myPac Continues to Offer Students Care During Summer School Session (TX)
June 23, 2011
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Summer school children with upset stomachs , headaches and seasonal colds can
be diagnosed, treated and sent back to class thanks to the myPAC program.
The in-school health care program has been in operation for three years in
the Lufkin Independent School District, and director Meredith Stanford said
they offer the same care throughout the summer at Lufkin High School.
Stanford and members of her staff said students attending summer school are
often more stressed because of the mental burden placed on them to complete
courses to go onto the next grade level.
“They are here because they failed or they have to pass to move on, so it’s
not your typical lower key atmosphere,” Stanford said. “We provide the same
services that we provide throughout the regular school year to summer school
students.”
Summer school students can only miss three days before they are no longer
eligible for the program, so keeping kids in class is vital.
“Some of these kids try to come down and they want to go home, but they
don’t have a temperature or an ear infection, their ears aren’t red, their
throat isn’t red, so we send them back to class,” office manager Rebecca
Hinesley said.
Visits cost just $5 and Stanford said myPAC files directly with Medicaid or
CHIP. No student is turned away.
Because the program does not operate as a campus nurse’s office, Stanford
said myPAC is able to diagnose, treat, give prescriptions and refer students to
a primary care physician or for additional medication.
They also perform social service roles.
“We can get parents in connection with Medicaid or CHIP, we can get them
connected with the school’s social worker and we can make mental health
referrals,” Stanford said. “A school nurse can’t do that.”
The clinic also offers athletic physicals and well-child exams for the Texas
Medicaid program, called Texas Health Steps.
“Every child is required to get a Health Steps exam on a set schedule based
on their age,” Stanford said. “It’s a head-to-toe physical assessment, mental,
dental, behavioral and we draw blood. Athletic physicals are a little more
in-depth. We focus strongly on the heart. You’ve seen so many kids collapse on
the court or on the field, so we do a head-to-toe physical.”
The physical exams cost $20.
Right now, Stanford and her staff are raising funds to continue to the program,
located typically on the Lufkin Middle School campus. An initial $250,000
grant, along with a matching $250,000 grant, got the program going for the
first three years. Now that grant is complete, and Stanford hopes the community
will help keep them going for the benefit of Lufkin ISD students.
“We are well over halfway to our goal,” Stanford said. “What we have now
will get us into the beginning of the school year. We’re writing state and
federal grants and for private foundation funding. We’ve received a lot of
support.”
The clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon for summer
school students and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for any students enrolled in Lufkin ISD.
An appointment must be made by calling 632-6972. To learn more about the
fundraising efforts, contact Stanford at the same number.