LITTLE ROCK, Ark — Booker T. Washington Elementary School held a ribbon cutting ceremony to introduce the latest school-based health clinic with the Little Rock School District.
"No insurance, no problem," is the idea behind offering health care services at a low cost for the elementary school's faculty, staff, students, and their families.
"Our school's mission has now extended as we have partnered with the Little Rock School District and the City of Little Rock to be a community school that would ensure equitable support and resources for our students and our school neighborhood," said Principal Aleta Branch.
Located within the school, the clinic will offer telehealth, sick and well care, immunizations, and behavioral health services thanks to a partnership with ARCare.
By expanding the access to health care to families, they're hoping this will potentially reduce a student's time away from class and lessen parents' time away from work.
"We are being proactive in trying to make sure that every one of our kids, every one of our staff are healthy and that they are able to be the human beings that are productive," said Superintendent Mike Poore.
The school has tested out the services before the ribbon cutting.
Portia Casey, a teacher for the school, says she got strep throat and sought out the services to get better before returning to her classroom.
"By the time I was on the phone with the doctor or the video call with the doctor, my results came back so he read me my results, answered any questions I had, gave me the information, shipped off my prescription and I was in an out within an hour," said Casey.