School-Based Health Centers As Your Local Doc?

Last week I was in Erie, Pennsylvania, presenting at a community forum. One of the speakers reminisced about his youth and how his family doctor practiced in a house in the neighborhood. That doctor was an integral part of the community and the speaker's childhood. In most places, that type of access to a family physician no longer exists. However, 2,000 communities across the nation have access to another provider that also plays an integral part in a community and in the lives of children and families: the school-based health center (SBHC). SBHCs are as local- and community-driven as healthcare can get these days. The school community--school staff, parents, students, supporters, and neighborhood representatives--helps define the SBHC and the services it will provide. One of the identified concerns about healthcare reform is the limited access to primary care services. At this point, it is estimated that once everyone has health insurance and begins seeking regular, on-going primary care services, these services will be hard to get because there won't be enough providers. This is where the SBHCs can play a role. SBHCs are mostly located in communities that have high numbers of uninsured adults, in addition to high numbers of children with Medicaid or no insurance. Structuring the SBHCs to be open to the community--and not just school children--will allow more access points in communities where they will be needed the most. One of the hidden gems in the healthcare reform bill is support for expanding SBHCs. The bill makes $200 million beginning this year available to provide capital improvements, equipment, and other supports for SBHCs. Those funds could be used to remodel existing facilities to make them available to the community while keeping the kids safe and sound in the school building. Doesn't that seem like a great way to bring the local doc back into the community and create an important relationship and childhood memory for today's children?