Area school district offers school-based health clinics
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (KBSI) – Poplar Bluff schools are stepping up when it comes to children getting sick.
In an effort to decrease the number of children that get sent home sick and decrease the number of times parents have to leave work to take their child to the doctor, the district is introducing school-based health clinics that will be able to give a child a checkup right there on the school’s campus without the parent ever having to leave work.
The district now has school-based health clinics available at three different sites within the Poplar Bluff school district.
The district received a grant initiative aimed at increasing access to health care in the region.
Clinic locations are set to include Eugene Field, O’Neal and the Middle School based on the need and designated space, after outlining a memorandum of understanding with district officials last school year and receiving insurance credentials for the locations.
“This was dreamed up by the prior administration and we basically made the practicality happen,” explained Charles Kinsey, R-I assistant superintendent of business. “Our goal is for kids to be in these clinics for a short visit while on campus and not have to miss school unless sick. It’s a win-win, in this respect.”
The startup costs for the school-based clinics for both Poplar Bluff and Doniphan is covered through a two-year $350,000 grant expansion through the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Clinics will consist of a board-certified family nurse practitioner, licensed practical nurse and patient services rep, the medical team rotates building sites on a fixed schedule throughout the week.
Students enrolled can be referred to the SBHC by the school’s conventional nursing department to be further examined, diagnosed and treated, and building staff are also able to schedule appointments directly.
According to R-I Health Director Bailey Hester “Students will still see their respective school nurse as they always have, this is just an added resource that is available for students who the nurse might refer to a health care provider for an illness or injury.”
Parents and guardians will be contacted to for consent for wellness checks in the fully functioning medical laboratory, and insurance carriers will be billed by the organization with sliding scale discount payment options available based on household income level.
The SBHC is designed to provide convenience for families seeking to avoid spending time in waiting rooms or having to take off work in order to pick up their students immediately, according to the medical staff.
