A school-based health clinic on the Indian Lake Schools campus that has been on the hearts and the minds of school administrators and board of education members since 2018 has come full circle this school year.
Through a collaboration with Community Health & Wellness Partners, the district has opened a medical clinic and behavioral health clinic, with an official ribbon cutting celebrated by the two entities and the community Friday, Feb. 24, also during National School-Based Healthcare Awareness Month.
Superintendent Dr. Rob Underwood said a 2018 survey in the district identified access to medical care as a pressing need, and recently, the district also has observed increasing absenteeism and mental health concerns.
Dr. Underwood and CHWP President/CEO Tara Bair said the new behavioral health clinic and medical clinic now offered for district students and staff can directly address these issues and cut down on out-of-class time missed from illness.
The behavioral health clinic opened in October, and medical clinic in early January, both housed at Indian Lake Middle School in adjacent offices equipped with private patient spaces. A medical lab also connects the two spaces.
“There is a need, and thanks to the support of the community and our wonderful partnerships at the district, we’ve have been able to rise to the occasion,” Bair said. “It’s all about increasing access to care and eliminating barriers.”
Since its opening, the medical clinic has already served 71 patients. Nurse Practitioner Breanna Detrick and Medical Assistant Daun Myers are available during school hours for health care needs, from diagnosis of common illnesses, primary care services, work physicals, prescriptions, ordering of tests, certain rapid result tests and some scheduled vaccinations for students in any grade level at Indian Lake and district staff members.
At the same time, Bair noted that Bethany Henry, licensed professional clinical counselor at the behavioral health clinic, has a nearly full caseload of 55 students. Case Manager Alayna Levingston serves at the behavioral health clinic as well.
“The Health Center is another resource that supports the Indian Lake mission to educate the whole child. The clinic has already surpassed our expectations,” Dr. Underwood said.
“It’s all operating efficiently thanks to the efforts of our staff and Community Health & Wellness Partners. Some of our teachers had to move their classrooms to make this clinic possible.”
This venture is the third school-based clinic opened by CHWP, following its opening of clinics at West Liberty-Salem Schools two years ago and at Benjamin Logan Schools last school year.
“You’re our future, and we need to take care of you,” Bair said to the students in attendance at the ribbon cutting.
The clinic was funded through a grant opportunity from the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Education, with Riverside Schools also to benefit the funding through an upcoming CHWP school-based health clinic.
Julie DiRossi-King, Ohio Association of Community Health Centers chief operating officer, attended the ribbon cutting to celebrate alongside Indian Lake Schools and CHWP on the initiative.
“You are serving our precious populations, our students. You’re doing God’s work. Thank you for what you do,” she said. “We see success with the school-based health centers when we have a strong educational partner and a strong health partner, like we have here today.”
She noted that one in three students last year in Ohio was classified as chronically absent, and just 49 percent of Ohio children have a home for their medical care.
“There are so many advantages to bringing health centers to schools,” she said.
Logan County Commissioner Joe Antram, a 1973 Indian Lake High School graduate and also a patient of the CHWP, said he was happy to see this collaboration to benefit local children.
“It’s been my experience that children can’t learn effectively when they’re sick or if they are missing school frequently for doctor’s appointments. This set up that we’re seeing in our county is great for our children’s health, well-being and education.”
If parents want their students to be able to visit the Indian Lake Schools health clinic, they must have the Community Health and Wellness Partners Program forms completed online. Those are found in the OneView account at https://indianlake.esvportal.com.
When a student presents with an illness/health issue at the school office or with the school nurse, parents will be notified, as always, school officials said. Parents will then be given the option to send their child to the clinic at ILMS for treatment.
After signing the consent form, parents will still be contacted before minor children/students are seen by the providers or any treatment is administered and they will be advised of any outcomes and needed follow-up.