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School-based health clinics are functioning out of three sites within the Poplar Bluff School District this academic year as the result of a grant initiative aimed at increasing access to health care in the region.
Missouri Highlands expanded its operation to include Eugene Field, O’Neal and the Middle School based on acuity of need and designated space, after outlining a memorandum of understanding with district officials last school year and receiving insurance credentials for the locations.
“This was dreamed up by the prior administration and we basically made the practicality happen,” explained Charles Kinsey, R-I assistant superintendent of business. “Our goal is for kids to be in these clinics for a short visit while on campus and not have to miss school unless sick. It’s a win-win, in this respect.”
The startup costs for the equipment and supplies needed to open the Poplar Bluff clinics, along with Doniphan, were funded by a two-year $350,000 grant expansion through the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The initial grant secured by the nonprofit three years ago, valued at $400,000, covered Lone Star, Naylor and Neelyville.
Comprised of a board-certified family nurse practitioner, licensed practical nurse and patient services rep, the medical team rotates building sites on a fixed schedule throughout the week. Students enrolled can be referred to the SBHC by the school’s conventional nursing department to be further examined, diagnosed and treated, and building staff are also able to schedule appointments directly.
“There is no change as far as how our nurses’ offices work,” stated R-I Health Director Bailey Hester, further expressing how she is excited about the new opportunity. “Students will still see their respective school nurse as they always have, this is just an added resource that is available for students who the nurse might refer to a health care provider for an illness or injury.”
Guardians will be contacted to provide consent for wellness checks in the fully functioning medical laboratory, and insurance carriers will be billed by the organization with sliding scale discount payment options available based on household income level. The SBHC is designed to provide convenience for families seeking to avoid spending time in waiting rooms or having to take off work in order to pick up their students immediately, according to the medical staff.
“That’s the beauty of our clinic is the parent doesn’t have to come up here to get the child and make an appointment where they will spend two hours, if not the rest of the day,” said Holly Burns, Missouri Highlands FNP-BC. “The parent doesn’t have to leave work, we can call the prescription into the pharmacy, and if [deemed] sick, we will follow school policy.”
In the five months that the clinics were operational before Poplar Bluff went live in 2024, Missouri Highlands has outpaced previous years with over 300 visits, reported Clinic Manager Alisha Decena. “Our long-term plans are to be in schools as a service line to help kids and staff stay at school,” she said, adding that the desire would be to expand if employee shortages within the health care industry can be combatted.
“In the school-based health clinic, we can do everything that our medical clinics can do, except for x-rays, which we’ll have to make arrangements for,” said Decena, who has been employed by Missouri Highlands for 13 years. “Our main goal is to help our communities with school [sites] keep kids healthy, and for teachers, the same thing – so they may not have to take the day off and find a sub.”
Celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, Missouri Highlands serves seven counties in Southeast Missouri including Butler. The 501c3 operates a pediatric office out of Northwest Medical Center, a dental clinic in Mansion Mall and a women’s clinic off Oak Grove Road.
An SBHC is available on the campus of O’Neal Elementary on Mondays, the Poplar Bluff Middle School on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Eugene Field on Wednesdays during school hours. For more information, watch the video below or visit www.mohigh.org/schools.
Above: Family Nurse Practitioner Holly Burns administers a wellness checkup on first grader Corbin Townsend on Monday, Sept. 9, at O’Neal Elementary School.
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