Three Schools to Get Health Centers (AR)
June 21, 2011
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
< ;w:BreakWrappedTables/>
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
& #x0A;
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-mar gin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
Three Arkansas school districts will receive grants that helps toward
improving student health by creating school-based health centers on their
campuses.
The grants, announced last week, are being given to Cross County Elementary
in the Cross County district; Magazine Elementary in the Magazine district; and
Acorn Elementary in the Ouachita River district.
“These are innovative districts, which are willing to go above and beyond
and know that the key to ensuring student success is achieved by focusing on the
whole child,” said Jerri Clark, grants manager for the ADE’s Office of
Coordinated School Health. “These centers offer a greater extent of services
than the school nurse and counselor typically offers. They focus mainly on
preventative care, screenings, education outreach, and checkups. ”
Each school will receive $150,000 for use during the 2011-2012 school year.
The grant will last five years but annual funding will decline to 50 percent of
the original award by the fifth year with the expectation that district and
community resources will sustain the centers after that.
The money comes from the 2009 tobacco excise tax increase for health
programs approved by the Legislature at the request of Gov. Mike Beebe. Nine
schools received the grants for the 2010-2011 school year.
At least one full-time registered nurse is required to direct each center.
It’s expected that each center will build relationships with local doctors,
dentists and optometrists to provide services to students. The centers will
also work with social workers, drug counselors and other health professionals.
The ADE coordinates on the project with the Arkansas Department of Health,
Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.