Ohio School District Advances School-Based Healthcare with GALE Telemedicine Carts

Jefferson Area Local Schools District (JALSD) in rural Northeast Ohio is advancing school-based telehealth with GALE Telemedicine Carts from 19Labs—bringing healthcare closer to students, families, school nurses, and staff while reducing barriers to care.

“The cart format fits the way our schools operate. It keeps the tools organized, secure, and available while still giving us the flexibility to move them where they’re needed.” — Bill Mullane, Supervisor of School Improvement at JALSD

Every school district wants students in class, staff focused on supporting learning, and families connected to the healthcare their children need. For many rural communities, however, accessing care isn't always simple. Distance, transportation, work schedules, and provider availability can turn even routine medical appointments into lost instructional time and missed work.

Jefferson Area Local Schools is preparing to address those challenges through school-based telehealth.

Serving approximately 1,650 students across four schools in Ashtabula County, Ohio, the district recently deployed three GALE Telemedicine Carts—connected care workstations designed to support school-based telehealth—as part of the telehealth component of a broader technology grant.

Messias Soares, Vice President of Customer Success at 19Labs, with Bill Mullane (Center), Supervisor of School Improvement at JALSD, and the GALE Telemedicine Carts.

Bringing Healthcare Closer to Where Students Learn

Jefferson serves a largely rural district spanning approximately 120 square miles in Northeast Ohio. Although quality healthcare resources exist throughout the region, families often face transportation challenges, scheduling conflicts, winter weather, and time away from school or work to receive care.

District leadership sees school-based telehealth as one practical way to reduce those barriers.

When appropriate, parents can participate remotely in a student's telehealth visit while the student remains safely at school. The district also sees opportunities to support staff access to care, strengthen communication between school nurses and healthcare providers, and expand the use of connected diagnostic tools within existing nursing workflows.

Rather than replacing local healthcare providers, the goal is to strengthen the connection between schools, families, and the healthcare professionals who already serve the community.

“The idea of the carts was to really have that capability — better accessibility for parents, students, and staff.”  — Bill Mullane

Why the Telemedicine Carts Matter

As Jefferson evaluated school-based telehealth solutions, the district wasn't simply looking for video conferencing capability. It wanted a system that fit naturally into the realities of a school environment.

That practicality ultimately led the district to 19Labs.

The GALE Telemedicine Carts keep the touchscreen interface and diagnostic tools assembled, organized, secure, and ready for use throughout the school day. The carts can be moved where needed while maintaining a consistent setup for school nurses, eliminating the need to rebuild the system each time care is coordinated.

For schools where classrooms change purpose, buildings are cleaned throughout the year, and staff transitions occur over time, that design provides operational advantages beyond the technology itself.

Beyond the physical design, the district selected GALE because of its ease of use, secure telehealth capabilities, integrated diagnostic tools, and implementation approach. For school nurses, that means familiar exams—such as checking vitals, listening to heart and lung sounds, or capturing ear, throat, skin, and other visual information—can be supported through a more connected workflow.

Rather than simply delivering equipment, 19Labs worked alongside district leadership during onsite deployment to assemble the carts, introduce the platform, prepare staff for training, and support effective use of the system as the district moves into the school year.

Supporting School Nurses and Building a Practical Model

For Jefferson, the carts are intended to support—not complicate—the work school nurses already perform every day.

“You don’t want to burden people who are already overburdened with a huge learning curve,” Mullane said. “This is something our nurses could actually use.”

Connected diagnostic tools can help capture health information, document visits, and facilitate communication with parents and healthcare providers when appropriate. The carts also create opportunities for student care, staff health consultations, parent participation, and future expansion of school health services as community needs evolve.

For 19Labs, Jefferson's deployment reflects a broader shift among rural school districts seeking practical ways to expand access to care without adding unnecessary complexity for educators or school nurses.

"Successful school-based telehealth isn't just about technology—it's about building a model that fits naturally into the way schools already operate. Our role is to work alongside districts so school nurses, staff, families, and healthcare providers can confidently use connected care as part of everyday school health.” — Messias Soares, Vice President of Customer Success, 19Labs

As districts across the country explore new approaches to student health, Jefferson’s deployment shows how connected care can become a practical extension of the school environment.