The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare has awarded a $25,000 grant to Madison County Community Health Centers in Alexandria, IN, to support the School Based Health Clinic (SBHC), a program designed to address the effects of inaccessible primary healthcare for school aged children.
The program focuses on conducting health assessments on all elementary, intermediate, and high school students at participating schools in the Alexandria area. In addition to ensuring that all students have current immunizations, the assessments provide opportunities to impact health issues that contribute to absenteeism, participation in drug and alcohol use, and school dropout rates. The program's ongoing health and behavior education also increases health awareness among students, parents, and school administration.
"The SBHC program is a coordinated effort to deliver quality, accessible healthcare to children and adolescents," said Kathy Bradley-Wells, president of the Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare. "The program's focus on the primary and mental healthcare needs of school children is critical to bridging the gap that exists for uninsured and underinsured populations, and it also provides a solid foundation to address healthcare issues that may directly result in reduced absenteeism and increased academic achievement."
"Rarely does an opportunity come along that addresses several long-standing health problems at once, inspire broad support among diverse community groups, and create a successful model with wide applicability," said Sheryl Delaplane, project coordinator of SBHC. "Comprehensive school-based healthcare does all of this and more. We are proud to collaborate with the Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare to bring medical, dental, and mental health services to underserved students."
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