Cody Allen

SLC Education Committee Virtual Program

Presiding Member: Senator Greg Hembree, South Carolina

Primary care clinics, operating on elementary and secondary school campuses, known as school-based health centers (SBHCs), provide students with access to vital preventative and early interventional health resources. In addition to primary care, the panoply of services SBHC can provide includes dental care, behavioral and mental health counseling, and health and nutrition counseling. Typically funded by a combination of federal, state and local grants, Medicaid or private insurance, as well as private sector grants, SBHCs serve as cost-effective resources for schools and communities. By providing healthcare access to children in rural and low-income areas, SBHCs may reduce school absences, boost academic success, reduce healthcare costs for families, and improve student physical and mental health. This program demonstrates how SBHCs improve student outcomes and play an important role in both schools and communities. Discussions also will include how the ongoing pandemic likely will influence school-based care – such as the shift to telehealth – and what innovations will become integral to SBHCs beyond this crisis.

Presentations:

Suzanne Mackey, MPH, Policy Director, School-Based Health Alliance, Washington, D.C. Katy Stinchfield, MS, LPC, Senior Program Manager, School-Based Health Alliance, Washington, D.C.