There will soon be three new health clinics available to school-age children in St. John the Baptist Parish.

The St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District and Teche Action Clinic have teamed up to offer the school-based health centers, which will be located in modular buildings on the campuses of West St. John Elementary School, LaPlace Elementary School and East St. John High School.

Although they will be located on our campuses, any school-aged child who is a resident of St. John the Baptist Parish will be able to use the services — even if they are not a student in St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools.

The services will also be available to adults who are employed by the school district.

The clinics will be federally qualified health centers offering comprehensive physical and mental health services, including routine medical care, lab work, physicals and immunizations.

The three school-based health centers will be operated by Teche Action Clinic, which is funding the initiative through a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The organization, a not-for-profit federally qualified health center committed to providing comprehensive, safe, quality health care to residents, already operates a similar school-based health center in St. Mary Parish, where the organization is based.

St. John the Baptist Parish’s three school-based health centers are scheduled to be open and accepting patients by the end of the year.

The main goal of the health centers is to reduce absenteeism by providing medical care in cases where students otherwise would have had to leave school for minor ailments.

Instead of having to call a parent to pick him up, the student can receive treatment and return to the classroom.

For more serious conditions, early detection and treatment will hopefully lead to a faster return to school and a greater chance of learning for that child.

Parental permission will be required for a student to visit the clinic, and services will also be available by appointment.

The clinics will be staffed by either a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, as well as a social worker or counselor.

Because the health centers will be located on campus, clinic staff will be able to work closely with the school faculty who interact with students every day to gain a better understanding of the medical needs of the students and their emotional needs.

The clinics will accept Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance and will provide assistance to the uninsured as needed.

Thanks to Teche Action Clinic for bringing this effort to our school system. The St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District is proud to expand its role and to be a part of increasing health care opportunities for all children in St. John the Baptist Parish.

Jennifer Boquet is the communications specialist for St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools. Email her at jboquet@stjohn.k12.la.us.