For Immediate Release
3/1/01

SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS CONTINUE STRONG EXPANSION ACROSS THE U.S., NATIONAL SURVEY FINDS

Contact: Julia Graham Lear
(202) 466-3396

Washington, D.C.-The number of school-based health centers in the United States climbed to 1,380 in school year 1999/2000, a 20 percent increase over two years and nearly a seven-fold increase over the past decade. The centers, which provide primary care and mental health services to children and teens, are now in 45 states plus the District of Columbia, according to a recent survey conducted by the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools at The George Washington University.

Today, 33 states provide grant support to school-based health centers, 43 states permit them to bill Medicaid for patient care, and centers in 22 states are providers in Medicaid managed care networks. “These developments mark the transition of school-based health centers (SBHCs) from the margins to the mainstream of the American health care system,” notes Julia Graham Lear, Ph.D., director of the center.

The centers, usually organized by a local hospital or health center, get health care to students early to prevent or treat common health problems of young people as well as chronic conditions. A mix of nurses, physicians and mental health professionals provide annual physicals, treat asthma, offer family counseling and work with school staff to address student problems.

SBHCs were originally created to deal with the health problems of teenagers, and have quickly emerged in elementary schools, where 38 percent of them are now
located. Still, more than one-third of the centers focus on teens’ health and emotional issues. Teens have problems “that are difficult to face and can land them in serious trouble,” James Marone and colleagues note in the most recent edition of Health Affairs. “However, ignoring the problems of adolescents can lead to even bigger troubles: one million unintended pregnancies a year, three million sexually transmitted diseases, more than four thousand suicides, and flashes of school violence.” School-based health centers are “a reform well worth encouraging.”

Over the decade, both funding and political support for school-based health centers has increased dramatically. “A major focus of my administration as governor of Delaware was strengthening families,” says Tom Carper, now a U.S. senator. “I advocated for more school-based health centers to help advance that goal. They help parents deal with the tough issues their kids face—drug abuse, smoking, eating disorders or just getting convenient access to routine care. I’m proud that Delaware now has a center in nearly every public high school.”

The survey found that the most rapid growth in centers has occurred in both historically conservative and liberal states. Since 1998, the number of centers in Mississippi and Illinois more than doubled in Wisconsin they grew by 65 percent
and in Louisiana, by 31 percent. “School-based health centers ease our hospital charity care costs because kids don’t use the emergency room for routine care,” says Republican State Senator Jay Dardenne. “We also feel the centers help to combat our illiteracy and school dropout rates.”

Interestingly, suburbs have seen the largest recent increases in the numbers of school-based health centers, according to the survey. Some believe this suggests that the centers, originally designed to serve students unable to afford or find care, are enjoying a broader appeal. “This model of health care can work for all children, not just for those with poor access to care,” says Paul Jellinek, vice president with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Like shopping malls, frozen dinners and online banking, part of the beauty of school-based health centers is their convenience. They make life easier for parents, for their employers and for the students they serve. As the pace of society becomes more hectic, I think their appeal will become more universal.”

For more information, please contact The Center for Health and Health Care In Schools at chhcs@gwu.edu