“As best we can, we strive to keep our children in school while allowing parents to remain at work.”  That’s the explanation given by nurse practitioner Candace Hubbard at Winn Community Health Center’s School-Based Center of their services.

Located in the building that city residents remember as the former Adult Education building (403 W South Street) by the Intermediate School, the school-based health center has a team of five:  nurse practitioner Candace Hubbard, nurse Kristan Guilliams, coordinator Claudia Franks, bus driver Lynn Hopper and weekly, counselor Matthew Whitaker.

Serving children at all schools whose parents have signed them up at the start of school, the center handles wellness visits and sick visits.  There are also dental service for routine cleaning and cavity fillings (though parents need to be in attendance for that).  Behavioral health is available once a week.  “There are a lot of pressures and stress at school, at home, through social media,” explains Hubbard.  “We’ve seen a lot of kids though here who need help.”

The center also offers vision and hearing screenings.  With parental approval, immunizations are given.  For the sick visits, the center deals with “all kinds of things, from the common cold to flu and strep.”  For most, with approved medication the child can remain in school without the parent needing to miss work.  Fever, she says, is another matter and the child must go home.

The center can also handle calling in a prescription for the parent to pick up, easing the hassle.  Sickness symptoms can generally be eased through over-the-counter medicines when parents gave their OK at signup.

As to signup, Hubbard stressed that there is not problem to get signed up should new families to the school system or those who have decided they now want to be part of the WCHC school-based program wish to do so.  This can be done in person at the Center’s office or online at www.winnchc.org/our-locations/winn-sbhc.

It’s important to know, she added, that while students are receiving medical help independent of their parents, there is a lot of communication between the center and parents.  “A child leaves with a complete visit summary so they will know exactly what we did.  It’s also a big benefit that we have direct communication with the children for the time they are with us.  They can better understand, take control for their own health care.  It’s good to start early.”

One more aspect of the school-based center involves sports physicals.  All Winn schools are involved, with the event generally coordinated by CEO Deano Thornton and athletic directors at the schools.  Usually held at WSHS, the athletes arrive at staggered hours by school, going to stations to see three different providers.

Note that school employees also have access to the program for acute care and flu shots.  Cooperation with school nurses is good, she tells the Journal.  “If they believe the student needs to see the clinic, they call us.  We have a bus that picks them up, brings them here and back.  We then contact the school nurse to report what we found.”

Finally, the nurse practitioner echoes the theme of the CEO:  “We accept no money.  We bill the insurance company but if they don’t pay, we don’t charge the family.  In that case, we just don’t get anything.”