Sore throats, stitches, immunizations, women's health — Lincoln Elementary's Family Health Center has it covered.
The state's only full-time in-school health clinic is booming after five years in the inner-city Salt Lake District school. At the onset of its springtime anniversary, the clinic had treated nearly 15,000 children and adults. About 85 percent have no health insurance and receive charitable care.
Though it looks like any other doctor's office, this one is unique. It's a converted school storage area. Health insurance doesn't matter here. It's more of a calling, or mission, to boost the health — and in turn, the education — of a community by providing free or low-cost medical services to those who need them. It also treats insured patients, just like any other health clinic.
"It's really the only one of its kind," medical assistant Monica Berrios said Wednesday after discussing immunizations with a mother and her children. "I think it has done lots of good things for people who are not able to get services," be it out of lack of income or fears about citizenship documentation.
The clinic, which operates under a $100,000 annual subsidy from the IHC Foundation, saw 3,700 people last year; about 85 percent have no health insurance.
Utah used to have two full-time clinics, at Lincoln and Dee Elementary in Ogden. The clinic at Dee recently went part-time, but workers are seeking a grant to return to full-time hours. Rose Park Elementary in inner-city Salt Lake also has a part-time, evening family health center.
Health clinics like this are popular in a nation with 11 million uninsured children. Some 1,380 school health clinics have spouted up in 45 states; some are more than 10 years old. Neighboring Arizona, for example, has 116 school-based clinics.
The clinics are aimed at preventing and treating common health problems to cut back on emergency-room visits and absenteeism.
"If students don't feel well, it's difficult to have a good learning environment. Studies show that young people who are at the highest risk of school failure are those who are at the highest risk for health-related problems," said Pamela Atkinson, vice president of Mission Services for IHC. "Children, instead of staying in class and infecting everyone else, can be treated right away."
Lincoln students may receive treatment for common colds or chronic illnesses, such as sickle-cell anemia and diabetes. Berrios and nurse Cristy Barclay also follow up on students. Sometimes, workers visit families to teach them how to care for sick children or parents.
Unimmunized children can receive the required shots without leaving campus, cutting back on class time missed. The clinics also stress preventive medicine and sign up students for the Children's Health Insurance Program, a federal medical program for low-income children.
"Kids who go to the clinic instead of going home are assured they're OK and go back to class. That's got to help. Otherwise, they would just stay home, not get care, and miss school," principal Ken Jones said.
A little girl who attended school with an untreated broken arm was the clinic's impetus, Atkinson said. The girl's mother didn't have health insurance and didn't know where to seek treatment.
"As the trust level in the community has risen, we've had more people coming in," Atkinson said. "We are very welcome there and are performing a needed service for the school and the community."
E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com