Barb Lay, MHHCC CEO (left) gives tour of
school-based health center at Calhoun Middle-High
School to Congresswoman Capito (right)
Congresswoman Shelly Moore Capito praised Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center's school-based health program at Calhoun Middle-High School this week, as "one of the pioneers in providing services to school-aged children" in West Virginia.
CEO Barb Lay said since MHHCC started the program in 1995, the clinics are in all three county schools, offering a broad range of services from treating illnesses, dental care, physical exams, and immunizations to allergy shots, mental health services, vision screens, hearing screens, health education, prevention and peer mentoring services.
Calhoun Middle-High School was among the first schools to have a health clinic built into a new facility.
While praising the school-based program, Congresswoman Capito said "Minnie Hamilton is one of our shining examples of providing health services to a rural area."
Lay said to be served at the school-based clinic, there is no out-of-pocket charge to the student, but the student must be enrolled in the program.
"A goal of the program is to ensure primary and preventive care, eliminating barriers to access," she said.
Staff members shared with Congresswoman Capito how direct services are provided to students.
Principal Mike Offutt and Congresswoman Capito
have lunch with Calhoun Middle School students
Calhoun High principal Mike Offutt told the group how student-based services have improved the quality-of-life of students, saying "most students access care here in the course of a year."
So far this year, there have been over 3,000 student visits to the CM-HS center, 130 visits to the Arnoldsburg center and 222 to the Pleasant Hill center.
Becky King of the WV School-Based Health Assembly and Phil Schenk of the West Virginia Primary Care Association recognized MHHCC for their dedicated efforts to provide care to school-aged children, and praised Congresswoman Capito for supporting health initiatives in Washington.
King said 21 WV counties now have school-based health services.
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