Great Lakes Bay Health Centers and Bay City Central High School Awarded School-Based Health Center Planning Grant
Bay County, Michigan – Bay City Central High School and Great Lakes Bay Health Centers will announce grant funding from the state of Michigan to begin the process of implementing a school-based health center for Bay City Public School District. This six-month planning process involves community input and commitment from a sponsoring health agency to provide clinical services.
The focus of the Child and Adolescent Health Center (CAHC) Program Planning Grant through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is to study a need for the delivery of health services to children and adolescents ages 5-21 years in geographic areas where it can be documented that the mental and primary health care services that are accessible and acceptable to children and adolescents require enhancement, or do not currently exist.
“Providing a safe and caring place for children and adolescents to learn positive health behaviors, address mental health needs and ensure a continuity of care results in healthy youth who are ready and able to learn and become educated, productive adults.” said Tim Marciniak, Principal, Bay City Central High School.
“Healthy Kids Make Better Learners! Adolescents need a safe place to seek confidential health care services. Implementing this program in a school will improve their physical and emotional health outcomes. The concept is like having a private doctor’s office on school property! These programs positively impact students’ self-esteem and support their academic achievements. They provide easy access to health services.” Angelia Williams, Senior Vice-President, Great Lakes Bay Health Centers.
Dr. Stephen Bigelow, Superintendent, Bay City Public Schools: “Great Lakes Bay Health Centers have been implementing school-based health programs in Saginaw County since 2006. We are excited to embark on this new partnership. All children and adolescents deserve to thrive. But too many struggle because they lack access to health care services. School-based health care is the solution, bringing health care to where students already spend the majority of their time: in school.”
Establishment of a school-based health center is a partnership between a school, parents, and a sponsoring medical agency, such as a hospital system, federally qualified health center or local health department. Within a school-based health center, medical services are provided by licensed medical personnel: a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or physician. All clinical sites offer mental health services provided by a licensed master’s level mental health provider (i.e., counselor or social worker).
The grant also requires establishment of a Community Advisory Council, made up of school staff, local parents of school-aged children or adolescents, school health representatives and clinicians from the sponsoring provider.
Great Lakes Bay Health Centers will receive $75,000 to conduct local planning to determine the feasibility, community commitment, and documented need for implementing a comprehensive school-based health center. Sites who successfully complete planning grant objectives are approved for renovation and equipment/supplies to start the full operations of a new school-based health program. GLBHC has six months to meet the planning grant requirements.
About school-based health centers:
School-based and school-linked health center services have been provided in Michigan through the CAHC program since the 1980s. State funding for such services began in 1987 through the Michigan Department of Public Health (now the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services [MDHHS]). The CAHC program is jointly managed by MDHHS and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).
October outreach activities included the Community Immunity vaccine event at Hoyt Park on Oct. 23 in partnership with Saginaw African American Pastors (SAAP) and the Hispanic Leadership Institute.
