DAYTON, Ohio– Numerous studies show good health is critical to ensuring students get the most out of school.
And now Dayton Public Schools and Five Rivers Health Centers have partnered together to bring the first School-Based Health Center to the district.
- DPS and Five Rivers health Center unveiled DPS’s first School-Based Health Center
- It will provide free medical, dental, vision, and mental health services to students within DPS.
- For students without medical coverage, they will assist in Medicaid enrollment.
The grand opening of the brand new Five Rivers Health Center inside Roosevelt Elementary is a milestone for Dayton Public Schools.
“We’re so excited for the opportunities that are going to happen for our students and our families,” DPS Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lolli said. “Today is a celebration of that.”
DPS Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lolli is especially proud of this new School-Based Health Center, not only because it’s the first of its kind, but because of all that it’s going to do for students and their families.
“It’s extremely important because of our students and sometimes the lack of healthcare opportunities for their families and for them.”
The brand new health center used to be several classrooms, but now it offers medical, dental, vision, and behavioral health services, all at no cost to students.
Students will have to sign a lifetime consent form, allowing Five Rivers staff to treat the students during the day.
Five Rivers CEO Gina McFarlane-El said the new health center would provide free treatment for all students enrolled in Dayton Public Schools, not just those at Roosevelt Elementary. Their goal is to make things easier for both students and parents.
“Sometimes it’s hard to leave work to take that sick child to that doctor, or to that dentist,” McFarlane-El said. “So this provides easy access for parents and for that child ultimately to receive necessary services.”
Lolli said the goal for DPS’s new Health Center is to treat students with health issues quickly, ultimately allowing for increased attendance and improved grades.
“We started an attendance initiative this past fall,” Lolli said. “This really supports that, making sure our students are healthy.”
There are similar Health Centers across the state, with the longest-running centers operating at Cincinnati Public Schools. Trotwood-Madison School District also opened a Five Rivers Health Center just last month.
The Health Center will not operate as a primary care or emergency clinic, rather specializing in preventative, holistic care.
“We’re not trying to take the place of a primary care provider, we’re only trying to intervene when kids are sick,” McFarlane-El said.
Dr. Lolli said adding more Health Centers is something that could be possible in the near future.
“We plan to expand as soon as we have additional partners to do that with,” Lolli said. “But the board of education is committed to the whole child — not just the academic piece, or the athletic piece — but the whole child.”