Health Clinic To Open At Urban Community School

CLEVELAND, OH — The Urban Community School will open a community and school health center through a partnership with the MetroHealth System. The new facility will offer primary care, pediatrics and other services.

“I am thrilled that Metro Health and Urban Community School have joined together to build a brand new community health center in Ohio City,” said Ward 3 Councilman Kerry McCormack, who represents this area. “This significant investment along Lorain Avenue is a huge step forward in making our Near West Side neighborhoods an even better place to live and raise a family by providing equitable access to high quality healthcare and education."

The new clinic building will be at Urban's campus at 4909 Lorain Avenue and is slated to open by 2020. Construction will start in early 2019.

The facility's initial services will include pediatrics, primary care, behavioral health, a Hispanic Culture Health Clinic and the MetroExpressCare, offering non-emergency room treatment for urgent health issues. MetroHealth will also relocate a portion of its Family Medicine Department from its W. 25th Street location to the new clinic.

The clinic will operate during school hours. Services inside of the school will also include immunizations, screenings, same-day sick care appointments, and primary and behavioral health care with services for children impacted by trauma.

There will also be access to a nutritional consultant, legal support, food access, a Moms First Program, a WIC office and a Reach Out and Read program all run through the new clinic.

"Of all the development occurring within Ohio City, this may be the most important,” said Tom McNair, executive director of Ohio City Inc.. “This collaboration between Urban Community School and MetroHealth can serve as a national model for wrap around services comprehensively addressing our children's development. This also cements the future of MetroHealth in Ohio City providing important services for all in our community."

One of the interesting developments for Northeast Ohio schools and hospital systems is the fresh focus on mental health that is being brought forward by these partnerships. Besides MetroHealth, the Cleveland Clinic is working with suburban Lakewood Schools to create a similar hospital-school district facility. That collaboration also touted its vigorous support of students grappling with mental health conditions.

It will be intriguing to watch how these collaborations play out and if students report feeling happier and healthier while at school.

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