WATERTOWN — North Country Family Health Center’s School-Based Health Center at Case Middle School is celebrating its 25th year of providing medical and behavioral health services.
NCFHC hosted an event Friday for staff at the middle school in honor of the milestone, giving out treats to celebrate and say “thank you.”
NCFHC, then the North Country Children’s Clinic, opened its first School-Based Health Center at North Elementary in December 1993. In the fall of 1996, a second health center was opened at Watertown High School, making Case Middle School the third School-Based Health Center to open within the Watertown City School District. In August 1996, The Northern New York Community Foundation awarded the organization a $25,000 grant to help support the Case School-Based Health Center.
“I’ve been in the district for almost 33 years, so I’ve really had the experience of seeing it come into the district and seeing it benefit students and families from the young ages right up through the high school,” said Case Middle School Principal Mark L. Taylor. “It provides an opportunity for students to have care right in the building they’re located in, or if they don’t get it in the building they’re in, we help them get transportation to the nearby building where they can go and get treated for health or dental or whatever.”
Given the busy lives of families, he said, the fact that students are able to get the services right at the school is priceless.
Case’s School-Based Health Center is staffed by a family nurse practitioner, a patient service representative and a licensed master social worker who provide individual and family counseling services. Staff care for students when they are sick or if they experience chronic care issues such as diabetes or asthma.
Well child and annual physical exams are also offered to students, as well as sports physicals, immunizations and allergy shots. If students at Case need preventative dental services such as cleanings, sealants or fluoride varnish treatments, they use the school-based dental clinic at H.T. Wiley.
Continue Reading on NNY360