Healthcare can be complex, especially in today’s busy world.
Many provider hours are limited to the school day, and offices may be located
far from the school. That means students have to take time away from school and
possibly find a ride, making it difficult to get the care they need while
maintaining academics.
School-based health centers (SBHC) tackle that problem directly by adding an on
campus clinic, making getting the care you need as simple as walking to the
other side of the building.
Why school-based health centers?
Essentially, school-based health centers is an extension of your neighborhood health clinic in the school.
Healthy students are better learners. When students don’t feel well, it’s much harder to learn and pay attention in class. Not to mention days where students may be too ill to come to class at all, making it harder to catch up on materials.
School-based health centers aim to tackle this by offering an easy–to-access clinic where students don’t have to take time off to be seen by a provider.
According to data from the School-Based
Health Alliance, school-based
health centers:
- Help students do better in school
- Increase high school graduation rates
- Decrease school discipline cases
How is a SBHC different from the school nurse’s office?
A SBHC is a fully-licensed primary care facility, providing a range of physical and mental health services, with limited dental services. SBHC’s and school nurses work closely together, with school nurses able to refer students to the SBHC to resolve student health problems.
What services will CHAS
Health at John R. Rogers -based health centeroffer?
This new clinic will be for students and school staff only, and will provide
the following services:
• Primary medical care
• Answers to your health questions and concerns
• Treatment of common injuries and illnesses (allergies, rashes, sore throat, etc.)
• Counseling (help with emotional and social issues)
• Sports physicals
• Vaccinations, including flu shots
• Reproductive health services
• and much more
CHAS Health at John R. Rogers High School be staffed by Jeff Hayward, Family Practice Physician Assistant; Kristie Stolgitis, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner; Michelle Timmerman, Behavioral Health Proivder; Kelsey Kienbaum, Medical Assistant. Johnnie Beans serves as the School Outreach Specialist, and is actively engaged in connecting with the students and staff.
Hours of operation will be Monday – Friday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm with both scheduled appointments and same day walk-in appointments available.
School-based health centers often are operated as a partnership between the school
and a community health organization, such as a community health center,
hospital, or local health department. The specific services provided by
school-based health centers vary based on community needs and resources as
determined through collaborations between the community, the school district
and the health care providers.
CHAS Health at John R. Rogers High School is made possible thanks to funding
from Kaiser Permanente, in partnership with Spokane Public Schools.
For a more in-depth look at studies on school-based health centers: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3770486/
