'It's just like a doctor's visit.' Canton City Schools students to get telehealth access

CANTON ‒ Officials within Canton City Schools hope a new medical partnership will help make health care more accessible and thwart absenteeism.

The Canton City School Board of Education recently approved a telehealth agreement with Aultman Orrville Hospital to provide telemedicine services.

The deal will allow a student or staff member at a district site to meet virtually with a doctor who can diagnose and treat illnesses such as colds, coughs, rashes, migraines, respiratory issues and earaches.

"There is definitely a need in the district," school Health and Wellness Coordinator Caitlin Nichols said. "We have gaps with access to health care and we have lots of absenteeism related to illness."

Absenteeism: Stark, Ohio schools struggle with students missing school during COVID-19 pandemic

Providing health care services in the school setting will hopefully minimize absenteeism.

"A student can miss 15 minutes of class time (to be seen by a doctor) and have a prescription sent to a pharmacy to be picked up after school," Nichols said. "It will definitely ease that burden for our families and students."

School health partnerships in Stark, Tuscarawas, Wayne, Holmes and Carroll counties

Aultman has school-based health clinics in eight districts across Stark, Tuscarawas, Wayne, Holmes and Carroll counties, including Orrville City Schools, Southeast Local Schools and Carrollton Exempted Village Schools.

Canton City along with Sandy Valley and Wayne County Career Center are new this year.

Rittman Exempted Village Schools became one of the first to partner with Aultman Orrville Hospital in 2018 and offer telemedicine to students and staff in a school clinic, said Pete Kandis, vice president of facilities and support services for Aultman Hospital and Aultman Orrville Hospital.

Last school year, Aultman Orrville provided more than 1,300 visits to students and faculty.

"Aultman is excited to partner with Canton City Schools to provide new access to care for both students and faculty through our school-based health clinics. The key objective is to provide telehealth treatment for students in the convenience of the school," Kandis said.

"The service allows students and faculty to receive clinical assessments during regular school hours including examinations, treatment options and other recommendations."

Aultman Health Foundation received a $1.9 million Ohio Department of Health grant in 2022 to implement school-based health clinics in Stark, Carroll and Tuscarawas counties. Districts served by the grant include Minerva Local, Tuscarawas Valley Local, Claymont Local and Brown Local.

How does the Aultman-Canton City School partnership work?

Under the three-year agreement, the hospital will provide teleservices remotely to students in set locations: McKinley High, Early College High School and Middle School at Lehman, STEAMM Academy at Hartford, Crenshaw Middle School and Patrick Elementary School.

Nichols said those schools were selected because of their high rates of absenteeism or lack of health care opportunities.

A licensed nurse will facilitate the call. Each location will have a telehealth cart that includes a camera, an otoscope, a stethoscope and other equipment. The nurse will use the instruments to help the doctor examine the patient.

Parents of the student will be notified before the visit and can attend remotely, Nichols said.

Students at the five locations will be provided information about opting into the program, Nichols said. Those who want to participate will provide the district with medical insurance information.

"It's just like a doctor's visit," Nichols said. "Aultman will bill the insurance company whether it is private or Medicaid insurance."

Students without medical insurance will not be turned away, she added. The district has negotiated an allocated amount of visits that will be covered by the district.

"We want everyone to have equal access to the service," Nichols said.

The program is expected to be running by Oct. 1. Staff members will need training beforehand.

Nichols acknowledged there are limitations to the types of cases can be seen through telemedicine, but she is hopeful it can eliminate the need for ER visits as well as help students and staff get diagnosed and treated early on, keeping them in the classroom and reducing the spread of illness.

"Getting treatment quickly is the best thing," she said. "We are excited about it. It's a great resource for our families and hopefully will be helpful for us, too."

Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Canton City Schools, Aultman Orrville ink pact for telemedicine visits