District partners with HealthWorks to provide mobile health clinics
Laramie County School District 1 and HealthWorks are partnering to provide on-site physical and behavioral health services to LCSD1 students, faculty and staff through mobile school-based health clinics. The program will be piloting at all three junior high schools this school year.
“We are excited to have this one-of-a-kind mobile service available for our students, faculty and staff,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Margaret Crespo said. “The main goal is to focus our work on bringing partnership and opportunities for our students and families as outlined in our strategic plan through community engagement and healthy environment.”
According to HealthWorks, a school-based health center is a shared commitment between a school, community and health care organizations to support students’ health, well-being and academic success by providing preventative, early intervention and treatment services where students are: in school.
“We know our students cannot have academic readiness if they are struggling with health,” Crespo said. “Our partnership with HealthWorks mobile school-based health clinics helps our students in need access healthcare, and we are thrilled to set the example across the state and the region.”
Janet Farmer, LCSD1 head nurse, said that many students and families in the district do not have a medical provider or an established medical home, but this innovative solution will allow families to access medical care at school.
To start, school-based health clinics will provide services including acute care, immunizations, sports physicals, evaluation and treatment of infections/viruses, sick visits, well child visits, testing for mono/flu/strep, medication management and follow up for continued care.
HealthWorks eventually hopes to expand future offerings to include mental health treatments, dental care and chronic care management.
“There are so many times when students may need to be seen by a provider and it creates a hardship for parents and may even mean the students miss school for days,” Farmer said. “Having these services available at the school means that the student can be seen, treated and hopefully back in the classroom within a much shorter timeframe.”
These services do not replace parents/guardians, school nurses, school counselors, pediatricians or other existing services.
Monica Woodard, operations director at HealthWorks, said that the goal of HealthWorks is to ensure that all kids have access to the care they need. With a mobile unit being on site, they can turn what would have been hours out of the classroom and in a waiting room, into a 30 minute or less visit.
The school-based health clinic meets the HealthWorks’ organizational focus to assess and address social determinants of health which include access to care, both financial and physical access due to transportation.
“Having experience working in the school district here and elsewhere, I have witnessed children coming to school ill or not feeling well, and if they are not healthy, they will not function optimally in the classroom. So, although present, it is still a day lost,” Woodard said.
Woodard said she is extremely enthusiastic that parents will have the option to seek care as soon as symptoms arise during the workday while their child is on-site.
“This clinic helps eliminate the tough decision parents have to make by either staying at work to keep earning income to support their family or stopping everything to get their child to a care provider,” Woodard said. “I am so happy to have kids begin and/or maintain a healthy relationship with their care provider at a young age.”
Parents or guardians will be provided with a consent for treatment form if they choose to elect this resource for their children.
“We also know that lack of insurance prevents parents from seeking care that is needed,” Woodard said. “HealthWorks serves all patients regardless of ability to pay. We want all kids to achieve optimal health and will serve as a resource for them.”
According to HealthWorks, if a child is insured, they will bill the insurance. Families with gross household income of less than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty level qualify for their sliding fee scale and can receive additional discounts for services regardless of their health insurance status.
“What excites me about this partnership is helping our students and families stay healthy,” Crespo said. “If they are safe and healthy, they can attend school and get the education possible which leads to opportunity, access and success in life.”
–Text by Challanne Hill-Gee
