The Colorado Trust Awards $1 Million to Expand School-Based Health
Centers
November 15, 2007—Denver—At a news conference
today, Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien joined
staff from The Colorado Trust and the Colorado Department of
Public
Health and Environment to announce funding awarded by The
Colorado
Trust, $1 million over two years, to expand school-based
health centers
in Colorado. Kicking off the event at Lake Middle School
in Denver, the lieutenant
governor spoke to members of the media, families and
students and
emphasized the importance of school-based health centers in
providing
crucial preventive physical and mental health services where
most
children spend a great deal of time; in schools.
State Rep. Andy Kerr, an advocate for school-based health
centers and a
former teacher at Dunstan Middle School in Jefferson County,
provided a
statement for the event, which was read by the lieutenant
governor. Rep. Kerr’s statement said, “Being a former
teacher, I know how
important it is for kids to be healthy in order to learn. If
they
can’t make it to class because of health issues, their
learning is
hindered. School-based health centers are an excellent
investment in our
kids and schools.” O’Brien stressed that too many children
and teenagers suffer from
serious health and mental health problems such as asthma,
overweight and
diabetes, as well as depression and substance abuse. “Couple
these
health issues and peer pressures with a family’s lack of
health
insurance, and you have children who cannot receive the
services they
need to help them live healthy, productive lives.
School-based health
centers are a cost-effective way to enroll children in the
Child Health
Plan Plus insurance program and for communities to address
local child
health concerns,” Lt. Gov. O’Brien said. The new funding
from The Colorado Trust, beginning January 2008, will
be awarded to communities through the Colorado Department of
Public
Health and Environment’s existing funding process, said Jim
Martin,
executive director of the department. He said, “We are
very appreciative of this generous support by The
Colorado Trust. Colorado has long been a leader among states
in
supporting these programs, with 40 school-based health
centers in 17
school districts. However, there still are areas of the
state where
these centers are needed and do not yet exist. This funding
will enable
interested communities to establish new school-based health
centers
where they are needed.” “Young people are among our most
valuable and precious assets, yet
nearly 14 percent of the children in Colorado lack health
insurance of
any type,” said Irene M. Ibarra, president and CEO of The
Colorado
Trust. “We know that children without health insurance are
far more
likely to miss school, are less ready to learn and are more
likely to go
to the emergency room for treatable conditions. School-based
health
centers are an important strategy for improving child health
by
providing primary and preventive care, as well as improved
access to
specialized care for complicated illness.” In addition to
supporting the direct services provided by school-based
health centers, The Colorado Trust also announced an
additional $250,000
to support a School Health Leadership Task Force to create a
comprehensive plan for the entire state to strengthen the
system of
integrated school health. Services offered by school-based
health centers include the following:
- primary care:
physical exams, immunizations, care for acute illness and
chronic conditions
- outpatient mental health and
substance abuse
- education on consumer
skills and how to avoid health risks that affect learning
- preventive
dental health
Funding History Since the 1980s, the Department of Public
Health and Environment
has provided limited funding through several grants now from
the federal
Maternal and Child Health Block Grant. In 2006, House Bill
1396 appropriated $500,000 for school-based
health centers.
In 2005, there were 1,700 school-based health centers in
the
nation. Just 65 percent of programs in the United States
include
behavioral health, compared with 90 percent in Colorado.
Colorado’s
programs are more comprehensive. For more information,
call Lori Maldonado at 303-692-2028 or
Sabine Kortals at 303-539-3146. --30-- |
