OhioHealth Gift Establishes Endowment for Otterbein Student Wellness
OhioHealth is proud to support the well-being of Otterbein University students through a $250,000 investment establishing a new endowment focused on behavioral and mental health initiatives. The gift was recognized during a campus event recently, where Karen Morrison, president, OhioHealth Foundation and senior vice president, OhioHealth, presented the check.
“OhioHealth is proud of its strong community partnership with Otterbein University, ranging from health services for students, faculty and staff to education benefits for OhioHealth associates enrolled in graduate programs at Otterbein,” Morrison shared. “Now being able to expand our commitment to student well-being further supports OhioHealth’s mission.”
Otterbein president John Comerford noted that, while the two organizations serve communities in different ways, their missions align closely.
“OhioHealth keeps people healthy, and Otterbein educates people, but the reality is we both do that for some wider purpose,” he said. “We do it so that the people that we educate or provide healthcare to will go out into the world and help others, be productive members of society, and lift us all up. It’s about serving those individuals, but it's also about something much greater than that when we work together”.
The gift will help Otterbein strengthen its support for student mental health at a time when many students face emotional and behavioral challenges. This support is critical as colleges and universities across the country are working to meet the growing need for mental health resources.
“This is a stressful time of life. This gift is going to impact students right here every single day, and we are honored by that,” Comerford said.
Otterbein’s Counseling Center leads the university’s behavioral and mental health programming, working alongside campus partners including peer leaders, wellness coaches, safety officials and external experts. All services are available at no cost to students.
The university is also fundraising for a new Center for Well-Being and Safety Services, which will renovate the former campus health clinic. Once completed, the center will bring well-being and safety personnel, outreach programs, and training under one roof in a central location near other student-support partners.
Bill Fox, Otterbein vice president for student affairs, emphasized both the urgency and the opportunity in front of higher education.
“We really have to be thinking about how we care for the whole person and how we can all be part of that work together,” he said. “We want Otterbein to be known as a leader in how we embed a focus on student well-being in the educational experience. We are open to collaborating with OhioHealth and others to figure out the best solutions to student well-being because we see it as intertwined with student success — to do well, you must be well.”
Morrison also expressed appreciation for the professionals dedicated to student wellness.
“Thank you for all that you do,” she said. “This is meaningful, purposeful work and at OhioHealth we understand how critically important it is to care for the whole person, and make that care accessible for all.”
To learn more about this endowment, visit otterbein.edu/news/ohiohealth-gift-supports-student-wellness-initiatives-at-otterbein/.
