School-Based Health Program Coming To Heights High

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — A new pilot program will give Heights High students access to primary care while they are in school.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools are working with MetroHealth to give in-person access to medical professionals twice per month in a clinic located inside the school. Students will be able to get routine checkups, immunizations, sports physicals and screenings at school, with consent from a parent or guardian.

The school district said the program is designed to eliminate barriers to healthcare. The pilot program will launch in Fall 2019.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

“This new partnership with MetroHealth is an exciting opportunity for our community and for the well-being of our students,” said CH-UH Superintendent Talisa Dixon. “We are continually searching for new ways to break down barriers to academic success. Convenient access to health care is a necessity for our students. I look forward to seeing what this partnership can bring to our district.”

The upcoming pilot program also includes a needs assessment for students to understand their medical and mental health, along with their wellness and health literacy. The district said it hopes this will allow officials to determine the barriers to accessing care at community health centers.

The district said that individual services conducted for students will be billed to the insurer. Students without insurance will be helped by MetroHealth staff to apply for coverage.

Similar MetroHealth School Health programs have been implemented in several Cleveland Metropolitan high schools, including: John Adams, Lincoln-West and Garrett Morgan. CMSD has installed the program at 13 schools within its district.

“Our School Health Program is greatly impacting the lives of students and their families. We’ve seen improved attendance in school, higher rates of engagement by both students and parents and improved grade point averages,” said Dr. Christine Alexander-Rager, chair of Family Medicine at MetroHealth and senior adviser of the School Health Program. “I applaud the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District for focusing on the whole child and recognizing that access to health care is vitally important to a student’s academic success.”

MetroHealth School Health Program Director Kate Davis outlined the pilot program and the proposed partnership with the school district at the Board of Education meeting on Feb. 19.

“This partnership is a direct result of our Community in Schools Task Force and its exploration of coordinated wrap-around services in our schools,” said Dixon. “MetroHealth was an engaged partner on the Task Force and is a perfect fit for us with a newer facility in our community.”

Photo caption: L-R, MetroHealth School Health Program Director Katie Davis, School Health Medical Director Dr. Vanessa Maier, Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon, Supervisor of School and Community Partnerships Nancy Peppler, Board Member Beverly Wright, Board President Jodi Sourini, Board Member Dan Heintz, Board Member Malia Lewis, Board Vice President Jim Posch.