MARGARETTA TWP. — The Erie County Health Department and its Community Health Center continue to replicate. The latest expansion of services will be a School-Based Health Center (SBHC) for the Margaretta school district.
The health department was awarded a competitive grant from the Ohio Department of health — $500,000 — to start the center at the old high school building and also plan for it to be relocated into the new Margaretta High School when it becomes ready for students.
“This funding marks a major step forward in expanding accessible healthcare for students and local families,” health Commissioner Pete Schade told StayTunedSandusky.
The new facility in Margaretta will be the fourth SBHC; the existing centers are Vermilion High School, EHOVE Career Center and Sandusky Career Center. The Margaretta SBHC will provide essential primary care and mental health services, as well as pharmacy services. The center is expected to open with limited hours before the upcoming holiday season, allowing staff to integrate with the district and prepare for expanded operations. It will transition to full operational hours in January.
Joe Palmucci, CEO at the health department, said, “This center will allow us to intervene early, provide continuous support and ensure that health challenges do not stand in the way of a student’s education or a family’s well-being.”
The clinic will also be available for general public health appointments after school hours, extending its reach beyond the student body to benefit the entire Margaretta and Castalia communities. School-Based Health Centers address critical gaps in care by offering convenient access to preventive services and chronic condition management right on campus. For schools, this means fewer missed class days due to illness; for families, it means easy access to care without the burden of travel or taking time off work.
“The Margaretta SBHC will be a resource for everyone in the area, not just students,” said Peter Schade, Health Commissioner. “It’s about removing barriers and providing quality, preventive care where people live and work. This is a win for the students, the district, and the entire Erie County population.”
The health department team is working closely with Margaretta Schools administrators to finalize site details and hiring. More information on specific services and scheduling will be released closer to the official opening date.
About the Erie County Health Department
The Erie County Health Department’s mission is to promote and improve the health and safety of Erie County communities and their environment while preventing disease through essential public health services. ECHD operates the Erie County Community Health Center—the region’s only fully integrated Federally Qualified Health Center—along with the Erie Community Pharmacy, Erie County Detox, Kaptur Rogowski House and Compass Point, which provides adult day services for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
For information about Health Department or Health Center services, visit www.ErieCoHealthOhio.com.
