School-Based Health Care and the District of Columbia Safety Net. Medical Homes DC Report PDF Download

Author: 21st Century School Fund, Washington, DC.
Publisher:
ISBN:
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Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
This report provides the results of research into the variety of health care services currently offered in the public schools in the District of Columbia, with a particular focus on school-based health centers. Also provided are the results of research into the practice of utilizing school-based health centers nationally in the U.S. The report is prepared by the 21st Century School Fund in support of the current Medical Homes DC project led by the DC Primary Care Association (DCPCA). Medical Homes DC is a project to expand, improve or build primary care clinical space in the District, and to ensure that the clinic providers in those spaces have the skills, organizational infrastructure, and equipment to provide high quality care. A medical home is a place where there is a primary care provider who knows a patient?s health history; where a patient will be seen regardless of his or her ability to pay; and where the patient routinely seeks non-emergency medical care. The project is in the first year, with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); the D.C. Department of Health (DOH); and Consumer Health, Meyer, Kaiser, and Marpat Foundations. The role of 21CSF in the first year was to be the D.C. public and public charter school facilities and health care services expert; to be the link between the Medical Homes DC team, school facilities and health care staff, and other organizations working to improve school facilities and health care; and to look for opportunities to place new clinics in school sites. This research found that there are a wide variety of health care services and programs offered throughout the D.C. public schools, ranging from part-time (and in some cases full-time) nursing care at every school to fairly comprehensive school-based health centers at three of the schools. Despite the wide range of services, programs, and funding sources, there are significant problems within the current health care system in the D.C. public tem?s effectiveness. One significant problem is the poor state of health care facilities, equipment, and supplies, particularly for nurses. Another problem is the lack of information sharing between and among the various health care entities operating in the public schools. And a third problem is that there is no clear chain of accountability within the system to be responsible for its performance and direction. Based on this review of the D.C. public school health services, specific recommendations are made for how these schools and their partners can strengthen school based health services and create a stronger relationship with the rest of the primary care safety net. Appended are: (1) State Standards for School Based Health Centers; and (2) Sample School Based Health Center Memoranda of Agreement. (Contains 4 tables, pie charts, and color photos of health center exam rooms, in various schools.).