Bassett Announces School-Based Health Program Expansion

Providing health care to rural students for nearly 20 years

Cooperstown, N.Y. – The largest rural school-based health program in New York State recently announced the opening of five new centers in the central New York region. In a continuing collaboration between local school districts and the Bassett Healthcare Network, Bassett’s award-winning School-Based Health Program will now deliver health care to students in Milford, Schenevus, Sidney (high school and elementary/middle) and Stamford schools.

Historically, school-based health (SBH) centers have been supported financially from private and corporate funding, and with state and federal grants. In light of the challenging current economy, new funding sources are required in order to provide health care to approximately 6,000 students at 18 sites.

“We are happy to be able to meet the needs in communities who have asked for school-based health programs in their schools,” said Chris Kjolhede, M.D., director of Bassett’s School-Based Health Program. “We would like to say yes to every school that asks us to bring health care into their schools, but it’s all a matter of having the funds to do so.”

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Utica Region has recognized the importance of bringing high quality health care to children in schools and has provided their financial support to the five new centers.

“We are proud to partner with the Bassett Healthcare Network to help ensure that affordable, high quality health care is accessible to rural students by bringing the care they need into their schools,” said Eve Van de Wal, regional president for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “With the opening of five new centers, more children in our communities will be able to access the care they need, when they need it, and in one of the places that they’re most likely to be, in our schools.”

The new centers also benefited from a generous grant from The Clark Foundation.

“In making this grant to support the opening of five new centers, the directors of The Clark Foundation are recognizing the excellence of Bassett’s School-Based Health Program and are proud to participate in the expansion of such a worthwhile and important community service,” said Jane Forbes Clark, president, The Clark Foundation.

Locally, in the Stamford area, the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation has lent support with a grant to offset start-up costs for the Stamford SBH center. Likewise, the Hobart-based Covidien corporation has shown support of the Stamford center with a Partnership for Neighborhood Wellness grant.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, awarded a three-year grant to offset startup costs at Bassett’s centers in Sidney and Schenevus.

“We are very thankful for all support given by private and public organizations and governmental agencies,” said Jane Hamilton, R.N., SBH clinical manager. “New funding sources are always welcome for our SBH centers, which provide no out-of-pocket expenses to students or their families.”

A large portion of SBH care is provided in districts where 35 to 50 percent of students qualify to receive free or reduced lunches at their schools. If a child has a primary care provider, the SBH center will work with that provider, although often the school-based health practitioner is the primary source of health care for many of the children in grades K through 12 at participating schools.

At all of the centers, a nurse practitioner provides care in collaboration with a visiting Bassett Healthcare Network physician, whether for primary health care or following a child with a chronic illness, such as asthma. A licensed practical nurse works along with the nurse practitioner. A licensed clinical social worker provides mental health services when necessary and a child psychiatrist provides clinical supervision as well. Dental services are offered at 15 of the 18 centers.

Studies show that SBH centers reduce emergency room and urgent care visits, prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and improve school attendance. Often, school-based health centers are the entry point into the health care system for high-risk adolescents who have no other access to primary care or mental health care. Health education with a focus on wellness and prevention - - including obesity prevention -- is also a primary goal of the school-based health centers. The Bassett Healthcare Network provides 24-hour/7-day-a-week access to care, which assures continuity of health care when schools are closed. It is projected that the 18 SBH centers will record over 20,000 student visits in 2010, compared to just under 10,000 student visits in 2006.