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 know that a healthy student is better equipped for academic success,” said Superintendent Luvenia Jackson. “The Family Health Center at North Clayton High School provides our students and their parents an opportunity to address health issues quickly. We anticipate that students, upon receiving treatment and/or support at the school-based facility, will be able to return to the classroom, reducing absenteeism, promoting academic engagement, and increasing student performance.
"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.
More than 53,000 students attend Clayton public schools, which is the fifth largest school system in Georgia and is ranked among the 100 largest school districts in America.
