Ohio Lt. Governor Husted visits Zanesville High School to announce Telehealth Initiative

MUSKINGUM COUNTY, Ohio- Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted visited Zanesville High School this afternoon to announce a telehealth initiative made possible through BroadbandOhio, InnovateOhio and the Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center.

1.15 million dollars will be invested for equipment and training to provide telehealth services to Coshocton, Muskingum, Morgan, Perry, Noble and Tuscarawas County schools. This will provide telehealth access to 20,000 students that didn’t already have it.

“You can have access to somebody at Nationwide Children’s Hospital without driving to Columbus. You can have any expert in the state available to you via telehealth… We’re finding that children in many cases are more comfortable doing it that way. They’re in a safe setting, they’re in their own school, they don’t have to travel, mom and dad didn’t have to take off work,” Ohio Lt. Governor of Husted said.

The telehealth services can provide resources to students to help them overcome obstacles for a better future, whether it’s regular, mental or behavioral health.

“When they have a crisis, a mental health crisis or a moment of severe physical injury on the playground, we can tap into this service and immediately get the care they need to help heal and improve their life. It’s ongoing, it can happen everyday, we can offer this everyday, all of our children, 20,000 children,” Muskingum Valley ESC Superintendent Lori Snyder-Lowe said.

The project is a collaborative effort between InnovateOhio, BroadbandOhio, the Muskingum Valley ESC and the Appalachian Children’s Coalition.

The Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center, Appalachian Children’s Coalition and all the health care providers in the six county schools are looking forward to the initiative.