Gallipolis, Ohio – Governor Mike DeWine celebrated the official opening of the new Gallia Academy High School Wellness Center this week. The facility, built through a $2.6 million grant from DeWine’s Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative, will serve students, school staff, their families, and the entire Gallia County community.
“This new clinic will help meet an essential need in this community, offering healthcare services that are convenient and accessible,” said Governor DeWine. “Putting this clinic on the Gallipolis City School District’s campus will improve students’ health and keep them in their classrooms, leading to better graduation rates and a stronger workforce in the future.”
Health Services Now Closer to Home
Operated in partnership with Holzer Health System, the new wellness center is located directly on the Gallia Academy High School campus. It will provide primary care services, behavioral health support, and vision care, helping reduce the barriers students and families often face when trying to access essential medical services.
School-based clinics like this one have been shown to increase academic achievement by improving attendance and student well-being. By placing care providers directly in schools, families can access services more easily without the burden of travel or missing work and class time.
Part of a Larger Regional Investment
The Gallia Academy clinic is one of many projects made possible through Governor DeWine’s Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative, a targeted effort to improve health outcomes in underserved parts of the state. More than $64 million has been invested into 28 projects so far, supporting both new and existing community and school-based clinics and helping launch workforce development programs in healthcare fields.
These initiatives are expected to benefit over 61,000 students and reach as many as 375,000 residents across 20 counties in Appalachian Ohio. The health program itself is part of the broader Appalachian Community Grant Program, which includes $500 million in total investment aimed at revitalizing Ohio’s 32-county Appalachian region.
Governor DeWine led the charge to establish this transformative program with support from the Ohio General Assembly in 2022. The projects, including the new Gallipolis clinic, aim to not only boost healthcare access but also strengthen communities and lay a foundation for long-term prosperity.
