What is a School Based Health Center?
School-based health centers are simply healthcare clinics based in schools. They however, are more robust than just having a school nurse at the front office. These clinics all look different depending on the needs of the particular community in which they are located. Some offer primary care, screenings, medication managements, mental health, nutrition, dental, and health promotion.
Students can be treated for acute illnesses, such as an upper respirator infection, and chronic conditions, like asthma and diabetes. They can also provide routine screening such as dental, vision, and hearing. A school based clinics focus is on prevention, early detection and risk reduction. These centers educate students on healthy habits through that will stay with students through school and into adulthood.
School-based health centers are often operated as a partnership between the school and a community healthcare provider such as a local doctor’s office, hospital, or public health department. Services offered at school-based health centers vary based on community needs and available resources as determined through collaborations between the community, the school district and the local healthcare providers.
Rural Counties with School Based Health Programs
- Lamar County – health checks provided by the local health department
- Johnson County Elementary School (Wrightsville, GA)
- Crisp county Elementary School (Cordele, GA)
- Chatsworth Elementary School (Chatsworth, GA)
- Chattahoochee County Elementary School (Cusseta, GA)
- Cooper-Carver Elementary School (Dawson, GA)
- Dooly County Elementary School (Pinehurst, GA)
- Taylor County Primary (Butler, GA)
- Taylor County Upper Elementary (Butler, GA)
- Coffee Middle (Douglas, GA)
- SOWEGA STEM Charter School (Shellman, GA) CareConnect School Clinic
- Turner County Elementary (Ashburn, GA) CareConnect School Clinic
- Thomas County Middle School (Thomasville, GA)