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We provide free health care where your kids are--in school.
Health Centers in Schools makes sure kids are well so they can learn well. As a nonprofit, we provide free health services in collaboration with East Baton Rouge public schools. Our primary care doctors, nurses and counselors are on the spot with immunizations, screenings, mental health services and emergency care children need. Under performing kids get special attention, as so kids with special needs.
In East Baton Rouge Parish public schools, Health Centers in Schools provides on-site medical and mental health services with health centers on 11 school campuses. The HCS health center is like a pediatrician’s office, where medical doctors and nurse practitioners provide more extensive medical care. Social workers at the centers also provide behavior counseling and other mental health services. HCS also manages the traditional school nurse program at schools without health centers.
Most private schools do not have capability for medical care due to high costs. So, many of these children attend public schools where law requires that the school systems care for them. In fall 2009, 6092 children in EBR public schools had a chronic disease or required special health services, including:
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98 diabetics
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2841 asthmatics
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150 Sickle Cell patients
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272 with seizure disorders
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193/1860 with ADD/ADHD
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58 requiring EpiPens (treats severe whole-body allergic reactions)
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620 children required special medical support (ventilators, heart disease, tracheotomies, immunological disease, genetic disorders, etc.)
HCS brings specialists to schools—psychiatrists, as well as vision and dental providers. Begun in 1987, HCS is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that provides health care to approximately 45,000 children in all East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools and the EBR Recovery School District schools. Expansion efforts are currently underway, so by 2013 HCS will provide services at 16 health centers geographically dispersed across the city, with 11 providing year-round care. The school system is building the structures and HCS is raising the $3.8 million for start-up funding for staffing and equipment.
With parents’ consent, HCS helps ALL children, regardless of income get the preventive and emergency health care they need to be able to stay in school. When primary needs are cared for, a child can concentrate on completing his or her education to be better prepared for the job market and to be a better contributor to society. The future of Baton Rouge is our children, and access to health care where children are is a primary need that allows our community to improve and grow in many other areas.
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