Holzer Health System

Holzer Health System (Holzer) is a not-for-profit two-hospital health system serving seven counties in rural southeastern Ohio and western West Virginia. Holzer Medical Center Gallipolis is the main hospital with 266 licensed beds that offers a full range of healthcare services. Holzer Medical Center-Jackson is a Critical Access Hospital providing a 24-hour emergency department, a 24-bed inpatient medical unit, an inpatient pharmacy, and a multitude of outpatient services.

Holzer Health SystemHolzer serves approximately 150,000 unique patients per year in rural Appalachia. Its service area measures more than 100 miles of travel expanse and is home to some of the nation’s most disadvantaged and underserved populations.

With the help of subject-matter experts at MM, Holzer was awarded $350,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) program for telemedicine equipment that will enable direct medical access to all public schools in Gallia County. The program offers a service that meets the needs of more than 5,000 students on a daily basis in rural Appalachia.

Through the technical equipment funded by the DLT grant, healthcare services are transmitted from hub sites at Holzer to several primary and secondary schools, enabling real-time access to needed medical care for the children and school faculty. This initiative gives students and faculty a platform that offers needed care options that would be otherwise unavailable. Increased primary care access will lead to better health outcomes, lower transportation costs for families and physicians, and a more conducive environment for learning.