Willoughby-Eastlake to Open Student Health Clinic at Union Village by 2027

Project Scope and Location at Union Village

The upcoming clinic will be situated next to the Willoughby Senior Center in Union Village, right beside Willoughby South High School. Initially, the site will focus on serving district students before expanding its care to the broader community. Union Village operates as a multi-facility civic campus established in 2019 that already houses Willoughby South High School, Willoughby Middle School, the West End YMCA, and the David E. Anderson Willoughby Senior Center, according to Greenland Engineering.

According to Heather Dodd, the district’s Pupil Services Director, health concerns can negatively affect attendance, academic performance, family stability, and school participation. District officials noted that placing health services near schools helps eliminate transportation barriers and scheduling conflicts that often prevent families from accessing care.

Funding and Financial Sustainability Plan

Capital improvements and initial staffing for the project are supported by a $500,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Health, as reported by Cleveland.com. This allocation is part of Ohio’s $9 million School-Based Healthcare initiative, which is co-administered by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Health to place medical and mental health services directly on school grounds and reduce chronic absenteeism. State grant guidelines cap competitive awards at $500,000, typically dividing the funds equally between capital construction or renovation and operational start-up costs, according to Instrumentl.

Because the state award provides a one-time financial infusion, project organizers are assembling an advisory team to build a long-term funding strategy. The plan will target additional grant opportunities and Medicaid reimbursement revenue to ensure the clinic operates sustainably without requiring ongoing financial support from either Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools or Crossroads Health.

Organizational Partnership and Scope of Care

The clinic stems from four years of planning between the school district and Crossroads Health, a Mentor-based non-profit organization. Lauren Wright, Crossroads Health’s Senior Director of Clinical Services, stated that the new facility represents an expansion of the organization’s existing partnership with Willoughby-Eastlake schools. Crossroads Health already provides outpatient mental health, substance use recovery, psychiatric evaluation, and primary care across Lake County regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Patrick Ward emphasized that the collaborative initiative demonstrates how organizations can work together to support students and families.