LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As the school year winds down, planning and preparation for the upcoming fall season are already in full swing.
One local school district is about to launch a new health clinic to better serve its students and staff. You'll find the new school-based health clinic right behind Mills Middle School in the Pulaski County Special School District.
Administrators said having easy access to healthcare in partnership with Mainline Health Systems Inc., could benefit the district as a whole.
"We are excited because when you have kids that are healthy, and staff [that are] healthy, they come to work, they come to school," said Dr. Janice Warren, Pulaski County Special School District Assistant Superintendent for Equity and Pupil Services.
Half of the building behind the middle school near the baseball field will be dedicated to treating patients and Dr. Warren described it as an urgent care clinic that is on a school campus.
"[It will offer] physical exams, immunizations, regular flu shots, any kind of regular health needs that our students and staff might need," Dr. Warren described.
They'll offer mental health services as well.
In addition to meeting physical and mental needs, Dr. Warren said it could help them in the classroom.
"It helps with the attendance. We're hoping by having this available to everybody, convenient to everyone, that it will keep our staff on the job it will keep our students on the job," she explained.
Jessica Boswell has three kids enrolled in the district and is a member of the advisory board that helped bring this idea to life.
"I'm a full-time working mom as well and so just the fact that we have the ability to have that second layer right before I have to come get a kid or something. There's just so many limitations to school nurses today that just make this an opportunity that is really amazing," Boswell said.
Even though the health clinic will be behind Mills Middle School and Boswell's kids go to school across town, she said her kids can still get the help they need through telehealth.
"Having that in the school district or even on school property that can reduce the amount of time that a kid is outside of the school, the teachers outside of the classroom, and it really helps to make a more seamless environment from the learning perspective," Boswell added.
District leaders said they've been working on a way to transport students from school directly to the health clinic, but those details aren't nailed down yet.
Renovation work is expected to start right after school lets out next week and the clinic will open in August.
As of right now, the only location is behind Mills Middle School, and will only be open to students and staff within the district. However, district leaders said their goal is to expand it to families and add more locations in the future.