A new report by LFA and Grunwald Associates, with support from AT&T, examines how parents perceive the value of mobile devices, how they see their children using mobiles, and what they think of the possibilities for mobile learning.
Making Healthy Students a Priority
Story posted May 26, 2010.
Learn more about this district and its school-based health clinics in our interviews with district official Linda Gann and nurse practitioner Jennifer Danielson.
Results:
• 439 students had mental health visits in the first two years of the clinic's operation
• 313 students were seen by the nurse practitioner
• 113 students were enrolled in an insurance program
The Concern
Montrose County School District serves 6,500 students. About 54 percent of those students are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. At one school, Northside Elementary, 78 percent of students are eligible. The school board’s mission is that all children will learn at their optimal level. It is difficult for students to learn if they are not well. Students in high-poverty schools have barriers to getting health care. According to Richard Rothstein, in his book Class and Schools, “Without fully adequate health care for (high poverty) children, there is little hope of fully closing the achievement gap. ... So, a high priority should be establishing health clinics associated with schools that serve disadvantaged children.”
The Solution
The district established a school-based health clinic on the campus of Northside Elementary School. It’s open full-time during the school year and one month in the summer. The full-time staff includes a nurse practitioner, an outreach coordinator, a health technician, and a mental health professional. These staff members are the lead team in addressing the health disparities that exist in our school district. They provide physical health visits, wellchild examinations, and mental health services to patients in the Northside School-Based Health Center (SBHC). The outreach coordinator cultivates support in the Hispanic/Latino community. The team participates in staff networking, peer-to-peer learning, educational opportunities, and the sharing of best practices. Health promotion activities and education will be implemented, and parents and students will be encouraged to be active participants in the students’ health care.
The School Board's Involvement
To open this clinic, the first of its kind in the area, the board had to build community support. The long-term success is based on collaboration with other organizations. Toward this end, the board involved representatives from community-based groups, including Montrose Memorial Hospital, Hilltop House, Mid-West Mental Health, Montrose County Health and Human Services, as well as private medical providers. The board also is negotiating partnerships with Montrose Memorial Hospital and Rocky Mountain Health Programs. Once the SBHC establishes a successful track record, the district can demonstrate a cost savings to some of the current providers and garner their long-term support.
Results
So far, 631 students have enrolled in the school-based health clinic, and 439 students have had mental health visits. Also, 313 students have been seen by the nurse practitioner, 115 students have had their teeth cleaned and a protective sealant applied, and 113 students have successfully been enrolled in an insurance program.
For additional information, please contact:
Linda Gann
Communications and Special Project Coordinator
Montrose County School District RE-1J
lgann@mcsd.k12.co.us
This story was originally published in the American School Board Journal’s 2010 Magna Awards edition. For information on the Magna Award and to apply, visit http://www.asbj.com/magna
View the story as contained in the American School Board Journal website here.
Reproduced with permission. Copyright © 2010, National School Boards Association. All rights reserved.
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