Cleveland innovations in school-based care: A case study in system integration

The Intergenerational School (TIS) is an innovative and academically successful public school in Cleveland, Ohio that emphasizes lifelong learning and wellbeing by fostering purposeful and healthy living in community. With these goals in mind, an integrated primary and public healthcare model is being developed.  The program, InterWell, is intended to provide client-empowering, interprofessional healthcare and education, emphasizing chronic disease management from a broad socio-ecological perspective which addresses family, community, and societal level determinants of health.  A special emphasis will be on prevention and treatment of metabolic syndromes, like obesity and diabetes, by encouraging healthy eating programs and exercise, such as through intergenerational community gardening programs.

 Another school-health initiative developing in Cleveland is The MetroHealth School Health Program.  MetroHealth is an academically oriented public healthcare system, working to extend primary care services into public schools.  Providers in a mobile clinic, which allow students to receive care at school, are supported by the health system’s network of outpatient facilities.

 These two initiatives have the potential to complement each other. The mobile clinic located near TIS could provide additional health services to students and community members, while providing an opportunity to explore integration of InterWell’s ecosocial approach in MetroHealth’s newly developing school health program.. The school based health model can be strengthened by incorporation of the multi-level prevention and treatment initiatives of Interwell.   With MetroHealth’s plans to extend services to over 20 schools throughout Cleveland, these initiatives have the potential to substantially improve the health of Cleveland children and communities.