Burlington, NC-- A Triad school system is moving forward with opening a clinic at one of its schools that will also serve the community.
The Alamance-Burlington School System on Monday agreed to accept a $137,990 federal grant to construct a school-based health center at Sylvan Elementary School in Snow Camp.
When the building is renovated, equipped, and ready for occupancy, Piedmont Health will operate the center in collaboration with the school and community partners.
Sylvan is part of the Student Health Link Program, a care coordination project between the school system and Piedmont Health established this year with a $155,102 grant from The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. Eastlawn Elementary is also part of that program. The schools chosen for the pilot program are high-need schools that serve large numbers of low-income students. Sylvan, located in rural southwest Alamance, is a Title I school where 58% of the students participate in the free or reduced-price lunch program, 8% are uninsured and 23% lack a primary care provider according to a 2010 school health assessment. Eastlawn Elementary, located inside the city limits of Burlington, is also a Title I school with 98% of students participating in free and reduced-price lunch.
Adria Shipp, PhD, Piedmont Health's Student Health Link manager, noted that substantial evidence shows that children locally and statewide do not have adequate access to health care.
Because of Sylvan's rural location and the travel time required for appointments, "A school-based center on campus may help decrease the amount of hours of lost instructional time for health-related reasons," she said. "Right now, it is difficult to link Sylvan students to any health care agency. Having a school-based health center on campus will help tremendously."
The situation is different at Eastlawn, which is located in the heart of east Burlington closer to existing health care resources, Shipp said. But she added: "Despite proximity, many families face barriers to accessing the health care they need for their children. This pilot aims to improve linkage with children's primary medical homes so thatneeds can be addressed in a timely and comprehensive fashion."
Earlier this month school administrators told WFMY News 2 there will be separate entrances for students and the public.