‘A true gift.’ Manatee district opens its first health clinic at Bradenton high school

It can be nearly impossible to learn under the pressure of physical or mental pain. Unaddressed health problems can affect a student’s grades, attendance and overall well-being.

For that reason, the School District of Manatee County has partnered with MCR Health to bring an on-campus health center to Southeast High School, the first of its kind in the school district, according to Superintendent Cynthia Saunders.

She said Manatee studied and tweaked other models to fit local needs. With a new road map in hand, the district hopes to open more clinics in the future, providing coverage to students throughout Manatee County.

“Being the first comes with blessings as well as burdens,” Saunders said. “There’s not a template to follow.”

Saunders joined other community leaders at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday morning. With a plan in mind, the district applied for a federal grant, paying for a social worker and a coordinator, while MCR paid to renovate two portable classrooms and provide its own staff, Saunders continued.

“It just shows an example of how our community all comes together to rally behind the education of our students,” she said.

The portables were transformed by fresh paint, vinyl flooring and new furniture. One portable is focused on physical health while the other is geared toward behavioral health, and both are equipped with individual offices or exam rooms.

Manatee wanted the clinic to reside on a Title I campus, meaning a school that serves low-income families. About 1,750 students attend Southeast High, and 89 percent were economically disadvantaged in the previous school year, according to data from the Florida Department of Education.

School-based health clinics bring needed services to a place where students congregate every week, said Patrick Carnegie, the president and chief executive officer at MCR Health.

“The key to good preventative and primary care, No. 1, is access,” he said. “What better way to make sure that all of our children have access than to have it right at the school?”

During its journey to find the best school, Manatee searched for a principal who was eager to accept the clinic and the inevitable challenges. Principal Rosa Faison was that person.

“When I walked into the portables after they were renovated and reconstructed, I was in awe,” she said, admiring the clinic on Monday morning.

The staff can screen Southeast High students for dental, vision and hearing problems, or they can receive treatment for acute illnesses, such as the flu, along with chronic conditions, such as asthma or diabetes. Students can also receive wellness exams, immunizations or sports physicals.

And in all cases, the clinic hopes to educate students on the importance of healthy living and positive decision-making, said Laura Brey, chief strategy officer for the National School Based Health Alliance.

“You should celebrate the opening of the school-based health center,” she said. “It is a huge achievement, and it is a true gift.”

Brey pointed to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which was vetted by the Community Preventive Services Task Force.

“The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends the implementation and maintenance of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in low-income communities, based on sufficient evidence of effectiveness in improving educational and health outcomes,” the organization reported.

School board member Charlie Kennedy represents District 2, including Southeast High, and he joined the celebration on Monday morning. The superintendent said a health clinic was Kennedy’s brainchild, but he gave credit to community members who first brought the idea to his attention.

While the clinic accepts most private insurance, it also accepts Medicaid and sliding scale fees, which are dependent on the family’s income. Kennedy said it was common sense to merge affordable health care with education.

“There’s just such a gap,” he said. “Families of means don’t have any problems accessing health care.”

This story was originally published February 10, 2020 at 1:34 PM with the headline "‘A true gift.’ Manatee district opens its first health clinic at Bradenton high school."