Ohio Directs More Than $55 Million to Rural Children's Health Care: Vision Program Expands to All 88 Counties With New School Dental Program
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced on November 4 that more than $55 million in federal Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program awards will improve health care access for children and families in rural Ohio, across vision screening, school dental care and school-based health centers. Columbus, the state capital in Franklin County, is home to the Ohio Department of Health, which will invest the funds.
More than $18 million will expand the OhioSEE vision program to all 88 counties. Launched in January as a pilot in 15 counties with the highest need, OhioSEE now serves 252 public school districts, with 91 percent of eligible districts in the pilot area enrolled and providing eye exams and glasses to students in kindergarten through third grade; in the 73 RHT-eligible counties, services will cover kindergarten through grade 12. More than $17 million will fund the new OhioDENTAL program, which will bring dental services into schools through mobile vehicles or temporary clinics, train primary care professionals in oral health assessment and referral, and expand the collaborative of dentists accepting Medicaid.
More than $20 million will support school-based health centers, opening 17 new sites in 15 counties and funding expansion or continued operation of another 49 centers in 25 counties. The governor's office said the centers save thousands of hours of missed classroom time by providing primary care on campus and also serve community residents.
The awards come from the more than $200 million in federal RHT Program funding Ohio received, announced in December 2025. Three earlier rounds directed $10 million to the rural health workforce, $3.15 million to pharmacy connectivity and $92 million to preventive, primary, maternal and behavioral health care. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff commented on the new round.
(Source: Office of the Governor of Ohio)
Source: Office of the Governor of Ohio
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 俄亥俄州议会大厦，哥伦布（资料图）。CC BY 3.0，General Ization 摄，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus (file photo). CC BY 3.0, by General Ization, via Wikimedia Commons.
