Project Grant CE146555

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - THE WINOOSKI SCHOOL DISTRICT IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT WHICH SERVES 850 STUDENTS PREK-12 ON ONE CAMPUS. THE WSD WILL BUILD A NEW 2000 SQ FOOT HEALTH CENTER CLINIC ON CAMPUS. THE SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTER (SBHC) WILL PARTNER WITH LOCAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO ENSURE ACCESS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY TO MORE THAN 350 STUDENTS ANNUALLY. THE SBHC WILL ALSO INCLUDE A DENTAL SUITE WITH CARE PROVIDED THROUGH A LOCAL DENTAL CARE PROVIDER. THE FOCUS WILL BE ON BRINGING CARE TO STUDENTS TO REDUCE ABSENTEEISM AND MONITOR CHRONIC CONDITIONS. SBHCS ARE A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES AND PROMOTE HEALTH EQUITY. PROJECT BACKGROUND: THE WSD SBHC HAS EXISTED SINCE 2017 THROUGH COLLABORATION BETWEEN PEDIATRIC RESIDENTS, SCHOOL NURSES, AND THE COMMUNITY. PARTNERSHIPS WITH UVM MEDICAL CENTER AND THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF BURLINGTON PROVIDE CARE FOR 350 STUDENTS ANNUALLY. THE SBHC SECURED FUNDING THROUGH GRANTS, AND IN-KIND DONATIONS, AND ACHIEVED THE ABILITY TO BILL INSURANCE. DAILY OPERATIONS OF THE SBHC ARE SUSTAINABLE AND FINANCIALLY VIABLE, HOWEVER, SPACE IS INCREDIBLY RESTRICTED. DATA DEMONSTRATES THE ONGOING NEED FOR EXPANDED SBHC SERVICES INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND DENTAL CARE. IMPORTANCE TO VERMONT: VERMONT IS COMMITTED TO EQUITY. RACISM HAS BEEN DECLARED A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS BY THE VT HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER IN WINOOSKI WILL IMPROVE APPROXIMATELY 400 BIPOC AND 300 ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING STUDENTS' HEALTH AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES, AS A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES AND PROMOTE HEALTH EQUITY. SUPPORTING THE WSD SBHC PROVES VERMONT'S COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF UNDER-SERVED AND DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. THE WSD SBHC IS A PILOT PROGRAM THAT HAS INSPIRED OTHER VT DISTRICTS TO CREATE SIMILAR PROGRAMS. BENEFIT TO LOCAL COMMUNITY: MANY CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN WINOOSKI FACE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING MEDICAL CARE. IN 2018/19 348 STUD ENTS WERE PROVIDED CARE IN THE WSD SBHC. 47% OF THOSE VISITS RESULTED IN PRESCRIPTIONS, LABS, IMAGING, OR PROCEDURES. 89% OF STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO STAY IN SCHOOL AFTER THE SBHC VISIT. THIS MEANS THAT MORE THAN 300 STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE LEARNING RATHER THAN MISSING SCHOOL FOR A MEDICAL VISIT. ANOTHER ADVANTAGE IS THAT PARENTS ARE ABLE TO STAY AT WORK AND NOT MISS WORK FOR THE MEDICAL VISIT.