School based health centers (SBHCs) have been around for over 30 years and in North Carolina there are over 90 SBHCs in operation that serve over 30,000 students. According to the North Carolina School Based Health Alliance, “evidence shows SBHCs increase adolescent access to healthcare, reduce health and educational disparities, increase graduation rates, boost academic success and reduce healthcare costs.”
The Sparta Elementary school based health center will open with limited services through this school year including kindergarten health screenings, behavioral health services and sick care with parental consent. All Alleghany County Schools students, staff and their immediate family members are welcome to use the health center services.
Over the summer, the school based health center will undergo construction to add clinic space which will allow it to expand to offer more services at the beginning of the 2024 school year. Those services will include behavioral health, well child visits, sick visits and sports physicals. Every student is eligible for care regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
Alleghany County Schools stated, “Superintendent Missey Weaver, along with Director of Student Services Melissa Fitzgerald and Sparta School Principal Dr. Gerald Miller, is happy and grateful to partner with AppHealth in order to bring a school-based health clinic to our students and staff members. We are thankful for this opportunity and look forward to working alongside AppHealth to support the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our students and staff.”
A School Based Health Center (SBHC) Advisory Committee has been formed to help guide the strategic direction and measure the impact the health center is having within the community. The committee has representatives from the school system, AppHealthCare, community organizations and local citizens. The school based health center is funded by a Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) grant awarded to AppHealthCare.
The school based health center will be staffed by an experienced and caring team that includes a provider, behavioral health consultant, nurse, medical assistant and office support.
“We have many years of experience operating the Top Dog Clinic, a school based health center, at the Ashe Middle School and look forward to applying what we have learned over the years to the school based health center at Sparta Elementary. Students spend a lot of their time at school so school based health centers are able to provide needed care right where students are. This keeps children in school and learning. We are grateful to Alleghany County Schools and the Alleghany County Board of Education for partnering with us to provide this service for Alleghany County,” stated Jennifer Greene, Health Director/CEO, AppHealthCare.
In the coming weeks, a campaign to name the school based health center will launch and will invite students to submit their ideas for what the health center should be named.
Jennifer Greene added, “we look forward to serving the Alleghany County School community and are excited to celebrate the launch of the school based health center. We are committed to making this successful by providing high-quality, compassionate care for each student.”
For additional information about AppHealthCare or other community resources and health related data, please call AppHealthCare at – Alleghany (336) 372-5641, Ashe (336) 246-9449, Watauga (828) 264-4995 or visit www.AppHealthCare.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter.
For additional information about Alleghany County Schools, visit their website or call (336) 372-4345.
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