High schoolers in the Mount Baker School District won’t have to miss hours of class time for routine doctor’s appointments anymore.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, a school-based health clinic opened its doors in east Whatcom County after years of planning. It will be open weekly from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. while school is in session.
Though the district at one point anticipated launching the clinic as early as last August, finding a space, renovating it and hiring staff turned into a longer process, Director of Finance Brian Fraser said.
The school district includes Acme, Deming, Maple Falls and Glacier. The clinic, run by Sea Mar Community Health Centers, currently has a provider and clinic coordinator on-site.
At its temporary location in Mount Baker Senior High School, the clinic is only open to students at the school. The “ultimate goal,” however, is to offer services to the general public, said Aly Robinson, a community health specialist with Whatcom Health and Community Services. The district has requested state funding for a permanent space accessible to the wider community.
If the request is granted, the clinic could open to the public within a few years, she said.
The permanent location would still be on the district’s main campus, which includes the high school and district office, Fraser said.
The clinic is fully funded by state grants, Robinson said. The district, county health department and Sea Mar collaborated to implement the grants.
For residents of the area, getting medical care often requires a time-consuming trip to Bellingham. That means not only students getting pulled out of school, but also parents having to take time off work, Robinson pointed out.
“They may not have sick pay, they may not have time off,” she said. “So they could be putting their job at risk.”
Students whose families can’t afford to spend half a day taking them to the doctor and back may just go without health care.
Even small problems can become big distractions. A kid with an ingrown toenail could be sitting in class “and they’re thinking about their toe instead of their algebra,” Fraser said. “Now that kid has an opportunity to go and see somebody and get that taken care of.”
Providing health care to kids impacts their families, too, said Harshiem Ross, a senior vice president at Sea Mar. Kids take information home to their parents, who may not see a primary care provider regularly.
“I think the importance of this goes beyond just seeing a child at school and keeping them in the classroom,” he said. “It goes into making sure these communities grow into healthy and stronger communities.”
Sophia Gates covers rural Whatcom and Skagit counties. She is a Washington State Murrow Fellow whose work is underwritten by taxpayers and available outside CDN's paywall. Reach her at sophiagates@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 131.
