield City Schools partnered with Third Street Family Health Services to launch the Malabar Care Clinic, which recently began serving students, staff and families from any Mansfield City Schools building last fall.
Additionally, Walker said he spoke frequently with Mount Vernon City Schools Superintendent William Seder, who’s district was also chosen to partner with Nationwide to construct an SBHC.
Permanent SBHC ready to serve students
Prior to the project’s completion, the SBHC was temporarily housed at Shelby High School.
Melisa Oberdier, a nurse practitioner for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, has been providing health services in the temporary office since June, but is excited for her move to the permanent facility.
From start to finish, construction of the new facility was completed in about six months, Walker said.
“I feel really privileged to be able to serve the children in the community where I live and my children attend school,” Oberdier said.
She explained that prior to providing health services in June, only 36 percent of the district’s students were up to date on their wellness visits.
Since operating out of a temporary office, she said almost 300 students have received medical care from the clinic.
“Our goal with this clinic is to be able to partner with the school nurse, to be able to serve children and give them the health care they need,” she said.
Meeting a community need
The SBHC meets an identified need of the Shelby community; access to primary care in an area where options remain limited.
Bode said it’s critical for students to have access to health care and about half of school-aged children in Ohio don’t have a primary care medical home.
“Schools and health care are natural partners,” she said. “We know that kids have to show up healthy, ready to learn at school.”
Browning said he’s hopeful the clinic will make it easier for students and their families to receive health services.
“It’s really hard for some families to see their pediatrician and get health care,” he said.
“This is really going to help our families and community build that trust between Nationwide Children’s and Shelby City Schools.”
School-based health center FAQ
Open invitation to surrounding communities
In addition to serving the Shelby City School district, the SBHC also welcomes children and young adults, ages 0 to 21, from surrounding communities to receive health services.
Bode said the SBHC has an interior and exterior entrance to accommodate district students, as well as outside visitors.
“This might be the closest, most convenient space for them (visitors),” she said. “This is full-service wellness care, so we can be the medical home for these families if they need it.”
Browning said the SBHC provides an opportunity to show surrounding communities what the district has to offer.
“If they’re (local families) looking to move someplace, we can say we’ve got this (SBHC) in our school district and a great partnership with Nationwide Children’s,” he said. “It’s a name that everybody knows and trusts.
“For us, I think it’s going to be a great partnership and I look forward to seeing what happens,” Browning said.