A School-Based Health Center (SBHC) is a cutting-edge health care model that focuses on the physical and mental care of the youth in a unique school setting. There are many advantages to such a setting, including specialist referrals, preventative care, and a range of youth-centered services administered by our highly trained pediatricians.
Bringing The Doctor To You
No child likes going to a doctor appointment, and sterile offices can be intimidating. School-Based Health Centers, first and foremost, want to make children comfortable. The school setting also lets children view health check-ups as a painless step in a healthy lifestyle. Many SBHCs can help combat the effects of poverty, malnutrition, illness, and other everyday occurrences that can negatively impact a child’s education. Since many health topics are addressed in school to begin with, such as meals, germ containment, exercise, and bodily awareness, pediatricians can naturally add to this foundation. Furthermore, the one-on-one care allows preventative care for common problems like allergies.
Personalized Care
Pediatricians at School-Based Health Centers are knowledgeable, personable, and familiar with the needs of their patients in a way that doctors in bigger clinic or hospital settings might not have the opportunity to be. The intimate health center environment allows doctors to really get to know their patients. An SBHC will also keep track of immunizations, physicals, and all elements of health that play into assuring a promising future for their young patients.
Parental Benefits
It can be difficult for parents to schedule doctor appointments during the middle of a school week, pick up their child, wait for the appointment to end, and then take them back to school. This also pulls the child out of school, disrupting their class routine and academic focus. With SBHCs, this is not as much of a problem. Beyond convenience, SBHCs update parents about their children’s social, emotional, and physical health, allowing them to be more involved in their child’s health and success.
For these reasons and more, School-Based Health Centers are expanding, in locations and popularity.