CHILLICOTHE, OH (October 6, 2026) – Recognizing that healthy students are more likely to attend class, stay focused, and succeed in the classroom, Adena Health last week continued expansion of its school-based health services by dedicating the Cavalier Care Clinic on the Chillicothe High School/Middle School campus.
The clinic will make it easier for Chillicothe students and staff to access preventative care, manage chronic conditions, receive mental health support, and get immunizations and physicals without leaving the school campus.
The clinic’s presence on the campus means fewer school days missed, less time parents need to take off work, and more convenient access to care for families facing such challenges as transportation or scheduling issues.
“At Adena Health, we believe access to healthcare should be convenient, close to home, and available when and where people need it,” said Kathi Edrington, Adena president and CEO. “The Cavalier Care Clinic brings that commitment to life in a really meaningful way.”
For more than 20 years, Adena has partnered with schools across central and southern Ohio to bring care directly into the school setting. What began with athletic training services has grown into a comprehensive school-based health strategy that now serves more than 25,000 students and 4,000 staff members across 12 districts.
The on-site clinic represents just the latest collaboration involving Adena and the Chillicothe City Schools. The two organizations partner in the AIM program, which identifies several students interested in careers in healthcare and brings them to Adena Regional Medical Center throughout the year to meet with and shadow providers, work in the hospital’s simulation lab, and get a closer look inside their future profession. This year’s AIM students assisted at the clinic’s opening, actually cutting the ribbon to make it official.
“I can tell you this clinic is going to be a game-changer for our students,” said Kathy Payne, interim superintendent for Chillicothe City Schools. “We have many students that do not have consistent healthcare, and now they will.”
Utilizing the assistance of grant funding, Adena has opened five new school-based health clinics at Pickaway-Ross Career and Technology Center, Chillicothe City Schools, and Adena, Huntington, and Union-Scioto local schools. These clinics, along with visits to other area schools by Adena’s Mobile Clinic, represent a growing network of care designed to meet increasing demand and ensure more students and educators have access to care where they learn and work.
Each clinic opening positively impacts the vision for a healthy Appalachia, said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development.
“When Gov. (Mike) DeWine announced these transformational investments more than two years ago, he did so because he believes in Appalachia and the people who call it home,” Mihalik said. “He wanted to provide communities the opportunity to create real, undeniable change driven entirely by the needs and the dreams of the people who live here. That opportunity has turned into care here that will create a brighter future for many generations of students.”
A 2024 grant from the Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative, prepared by Nationwide Children’s Hospital on behalf of the Appalachian Children Coalition, has supported the development of the new school-based health centers and clinics. The funding has also helped expand Adena’s Mobile Clinic services to bring care to more families across central and southern Ohio.
These school-based health centers are also supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $408,404 with 76% funded by CMS/HHS and 24% funded by Ohio State General Revenue Funding. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ODH, NCH, ACGP, CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
Learn more about Adena’s school-based health efforts at Adena.org/SchoolCare.