In a move to increase access and improve overall health outcomes for students, Rockbridge Area Health Center, in coordination with Rockbridge County Public Schools, is launching a new School-Based Health Center (SBHC) program.
Starting on the first day of school today, there will be two clinic locations — one at Maury River Middle School and one at Rockbridge County High School. This is the first time such clinics have been offered in the area.
While the clinics will be offered at only two schools, students from other schools can be seen there as well. RAHC plans to expand the clinics to other schools in the area in future years.
The new school-based health centers, largely funded by the Virginia Health Care Foundation, will offer a wide range of services for students and faculty in the schools, explained Suzanne Sheridan, the RAHC’s CEO.
Staffed by licensed health care and mental health professionals, the clinics will offer well-child visits, sports physicals, immunizations, and treatment for illnesses or injuries. Additionally, they will provide behavioral health services such as individual counseling and group therapy.
The health center’s in-school dental program, now in its 10th year, will continue offering dental screenings, fluoride treatments, sealant applications, and dental hygiene education to all Lexington, Buena Vista and county students twice yearly.
The goal of SBHCs is to provide students with the best opportunity to succeed by addressing medical, behavioral, and oral health needs, said Sheridan. SBHCs are a nationally proven, effective method for addressing those needs by meeting students where they are – in school, eliminating barriers like transportation, accessibility, and cost for children and families living in communities with health care access challenges, she said.
SBHCs have also proven to help communities by reducing avoidable or unnecessary emergency room visits, increasing access to quality health care options, improving school attendance records, and increasing the likelihood of students and families seeking care.
Enrollment in the school-based health clinic is voluntary and available to any student. To receive services, a parent or guardian must complete the initial enrollment form and provide consent for services. Enrollment forms will be sent home with students at the beginning of the school year and are available online at RockAHC.org.
“Receiving care from the School-Based Health Center does not have to replace your child’s regular health care provider,” said RAHC’s medical director, Dr. Michael Henry. “Our team will work in collaboration with existing health care providers by addressing urgent and longterm care needs in a format and location that is familiar, convenient, and accessible to students, faculty, and their families, with limited disruptions to class or work time.”
He went on to say, “This is also a chance for children who do not otherwise have access to health care to receive it easily in a school setting. Parents are so busy these days. It is our hope that the convenience of a health center at school will reduce student’s time away from school and parent’s time away from work.”
“This is a giant step in advancing Rockbridge Area Health Center’s mission to promote and provide access to comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable health care to improve the health and wellbeing of the greater community,” said Sheridan. “We are grateful for the strong partnership we have with Rockbridge County Public Schools to make school-based health possible.”
Dr. Phillip Thompson, Rockbridge County Public Schools superintendent, stated, “We are pleased to partner with the Rockbridge Area Health Center to bring easier access to convenient health care to our students and families. For students to learn, they must be healthy. Having a school-based health care center allows parents to quickly have their child evaluated by a health professional without having to take off work. We have partnered with RAHC in the past with their mobile dental clinic and our families appreciated the care they received. Our hope is to improve the overall health of our students, improve attendance, and increase academic achievement.”
School-based health centers will be open before, during, and after school to provide convenient and comprehensive health care services.
Sheridan said the health center chose RCHS and MRMS as the sites for the first schoolbased health centers because they are the largest, population- wise. “They also have the students that are more geographically dispersed which can make it difficult for parents and families to access care,” she said.
“We are aware of health care needs at both Lexington City and Buena Vista city schools and want to be able to support them as well,” Sheridan continued. “This is just the beginning – we will learn and adjust as needed to meet the students health care needs.”
The Rockbridge Area Health Center provides medical, dental, and behavioral health services to more than 9,000 adults and children in three medical clinics and two dental clinics, in Lexington and Buena Vista, as well as two mobile units providing medical and dental care to communities throughout Rockbridge County. Services are provided to anyone in the community regardless of income or insurance status. More information is available at www.rockahc. org.