Grants Pass, OR –Siskiyou Community Health Center has partnered with School District 7 and Allcare Health to open a school-based health center (SBHC) inside Grants Pass High School. The SBHC will open next week when school starts. SBHCs are medical clinics that offer primary care services either within or on the grounds of a school. They are designed to overcome barriers that inhibit young people from getting needed health care, including transportation problems, inconvenient appointment times, costs, and apprehension about discussing personal health problems.
SBHCs provide a full range of physical, mental and preventive health services to all students, regardless of their ability to pay. The center will be staffed by a primary care provider (i.e., doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant) along with support staff such as a medical assistant or receptionist. It will be open from 7:30 am – 1:30 pm on school days.
Siskiyou Community Health Center operates school-based health centers in the Illinois Valley as well. They have one at Illinois Valley High School, Lorna Byrne Middle School, and Evergreen Elementary School. In the future, they would like to continue their partnership with Three Rivers School District and add SBHCs to Hidden Valley and North Valley.
“School-based health centers play an essential role in addressing attendance problems. Our staff can collaborate with school staff members to identify and support students with unmet health needs so they can immerse themselves back into school,” says Rich Booth, CEO of Siskiyou Community Health Center.
By increasing attendance, dropout rates decline.
“We are thankful for this partnership with Siskiyou Community Health Center in helping to meet the needs of our students for their overall health and well-being. We believe this will not just help students but by tending to these needs at school, we are also supporting parents,” said Kirk Kolb, Superintendent of School District 7.
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