New health center to start seeing patients

The newly constructed St. Charles School-Based Care Center (SBC) of Deschutes County Health Services, adjacent to Sisters High School, expects to begin accepting patients from Sisters School District (SSD) on October 9.

The center will provide affordable, convenient healthcare - medical, behavioral, and dental - to any child, newborn through 20 years of age living in the district.

This project is the result of a partnership that has been evolving over about five years following school board approval. The school-based care building was 100 percent funded through a federal grant from the Oregon Community Foundation Community Schools grant and Deschutes County funds. The equipment and sponsorship comes from St. Charles Health System and Advantage Dental.

The school district is not funding the project.

"When we were kids, or at least when I was," SSD Superintendent Jim Golden explained, "schools used to only be task-oriented toward education, but now the modern approach is to be primarily social institutions. We feed and clothe these kids. We provide them with medical care. We provide them with counseling - all those services not thought to be school responsibilities in the past, research has shown have affects on learning.

"It's hard to pay attention when you're hungry or have medical, dental or behavioral problems," Golden continued.

There will also be an opportunity for internships for students interested in careers in the healthcare field. As part of Heather Johnson's health sciences class, students will be able to take a quick field trip to the SBC to interview healthcare providers, explore health education topics, and participate in her EMT class.

Licensed nurse practitioners and medical assistants from St. Charles Health System, who specialize in child and family care, will provide medical services. They will split their time between Sisters and Redmond SBCs, depending on need. Services include: wellness check-ups, sick-child care, immunizations (shots), sports physicals and asthma clinics. Immunizations are not required by the state, but parents can only get an exemption certificate after watching an educational video.

Dr. Robert Ross, medical director of Community Health Strategy at St. Charles Health System, anticipates students having better access to healthcare during the school day so they can quickly return to class rather than be sent home. He hopes students will feel comfortable going to the center for their healthcare needs and that the center fulfills its promise to help foster a healthy community.

"The school-based health center won't replace a student's regular doctor," Dr. Ross explained, "but their medical records will be electronically transmitted for follow-up with their primary for coordinated care."

Lack of dental care has become a huge problem all over Oregon, especially among children. Neglecting cleanings and dental caries can lead to gum disease, which leads to secondary infections, which makes children susceptible to all kinds of illnesses.

Sisters' school-based center will be staffed by Advantage Dental, which is owned by more than 300 Oregon dentists, with an expanded practice dental hygienist to perform dental screening exams and preventive dental services for students. Individuals with urgent or routine dental needs requiring more than preventive services will be referred to their dentist for follow-up care.

President and CEO, R. Mike Shirtcliff, DMD, told The Nugget, "Advantage Dental was organized to work with our respective communities to provide access to care for all community members and find solutions to help prevent dental problems."

Deschutes County Behavioral Health Division will provide services for children with chronic psychological and emotional problems, and developmental disabilities, and offer drug and alcohol prevention programs. There will also be therapists to help with parenting and family issues.

The goal of SBCs, which are also in Bend/La Pine and Redmond school districts, is to be family-friendly, diminishing the barriers to school success created by poor physical or mental health.

Sisters Elementary School nurse Debbie Willitts, and Sisters middle and high school nurse Trish Roy are happy with the new modern facility.

"No longer will it be known as the Shack in the Back," said Roy, referring to a trailer next to Reed Stadium used for health services. "It's more convenient, parents can stop by and check it out, and we can offer more services, including dental, to our students."

Children under 15 need parental permission prior to being seen at the clinic. The school nurses will assess and provide a nursing diagnosis. If they determine the student needs a higher level of care, they will call the parent and issue a hall pass to the student for the SBC.

The SBC will provide routine and basic healthcare, including medical diagnoses and prescriptions, to relieve families of the hardships associated with having to take time off work to travel out of the area for care. Students will miss less class time by being able to quickly return to their classrooms following a visit to the SBC. This includes students from Head Start and grades K-12, as well as home-schooled and home-tutored students.

The SBC will serve all eligible students regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Insurance will be billed when provided and care services can be based on a sliding scale, but no child will be denied service due to inability to pay. Immunizations are charged on a flat scale. The school nurses also help parents with Oregon Health Authority insurance paperwork and coordinate with Family Access Network.

The community will have the opportunity to tour the facility and meet the staff at a grand opening (the date of which is currently being determined). Parents will be able to fill out registration and consent forms, which are necessary prior to children being seen at the clinic.

The SBC will be open weekdays during school hours. Appointments are limited and may be scheduled ahead of time, but walk-ins are also welcome. Regular days and hours are yet to be determined.

The center is located on the east side of Sisters High School at 1700 W. McKinney Butte Rd. For information or to schedule an appointment, call 541-549-3183.