|
School Health Bulletin
February 25, 2010
|
School and Community Partnerships improve student health and change lives
 By
his junior year of high school, Jake had already experienced periods of
homelessness and heavy alcohol abuse. He decided that he wanted
something more; he wanted an experience that would change things.
Jake
applied for and was accepted to an internship program at a National
Park. A day before he was scheduled to leave, however, Jake’s drinking
habits caught up to him. He was hospitalized in the Emergency
Department for alcohol poisoning. Instead of embarking on the trip, the
shy, young man spent the week recovering while thinking about the
opportunity he missed.
Jake
vowed to quite drinking; he also wondered how he would accomplish this
goal and who could help him transition to sobriety. Shortly thereafter,
he began his senior year and saw a huge van pull into the school
parking lot.
If you need inspiration or ideas for expanding access to healthcare for youth in your own community, READ THE FULL ARTICLE - click here.
Through Jake's story, the authors illustrate the powerful results of
community partnerships that focus on providing health care to
Oregon's youth.
|
Spotlight on SBHCs building community partnerships
One of Ralls' strengths is involving youth in the movement to bring a
school-based health center to Milwaukie High School.
 Students
from Milwaukie High School’s student advisory council (H.O.P.E.)
attended two school board meetings -- once to present and ask for
approval for the medical van at Milwaukie High School to provide
medical care “head to toe” services, and once when the school board was
making their final decision. The second meeting started unusually late
and the student who planned to speak did not get in front of the board
until around 10:00pm.
It was worth the wait. The school board unanimously approved the Outside In
medical van to start treating students at Milwaukie High School,
providing access to the physician’s full scope of medical practice.
On February 1, eleven Milwaukie High Students attended the SBHC Awareness Month
kick off event at the state capital. They handed out material to
legislators in person and advocated for school-based health centers.
|
Says Ralls, "Access to health care is a very real issue for these kids......
(They) are involved because a school-based health center will give them a better life.
It’s not just a good idea for them or a good cause.It is a necessary resource that will improve their lives.”
|
Need help getting started with your own Grassroots efforts?
Contact Liz Smith Currie, Policy Director at the Network, by EMAIL, liz@osbhcn.org.
You'll
find many resources that you can use to elevate community awareness and
understanding of the need for school-based health care on our website
at www.osbhcn.org/awareness.
Here is a link to some FAQs that you can quickly review right now, courtesy of NASBHC!
More Photos from SBHC DAY at the Capitol, February 1
|
Federal Update on Health Care Reform
New life has been breathed into
federal health care reform now that President Obama has released his
health plan. There is good news for SBHCs, as authorization and
emergency appropriation for SBHCs remain in the package that will
likely be considered. Reform is far from a “done deal” as opponents
plan to use procedures to obstruct the process. We will keep you
updated as the process continues.
State Updates - Long term budget crisis looms
The legislature is in its last week of the February special session.
Oregon
must have a balanced budget, and with revenue estimates down by $185
million for the remainder of the 2009-2011 budget cycle, the Ways and
Means committee must find a way to plug the gap. As of now, state funds
for SBHC grants appear to be “safe,” but without a significant economic
recovery in the near future, long term budget projections are bleak and
all programs are at risk.
There
is mounting concern for the 2011-2013 budget, which will be set during
the next full legislative session, beginning in January 2011. Revenue
shortfalls could be as much as $2.5 billion below what is needed to
maintain Essential Budget Level.
In
order to survive this downturn, SBHCs must educate state legislators
about the importance of providing access to health care in school. For more information on building awareness, see our Awareness Tool Kit.
|
Healthy KidsConnect means greater opportunity for billing in SBHCs
All
children in Oregon are now eligible for no cost, low cost, or at cost
health insurance through the Healthy KidsConnect program in Oregon.
This means that no SBHC client should be uninsured.
| Every
center should be actively working to enroll children in Oregon’s
Healthy Kids Plan, both to help families find the best care for their
children and to help make centers more financially sustainable. |
Families can get assistance in enrolling in the Healthy Kids plan by calling 1-877-314-5678 and can enroll online at www.oregonhealthykids.gov
There are many SBHC training opportunities on the horizon!
Developing Partnerships Within Your School Community -
Deadline to register is fast approaching!
Full Day, March 10 - McMinnville
Online Training and Technical Assistance Tools by NASBHC
A Webinar - March 8
Are you prepared to deal with teen suicide?
Many of you have sounded the alarm that teen suicide seems to be on the rise.
In fact, according
to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide has become
the third leading cause of death in 10-24 year olds.
You will find a new section on the CORE where we will compile resources about this emerging crisis and how to address it in your community. Go to www.osbhcn.org/resources/all and select "Teen Suicide" as the topic.
Grant Alerts
Abbot Fund - Healthy Communities Grants:
The Abbot Fund is devoted to building healthier communities through the funding of creative proposals that promote science, expand access to health care, and strengthen communities worldwide.
|
Youth Leadership Recognition and Scholarships
The Kohl's Cares for Kids
program recognizes and rewards young volunteers whose efforts have made
a positive impact on their communities. The award is granted to youth
ages six to 18 who are working to make a positive difference in their
communities.
Ten national winners will each be awarded $9,000 scholarships, and
Kohl's will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on each winner's
behalf. Youth must be nominated by a person 21 years or older. Nominees
must not have graduated from high school as of March 15, 2010
Deadline: March 15, 2010
More info: http://www.kohlscorporation.com/CommunityRelations/scholarship/index.asp
Multnomah County Budget Forum, March 18, 6p-8p
Multnomah
County is seeking public feedback on specific policy areas that will
inform the Chair’s executive budget decisions and the Board’s budget
deliberations. The meetings are intended as informal, small group
discussions to gather the community’s priorities, input and questions.
For the tenth time in as many years, Multnomah County again faces
cuts to programs and services in the community. Your ideas and comments
tell county leaders what’s most important to you.
Get the details at www.osbhcn.org/calendar
25 Oregon Groups Receive $3 Million in Public Health Grants
Kaiser
Permanente Northwest and the Northwest Health Foundation have awarded
more than $3 million in grant funds to aid 25 Oregon organizations that
work to address the social determinants of health in their communities.
The money is part of an annual grantâ€giving initiative financed by
the Kaiser Permanente Community Fund to advance the health of the areas
served by Kaiser Permanente Northwest. Review the list of grant recipients here.
Oregon Receives $21 Million in Health Technology Grants
Oregon
will jumpstart another key element of health care reform – increasing
the use and effectiveness of electronic health record technologies –
thanks to two federal grants announced this month. Read about it here.
NASBHC Seeks Leaders for Board of Directors
The
National Assembly on School-Based Health Care is currently accepting
nominations for its Board of Directors. Open positions are for
"Members at Large", three year terms. Eligible candidates have
expertise and/or experience with state-wide schol-based health center
associations, resource development, finance, or education.
Nominations are due March 12, 2009. EMAIL Laura Hurwitz, LHurwitz@nasbhc.org for more info.
Do you have news or announcements to share?
SBHC's activities to share in the School Health Bulletin
Paula Hester
Executive Director
503-813-6420
P.O. Box 12191, Portland, OR 97212
|
|
|
|
