Owensboro Public Schools and Audubon Area Community Care Clinic have partnered to establish school-based health centers at every OPS campus for students and staff. The partnership essentially provides more comprehensive services on site so that families don’t have to go to a clinic or doctor’s office. Services will be provided at little or no cost, and clinic staff will work with families to determine that as necessary.
Through the partnership, OPS and the Clinic are establishing a site at every school in the district “to expand student access to comprehensive, accessible, and continuous community health center services, and respond to the needs of our school community,” according to a statement from OPS. OPS has agreed to pay for half of the salary and fringe benefit costs, which means they’d contribute approximately $68,000 toward the partnership.
In addition to offering services during school hours, the Clinic staff could also attend sporting events, back-to-school events, summer feeding programs, and more.
According to the agreement, Audubon will employ “an advanced practice nurse practitioner, physician assistant and/or physician to provide primary and acute health care services (including telehealth), vaccinations, examinations, health care education and related health care services” during the OPS school year for students, teachers, and staff.
The Clinic will also work alongside the health care staff employed by OPS. As part of the agreement, the Clinic will train OPS staff on triage and workflow to provide health care at each school site.
Both parties will provide to each other access to all medical records and reports and documents as are necessary, though all medical records will still be treated as confidential. No student will be allowed to receive treatment without consent from a parent/guardian.
The Clinic accepts all insurance, and uses a sliding fee scale for those who are uninsured.
The school-based centers will provide the basics of health care to students on a
daily basis, but will mostly be beneficial for those students who, for one reason or another, don’t have access to health care providers or specialists.
The Clinic can provide the following services:
- Primary Care
- Acute Visits
- VFC Immunizations
- Adult Immunizations for uninsured and underinsured
- Physical Exams/Annual Wellness Visits/ Well Child Checks
- Sports Physicals
- Additional Services
- TB Skin tests for staff/students
- Standing orders for nursing staff
- Mental Health (for needs above and beyond district abilities or already contracted services):
- A counselor on staff that will see anyone as long as they are potty trained and will use a translator if needed.
- A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner on contract.
Provider can do the medication management piece to the counseling if it is needed.
For families wanting more information, contact your student’s school.
