School Based Health Centers
- H.A.A.
- Sep 2, 2023
- 2 min read
Students who come from low-income or minority families are less likely to have access to proper healthcare services. Health problems, such as vision, oral, or hearing problems can create difficult learning environments, causing students to perform poorly in school. A proven solution to this problem is the implementation of school-based health centers in these low-income areas. School-based health centers (SBHCs) are clinics focused on providing health services to students in pre-K to Grade 12 through on-site and off-site clinics. These clinics can provide students with necessary medical care, including, but not limited to, treatment programs in the areas of primary health care, mental health, social services, dental care, and health education.
In an interview with Newton Health Center, Rayven, a 9-year-old student, states, ”The school-based health center is important to me because it helps kids when they need help, keeps kids clean and healthy. They help when they’re sick and they can stay in school.” Rayven is simply one example out of a plethora who can attest to the numerous benefits of SBHCs. As reported by the NIH, from 2014-2015, 46 studies have shown that students from low-income families that had access to SBHCs showed an improvement in their education and health. For example, students who had access to SBHC services exhibited an increased GPA, fewer suspensions, and higher completion rates. Many minority/low-income populations have to face the world with the uncertainty of medical care looming over them, which is why it is so crucial that proven solutions such as SBHCs exist as successful paths toward advancing health equity.
If you would like to learn more about SBHCs feel free to check out the articles below:
This was really informative! I look forward to the next post!