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Focus On…School-Based Health Care with Kaitlyn Jackson, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC, Director of School-Based Health
It’s parents’ favorite time of year — Back to School! Knowing that your kids are safe in their classrooms is always a relief. That’s why signing up for Ryan Health’s School-Based Health Care is so important.
We’re on three campuses, serving 1,200 students: Young Women’s Leadership School, PS 188 The Island School, and the Park West 50th Street Campus. And to answer the first question we always get asked — no, there is no cost to you. All you have to do is register your student! There is never a co-pay or a bill for you from Ryan Health. But if we have your insurance information, we will be reimbursed for the services we provide, which helps us keep providing care to all our patients.
How Does It Work?
Ideally, you will fill out the form every year, just to ensure that any changes are captured, including new medications or updated insurance information. If you have already registered and nothing has changed, you don’t need to re-enroll. It’s best if you register at the beginning of the school year so there’s no gap in coverage if your child needs medical assistance, because then we’re limited in the type of care we can provide.
Many parents think that they don’t need to register with us because they already have a pediatrician. But we coordinate our services with your existing pediatrician. Knowing that we’re here in case of an emergency is good for your peace of mind. There are no downsides except the five minutes it takes to fill out the form.
What Do You Do?
Our school-based health centers are also convenient. We can handle all your child’s age-appropriate vaccinations, with your consent, of course. (And if you don’t want us to, we won’t.) We review every students’ vaccination records and let you know in advance that we’re scheduling vaccinations. We strive to see them at lunch or during study periods, so we don’t interrupt the school day.
Ryan Health’s school-based health centers are staffed with an LPN (licensed practical nurse), a nurse practitioner, a licensed social worker, and a front desk person. We provide a full range of medical and mental health services. In addition to vaccinations, we provide physical exams for sports or camp; treatment for chronic or acute illness; medications and prescriptions; screenings for vision, hearing, asthma, and obesity; and mental health services.
Students can receive one-on-one counseling or join us for a weekly group discussion. Recent group discussion sessions focused on stress management, self-harm, and adjusting to being in a new place. Sometimes the groups are based on age, such as a group for middle school boys or freshman girls.
Our groups meet weekly for eight to 10 weeks, both during and after school, depending on the students’ schedules. Our sessions are always confidential and follow the safeguards that are put in place by New York State. However, we strive to have parental approval because we often have a stronger outcome when parents are involved.
Real World Example of How We Help
I know I shared a lot of information in this article, so let me give you a real example of someone whose health needs weren’t being met before we were able to help. A student came to us as a 13-year-old for a routine physical at her school. What started as a simple visit turned out to be life-changing. During that appointment, we identified that she had uncontrolled persistent asthma and symptoms of depression— both previously undiagnosed.
She received ongoing asthma care right at the school with us, which kept her condition well-managed. Because of this consistent support, she avoided emergency room visits and was able to participate in school sports, something that would have been impossible otherwise. At the same time, she received mental health services with us for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Later in high school, she was able to receive confidential, judgment-free care for contraceptive counseling and STI testing and treatment.
We ensured she had what she needed to protect her health and plan her future. This young woman is now college-bound, healthy in body and mind. That’s gratifying, and a solid example of the care students receive in Ryan Health’s school-based health centers.
For more information, check out the School-Based Health Center page on our website, or look on your school’s website. You can register for school-based health care by Ryan Health below:
