The Edison Local School District is partnering with the Jefferson County Health Department to help provide services to students and the community.

Starting in September, health officials will visit Stanton Elementary, John Gregg Elementary and Edison High School each week to administer blood pressure screenings, adult and child immunizations, tuberculosis and STD tests, lice checks, sore throat and pink eye tests and education. However, officials said an exact schedule was being set for the visits. School Superintendent Bill Beattie said the department reached out to schools in an effort to assist the youth and he believes the partnership is a positive one.

“The goal is for them to come in for a few hours once a week in each building and provide any necessary services our students may need,” Beattie said. “I think it’s a win-win because we can get services to students that otherwise may not be available to them because we are in a rural district.”

An estimated 1,500 youth may benefit from physicals to immunizations and more, while parental consent and insurance information are needed for required care. A nurse practitioner will also be on-site for assistance and all care is confidential.

Kim Mark, program director for JCHD, said similar services will also be available monthly at Buckeye Local and the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School to serve those areas while additional satellite sites are available in Toronto on Monday and Wednesday and Bergholz each Tuesday and Thursday. She was pleased to see the health department work in conjunction with Edison to promote wellness and reduce school days missed due to illness.

“We approached the Edison administration in April and thought it would be beneficial to the children and community,” Mark said. “We’ll be doing it two days a week and spend a half a day at each school. There will be a nurse practitioner doing immunizations and sports physicals, if needed, and we’ll also have wellness services for strep throat and pinkeye. During flu season, we can also hold clinics to administer flu shots. It’s to help cut down on absenteeism in schools for minor things.”

She added that Women, Infants and Children (WIC) officials will also be on hand to assist young families with nutrition education and support and an area pharmacist will deliver medication.

“We’re just excited about our partnership with Edison and are trying to reach communities that are not on the bus line,” Marks concluded.

The health department offers myriad services including health fairs, health education on such topics as car seat safety, lice and scabies, general department education and smoking cessation and environmental services from food service operations to animal bites and a private water system program. In addition, it provides referral to health care, voter registration and more.

For more information, contact the health department at (740) 283-8530 or go online to www.jchealth.com.