Credit: Tammy Joyner
Credit: Tammy Joyner
Clayton County Public Schools opened its first school-based health center today, joining a small but growing number of school districts providing health care for its students.
The facility is in North Clayton High School and is a collaborative venture between the school district and the Family Health Centers of Georgia. It will provide on-site pediatric and adolescent care for acute and chronic illnesses for students at the high school as well as North Clayton Middle School, Northcutt Elementary School and West Clayton Elementary.
"We are proud to be the first school-based health center in Georgia that is located within a high school, said Dr. Michael W. Brooks, President and CEO of Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc. “Our goal is to make sure medically under-served populations have access to quality medical and dental healthcare. Connecting students to medical and mental health services at their school contributes to positive health and education outcomes.
The facility's staff includes a behavioral health professional, physician, and nurse intake personnel. In addition to sick visits and well-child checkups, services include hypertension therapy, diabetes management, behavioral health referrals, chronic disease management, health education, nutritional counseling, youth weight reduction, and immunizations. Many of the services, including school and sports physicals, are by appointment only.
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