Why School-Based Health Centers Work

ACCESS

60 percent of Oregon students seen in an SBHC reported that they would not have received health services that day without their center. *

Why are children in Oregon not receiving the health care they need?

  • The family may lack medical insurance.
  • The insurance policy of working parents may not cover their children or may only provide for catastrophic illness.
  • Lack of transportation, especially in rural areas.
  • A family may be unable to find a medical provider in their community who will accept the Oregon Health Plan.

School-based health centers break down these barriers by providing all students with the care they need, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. They are conveniently located in a familiar environment where students spend much of their day.

 

PREVENTION

85 percent of students reported that they received at least one prevention message when visiting their health center. *

SBHCs counsel students individually, in groups, and through school-wide education initiatives. What are some of the health messages SBHCs provide?

  • Tobacco and drug prevention
  • Healthy eating/obesity counseling
  • Exercise
  • Emotional health
  • Screening for chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes

School-based health centers are prevention-focused so that health problems and risky behaviors can be caught early or prevented altogether. Prevention and early intervention make financial sense by reducing Medicaid expenditures and inappropriate emergency room use. But most importantly, prevention keeps kids healthy so that they can succeed in school.

 

SCHOOL SUCCESS

In Oregon, 70 percent of students reported that they would have missed at least one class to receive care outside their health center. *

Studies show that school-based health centers decrease absenteeism, tardiness and school discipline problems. Because many children can be treated at school for their health care needs, daily attendance is increased – providing the school with maximum revenue. One elementary school in Oregon reported a 65% decline in discipline referrals for students who were seen by an SBHC mental health therapist.


* 2007 Status Report on School-Based Health Centers, State SBHC Program Office

 

More information

Our Model of Care paper provides a concise description of certification standards, services, funding and efficacy of school-based health centers. Download the paper as a pdf.

To learn more about Oregon's SBHCs, download the 2008 Status Report, School-Based Health Centers - Health Care Counts: Healthier Youth, Stronger Communities, which includes history, center locations, services, assessment, funding, challenges, growth, and expansion.

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