Premier Health, Wright State Partnership Strengthens Regional Workforce Pipeline

Residents of Reily Township now have access to a free public health and safety supply box stocked with first-aid items, naloxone (Narcan), medication disposal bags, medication lock bags and other essential supplies. The initiative is a partnership among the Regional Harm Reduction Collaborative, the Coalition for a Healthy Community and the Butler County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board. The box is designed to improve access to basic health and safety resources while supporting overdose prevention and medication safety. Learn more here.

Dayton & Montgomery County Public Health conducted targeted mosquito spraying this week after mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus were detected in surveillance traps. The action comes as mosquito surveillance programs in several Ohio communities have reported West Nile-positive mosquito pools this summer, prompting increased monitoring and control efforts. No human cases had been reported in the affected Dayton area and encouraged residents to reduce standing water, use EPA-approved insect repellent and wear protective clothing when outdoors. Learn more here.

  Summa Health has selected Jennifer Eslinger as its next president and CEO, effective Sept. 21. Eslinger brings more than 20 years of executive leadership experience and most recently served as president and chief operating officer of Rochester Regional Health, where she helped lead strategic growth, operational improvements and quality initiatives. She succeeds acting president and CEO Daryl Tol, who will continue as president and CEO of Health Assurance Transformation Company, or HATCo, and support the leadership transition. Eslinger will focus on advancing clinical quality, financial sustainability, digital innovation and community-based care as the Akron-based health system continues its transformation.…

The Ohio Department of Behavioral Health and the Ohio Department of Higher Education have launched an $18 million scholarship initiative aimed at expanding the state's behavioral health workforce. Beginning in fall 2026, eligible graduate students pursuing degrees in fields such as counseling, social work, clinical psychology and certified mental health assisting may receive up to $15,000 per year for up to two years, with participating colleges and universities providing matching aid to cover tuition and general fees. In exchange, recipients must commit to working in an underserved Ohio community for a period equal to the length of their scholarship support.…