School-Based Health Centers Arrive

Here’s a positive story you might have missed: full-service health centers recently launched at several public schools near you.

These School-Based Health Centers (SBHC), operated by Blue Ridge Health, opened their doors (physically and virtually) at Asheville Middle School and Erwin Middle School this past spring and will be fully functioning in the fall.

UWABC assembled start-up funding through a federal grant from the US Department of Education, the Dogwood Health Trust, and local donations. This summer, Buncombe County Commissioners approved our proposal to support School-Based Health Centers at our Community Schools which will both bolster our work in the two existing centers at Asheville and Erwin and allow us to add a new center at another school (yet to be determined).

Unrelated to our efforts, but equally important is another health center, operated by Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers. They launched this fall at Asheville High School/SILSA and we have already begun efforts to collaborate.

Bringing SBHCs to Buncombe County is the product of years of tireless effort from a diverse network of community partners, including Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC), Buncombe County Health and Human Services, and United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County.

School-Based Health Centers is an example of what’s possible when partners come together—and what we intend to continue to accomplish as a community under the new banner of “United for Youth.”

What Does This Mean?

School-Based Health Centers are fully staffed medical clinics that provide DIRECT access to affordable high-quality medical and behavioral health care to students, staff, and families on the school’s campus. At a time when the physical and mental health of our youth, families, educators and the broader community is in a state of crisis, these centers are needed now more than ever. In fact, they are already making a big difference nationwide, far beyond their impact on student health, by reducing health-related absences, discipline issues, and even school drop-out rates.

SERVICES INCLUDE

• Sports Physicals • Testing for basic infections and diseases (i.e., strep throat, flu, mono, basic lab testing) • Checking strains, sprains, and broken bones • Prescriptions • Vision Care • Dental care • Counseling Services • Nutritional Counseling