TOLEDO, Ohio — As students continue to head back to class, we are keeping a close eye on how schools plan to keep students healthy.
Starting this school year, two new health clinics are being added in the Toledo Public School district, one at Start High School and the other at Bowsher High School. These clinics connect families directly to healthcare services.
"It is really a convenient opportunity to get their child caught up without having to miss work," said Tiffany Ways, director for Health Partners in the Toledo Public School district.
The Health Partners clinics are located in multiple TPS schools and connect families with care such as immunizations, COVID-19 testing and other general wellness checkups. The program became vital for many families since the first one opened back in 2009. The clinics have become even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why district leaders felt opening more locations was a good idea.
"We continue to collaborate with the school nurse and we look at the students who are behind, and we reach out to those families directly to let them know this is a resource. We can connect with you! We can get those right here at the school for you and you do not have to take time off of work" said Ways.
During the 2021-2022 school year 4,577 patients visited a TPS Health Partners clinic. Students who attend TPS schools are able to get these appointments done during school hours, which is often a barrier families have when it comes to getting to the doctor or getting caught up on regular immunizations.
"Looking at our kids who are due for immunizations and getting them the support that they need. So day 1 we're able to hit the ground running and make sure our kids have what they need to stay here in school," said Ways.
On top of medical visits, the Health Partners clinics also do dental care visits. Last school year, they had a total of 4,219 dental care visits for students and their siblings.